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recipe-help Testers needed!

HellfireFarm

eXtreme
I have two new products I want to introduce before the next market season, looking for a few people to provide some feedback!

Products are a BBQ rub and a habanero seasoned salt. If you are interested, pm your address and I'll send some out. Probably cap it around 5-6
 
๐Ÿ™‹โ€โ™‚๏ธIf you ship to Canada let me know! (I would gladly pay for shipping).
 
For those who got test samples:

1. Please post comments and discussion here - perfectly happy to discuss publicly, negative feedback included.
2. The rub and salt are what I really need timely feedback on as I'm getting ready to add those to my production line. Candies were just an extra because I had some around :) but feedback always welcome!
 
Interested to see the posts!
 
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I will report back as soon as I have tested everything. As quantities received allowed, I decided to share with my best friend (also a chilihead) to maximize reviews. Stay tuned!
 
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An additional request for feedback on this - let me know what YOUR impression of the heat level is. I've been using a 0-8 scale for the pepper powders, or do 1-10 or just mild, medium etc. I'm trying to work with terms in context of the average person, not chiliheads, so I use mild, medium, and hot as the first three levels - hot being "hot for most people"
 
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Quick reply then try to post pics from the phone-

I like the salts. Seems to be a good balance of salt and spices. I used some smoked paprika on eggs, and in/on MacnCheese. I could of gone heavier in the m-n-c, but was a little leary to start. I've tasted the Hab, but haven't used it on a food item. I'll try to get that tomorrow.

Today, we cooked up a plain pork loin with the bbq blend. I don't think I did it right, but I wasn't sure how to use it. I sprinkled some on the plain pork loin, rubbed it in and baked it to temp. Served with some plain-ish Potlatch Pilaf (from a local grain grower.) The plain-ish pilaf worked good with the dry blend on the outside of the pork loin.

I didn't get a lot of heat from the bbq. I'm really a pretty Medium chilehead, I would rate the bbq at 2.

I'd give the smoked about a 2-3 also as it was used on food items, so that tamed it down quite a bit.


Hope this helps, I'll send more feedback as we use the goodies. Thanks for sharing. You have some good things there.

SL
 
Here's my review, hope it will help you @HellfireFarm. Thanks again for chosing me as one of your tester, you have great products sir ๐Ÿ‘Œ
  • BBQ Rub : I used it on a pork roast (slow cooker) a few days ago. I put a lot of it on all sides and let the meat infuse for 24 hours before cooking it with other veggies and other ingredients. This turned out good but the flavor reminds me a lot of store-bought chili powder (containing garlic, cumin and other herbs around here). Same after testing it "raw" from the pot. I would rate it as rather mild (1/10). Next time I'll try it with flank steak on the grill.
  • Smokey seasoned salt : Very good taste and as salsalady said above, well balanced in all respects. This pimped my eggs and potato salad to another level! I would also rate it as mild (1/10).
  • Habanero seasoned salt: Not sure why but I found it to be โ€œsaltierโ€ then the smokey version. Good habanero presence here but not aggressive at all. Worked well with my pastas and burritos. To me this one would be a solid 4/10 (medium) so probably not for people that have no heat tolerance or children!
  • Strawberry Serrano Candy: A real strawberry flavor supported by the pepper but the spiciness is far from excessive. Still very affordable product for the vast majority IMO (2/10).
  • Orange Habanero Candy: Out of the three these were our favorites (me and my 2 sons; 23 and 16 years old). Once again the balance is excellent since the taste of the orange blends perfectly with the habanero! I would rate them as medium (4/10).
  • Lemon Reaper Candy: As expected, they are pretty hot! Good lemony taste of โ€œyellowโ€ candy but they are vicious and attack quickly. Not too hot for true chiliheads, but don't expect to have a dry mouth while you eat one! Reapers can give me cap cramps but even after eating a few during a 3 hour road trip I didn't feel bad. Probably an 8/10 here.
 
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You really ate reaper candies on the road? ๐Ÿ˜‚ Living on the edge!
I was heading to a Montreal Canadiens game with my boys and even though it was only about 150 km away, in the snow, the usual Montreal traffic and endless road repairs, it was like a road trip yes!
 
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Oh yeah, I've seen you driving around.

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Thanks for the reviews!

Today, we cooked up a plain pork loin with the bbq blend. I don't think I did it right, but I wasn't sure how to use it. I sprinkled some on the plain pork loin, rubbed it in and baked it to temp.
Pretty much the idea.
I didn't get a lot of heat from the bbq. I'm really a pretty Medium chilehead, I would rate the bbq at 2.
I've been thinking I want a little more kick from that one so might look at it again. Or more likely just have a mild and hot version.
I'd give the smoked about a 2-3 also as it was used on food items, so that tamed it down quite a bit.
Perfect, that's my target for that one!
  • BBQ Rub : I used it on a pork roast (slow cooker) a few days ago. I put a lot of it on all sides and let the meat infuse for 24 hours before cooking it with other veggies and other ingredients. This turned out good but the flavor reminds me a lot of store-bought chili powder (containing garlic, cumin and other herbs around here). Same after testing it "raw" from the pot. I would rate it as rather mild (1/10). Next time I'll try it with flank steak on the grill.
Hm, I was trying for a LITTLE more unique :) but tbh it is a pretty baseline blend.
  • Smokey seasoned salt : Very good taste and as salsalady said above, well balanced in all respects. This pimped my eggs and potato salad to another level! I would also rate it as mild (1/10).
I like that one too! Glad you enjoyed.
  • Habanero seasoned salt: Not sure why but I found it to be โ€œsaltierโ€ then the smokey version. Good habanero presence here but not aggressive at all. Worked well with my pastas and burritos. To me this one would be a solid 4/10 (medium) so probably not for people that have no heat tolerance or children!
Interesting about the saltiness - must be the specific pepper mix then, since they both have the same proprotion of salt, only the pepper proportions change.
  • Strawberry Serrano Candy: A real strawberry flavor supported by the pepper but the spiciness is far from excessive. Still very affordable product for the vast majority IMO (2/10).
  • Orange Habanero Candy: Out of the three these were our favorites (me and my 2 sons; 23 and 16 years old). Once again the balance is excellent since the taste of the orange blends perfectly with the habanero! I would rate them as medium (4/10).
  • Lemon Reaper Candy: As expected, they are pretty hot! Good lemony taste of โ€œyellowโ€ candy but they are vicious and attack quickly. Not too hot for true chiliheads, but don't expect to have a dry mouth while you eat one! Reapers can give me cap cramps but even after eating a few during a 3 hour road trip I didn't feel bad. Probably an 8/10 here.
Glad you enjoyed those! The strawberry rapidly became the most popular when we introduced it, with the orange close behind, mainly because of the heat level.
Maybe I can send you some Dragon Glass from the next batch, but it's more aggressive than the reaper. Plus it's cinnamon just to add some injury to the insult. It feels to me like it attacks even BEFORE it hits your tongue...
 
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Thanks for the reviews!

Glad you enjoyed those! The strawberry rapidly became the most popular when we introduced it, with the orange close behind, mainly because of the heat level.
Maybe I can send you some Dragon Glass from the next batch, but it's more aggressive than the reaper. Plus it's cinnamon just to add some injury to the insult. It feels to me like it attacks even BEFORE it hits your tongue...
My pleasure! The Dragon Glass version sounds interesting but I don't think I would try them on a "road trip" because I wouldn't want @The Hot Pepper to think he had a premonition with his shitmobile meme๐Ÿ˜†
 
I would love to be able to get the candies out retail too, I'm certain they would do well. But I have to do them by hand in relatively small batches - no way I could do enough for more than my own stock for market and my one General Store. Contract candy makers are MUCH harder to find than sauce and spice copackers.
 
I would love to be able to get the candies out retail too, I'm certain they would do well. But I have to do them by hand in relatively small batches - no way I could do enough for more than my own stock for market and my one General Store. Contract candy makers are MUCH harder to find than sauce and spice copackers.
I understand. Would spicy gummies be easier/quicker to make? Other than those made for challenges, I've never seen one anywhere... However, I have a feeling that "mild" versions would sell very well.
 
Hm, I was trying for a LITTLE more unique :) but tbh it is a pretty baseline blend.
You could try something unique in it, like coffee. Once has a phenomenal rub that had coffee. Also lemongrass and coriander (seed) come to mind. Just food for thought.
 
Salts- I did think one was saltier and just now did the wet finger dip into the salt blends and tasted straight up. 3 times each. The hab does seem to have a more salt-forward taste first before the other flavors and chiles come on. The smoked doesn't have the salt come in right off the bat.

Interesting, if they have the same ratio of salt to spices. Makes me wonder if certain spices 'reduce' the salti-ness, like certain ingredients that contain natural sugars reduce the spiciness/heat of sauces.

If the salts are mixed into or on foods, the salt may blend into the full food without the full salt hit at the start. I would think that salts mixed into macnchz would disperse the salt all throughout.
SL
 
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I asked AI:

The same amount of salt can taste saltier in some spice mixes because the other ingredients in the mix can enhance or "boost" the saltiness by interacting with your taste buds, particularly if the spice mix contains ingredients that are slightly bitter or acidic, which can make the salt flavor more pronounced.

Since smoking mellows flavors (and the bite/bitterness of a pepper) this may be correct.
 
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