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When are peppers too ripe?

shredster

shredster

I have been making batches of salsa and hot sauce every four or five days but my surplus of unused red habs are backing up. I don't have a ton so I'm not looking into pickling or drying or powdering this year but I want to know when they become too ripe for salsa or hot sauce.

I am planning on making a batch of hot sauce tonight but some peppers are softening a little. Not squishy soft but noticeably 'ripe soft' if that makes sense. Can I mince them up and add them to a vinegar based hot sauce for good results?

My next question is about vinegar... does this act as a preservative with regard to hot sauce. I noticed that my batches of hot sauce have been lasting for weeks without any change in tastes... if anything the sauce gets better as the flavors meld together or so it seems.

Any input is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 
shredster said:
II want to know when they become too ripe for salsa or hot sauce.
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When they gain sentience and start a coalition with the three week old leftovers in your fridge.... This happened with me once. I opened the fridge and the olives blinked at me.... :shocked:
 
Peppers can actually dry naturally. Softening, shrivelling etc. can be signs of drying, or they can be a sign of spoilage. Cut them open, if no nasties are present, they should be fine.
 
One of the best parts of growing your own peppers is you can let them ripen to whatever degree you choose. I love to let my bell peppers sit on the plant until they just get ever so slightly soft, then eat them like an apple. Mmmmmmmm, I have one that is red waiting on me at the house.

But as long as you're blending them into sauce/salsa the softness shouldn't matter. Just make sure you cut them open before blending them whole, I've had peppers with moldy seeds before.
 
Cool - thanks guys.

For salsa I leave the pepper seeds as a part of the ingredients.

For hot sauce though I remove the seeds and only use pepper pure parts.
 
cheezydemon said:
If you de-seed for sauce, you are leaving heat on the table!!
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I know the seeds and seedy membrane contain mucho heat but I was thinking about store bought hot sauces and don't recall seeing seeds in them.

Making a batch tonight... maybe I'll try it with the seeds this time and throw the seeds and seed membranes in the blender. I don't put the peppers in a blender though and mince them instead so there is a nice red granule look in the sauce as opposed to everything being liquified.
 
shredster said:
I know the seeds and seedy membrane contain mucho heat but I was thinking about store bought hot sauces and don't recall seeing seeds in them.

Making a batch tonight... maybe I'll try it with the seeds this time and throw the seeds and seed membranes in the blender. I don't put the peppers in a blender though and mince them instead so there is a nice red granule look in the sauce as opposed to everything being liquified.
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you can use some good cheesecloth or a strainer and a wooden spatula to get the sauce and the seeds separated.
 
cheezydemon said:
If you de-seed for sauce, you are leaving heat on the table!!
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Per your comment; last night I left the seeds in and used my normal two full red habs for about 8 oz. of sauce and :mouthonfire::mouthonfire:

...compared to my sin semillas (seedless) version. It was too hot for my wife who likes hot... she likes to use hot sauce to flavor many types of food as I do but this batch wooooeee.
 
shredster said:
Per your comment; last night I left the seeds in and used my normal two full red habs for about 8 oz. of sauce and :mouthonfire::mouthonfire:

...compared to my sin semillas (seedless) version. It was too hot for my wife who likes hot... she likes to use hot sauce to flavor many types of food as I do but this batch wooooeee.
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Nice, I usually hear sinsemilla refer to another cultivated product that is oft discussed on internet growing forums. :rolleyes:
 
Txclosetgrower said:
Nice, I usually hear sinsemilla refer to another cultivated product that is oft discussed on internet growing forums. :mouthonfire:
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Mmmmmm.....leafy and sticky goodness.....
bud3.jpg
 
Mmmmm, could make for some interesting hot sauce! "Excuse me sir, but is there any reason this delicious hot sauce smells like a skunk and I must say, this hot sauce of yours is rather intoxicating. Can you please market this stuff?"
 
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