consistency question about thickeners

[fubarhouse]

I am new to the sauce making aspect, I was wondering...
I don't want to waste any flesh or anything so pureeing through a cheesecloth is a little impractical. Having those chunks in there, I also do not want it to be very sweet.
I am getting into jam and preserves and made an amazing jam today, it is aging now

adding sugar gives the texture I want, where it all flows together without much separation. In jams ect it is 1:1 ratio between fruit and sugar. If I wanted this to be nowhere near as sweet could I add say 1:1/4 (fruit:sugar) and just simmer for longer?

What I am trying to do is to get a smooth runny (but thick) consistency much like most sauces on the market (ie skobiyan for example) while keeping the sauce as highly percentaged as the peppers as possible. Pureeing it seems to be too chunky, sugar does what I want if I reduce it correctly, but I don't want the sweetness to be overly noticable.

Can anybody suggest a method for doing this?
The process I have now is

500g chilli
500g raw sugar
(optional) spices, vinegar, lemon juice or citric acid.

1. cut up fruit as required.
2. soften fruit up as much as possible on boil with enough water to prevent burning, adding more as required.
3. once fruit is completely softened, blend or proceed to step 4.
4. putting pot on simmer, add sugar and stir until completely dissolved.
5. put lid on, simmer for 45 minutes.
6. test if sugar has set using a cold/frozen plate (to decrease temperature so sugar can set) if sugar is not set, continue to simmer.

I suppose I could always add a carrot (diced) into it in early stages and use that to thicken it. Am I on the right trail of thought? I don't want to ruin the peppers I have...

 

[Prehensile]

I think Knox gelatine may work for you, though I just cook it down removing the water from the mix.

 

[Hendrix1326]

If you're making a sauce, and not a jam or preserve, I wouldn't recommend gelatine. I use xanthan gum. I recommend no more than 1/2 Teaspoon per quart of sauce, though, as I found out when I used it for the first time, it is powerful stuff! Good luck, hope this helps. Oh, I use Bob's Red Mill brand, since it was the only xanthan gum available where I live.

 

[salsalady]

You can use a food mill to remove any large bit of pulp or seeds and make the sauce nice and smooth. Then cook it/reduce it to the thickness you want.

Here's one at Amazon, but you can find them at thrift stores and garage sales for cheap-
http://www.amazon.com/Mirro-Foley-2-Quart-Stainless-Steel/dp/B000LNUM8Q/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1318861946&sr=1-3

SL

 

[The Hot Pepper]

Guar gum.

 

[chile_freak]

xantham gum and guar gum both work well, but the most simple delicious hot sauce method w/o any trouble is just to roast ur peppers in the oven @ 400 for about 10 min, this makes them soft enough(for thin walled peppers like super hots no need to peel the skin, jalapenos and such best to peel) to puree w/ just a few spoon fulls of vinegar add a pinch of salt and a little garlic and puree on liquefy or whatever ur highest blender setting, nice thick hot sauce, w/ simple pepper flavor, then from there you can play w/ the recipe, this will last a month or so in the fridge or damn near foever if u can them!

 

[The Hot Pepper]

Thickening is one thing, emulsifying is another. Most sauces will separate. If you don't mind the watery look and "shake well" on your label, then you can skip an emulsifier.

 

[salsalady]

for home sauce makers, how the sauce looks after sitting for a few weeks shouldn't matter and thickeners/emulsifyers aren't so important. How a bottle looks after sitting on the store shelf for a few weeks makes a difference to commercial sauce makers.

 

[The Hot Pepper]

Maybe to some, but I don't like separation in homemade sauces, and consistency does matter to me. I think that's why he is asking about it.

 

[PIC 1]

I use either agar or xantham, the agar is a nice thickner and handles the boiling point rather well, the xantham works great, for me on transulcent type sauces, its nice to be able see indgredients suspended in the sauce rather than at "the bottom of the sea", theres also a sheen and silkiness with xantham gum.

 

[fubarhouse]

Maybe to some, but I don't like separation in homemade sauces, and consistency does matter to me. I think that's why he is asking about it.

That's it
I'm good to make a nice sauce, I'm ok to shake before every use... but it would be nice to pick up a sauce and it to automatically look good. Besides, I'm all about technicalities in the kitchen, so it would be good to learn some new techniques. Somebody has suggested to me to simply add more peppers blended in vinegar/water or oil or something and simmer them in a pot for several hours, this would soften up everything in the pot if you could maintain moisture on a low heat. Not sure if the consistency would be smooth and silky though.

I appreciate every bodies help, looks like I'm in for a few experiments

 

[Smiter Q]

Arrowroot came first to my mind. It is a natural thickener, and does not have that gummy taste that xantham can add at times.

Here is a recipe that uses it.
http://www.whatocook.com/homemade_peppersauce.html

 

[PIC 1]

Arrowroot came first to my mind. It is a natural thickener, and does not have that gummy taste that xantham can add at times.

Here is a recipe that uses it.
http://www.whatocook.com/homemade_peppersauce.html

Arrow Root......I was waiting to see a recipe from the............. "Galloping Gourmet"........who put Arrow Root on the map..........LOL

Xantham.........gummy?

How much are you using? The problem with Arrow Root or Corn starch, it breaks down and separates when it cools...

Look at the jar in the recipe that you recommended, the sauce has separated...

I don't run into that problem......at all

 

[The Hot Pepper]

Arrowroot came first to my mind. It is a natural thickener, and does not have that gummy taste that xantham can add at times.

Here is a recipe that uses it.
http://www.whatocook.com/homemade_peppersauce.html

Arrow Root......I was waiting to see a recipe from the............. "Galloping Gourmet"........who put Arrow Root on the map..........LOL

Xantham.........gummy?

How much are you using? The problem with Arrow Root or Corn starch, it breaks down and separates when it cools...

Look at the jar in the recipe that you recommended, the sauce has separated...

I don't run into that problem......at all

Haha I remember those episodes.

Arrow root imparts flavor, and as PIC 1 says, is a temporary thickener. Good for cooking meals at home but not shelf-stability.

Gums are also natural! And do not impart flavor. Try guar gum