Official Hot Sauce Making Thread

[jgln]

No, not if you do everything right. I did have a VERY bad experience once though with a Grolsh bottle, the kind with the ceramic latched top and rubber seal. I bottled a hot sauce I made (like 25 years ago) and stuck it in the fridge for a couple months. Well, maybe I didn't cook it well or something, I don't remember, but it fermented and to make matters worse I shook it before opening and when I did I was looking down at the bottle and it exploded into my eyes and blinded me for like 5-10 minutes. I flushed it out with water (stumbling to find the sink) and when I could finally see the door was still open, the bottle was on the floor and the ceiling was covered in hot sauce. Habanero sauce, burt like hell. I was home alone by myself, but kind of glad about that though as I had the option do I tell anyone or not. I still laugh at myself to this day but at first I was really scared about my vision.

 

[user 22118]

I saw a video on some guys in Italy making tomato sauce and bottling it into beer bottles. Then they took and capped them and boiled them for a few minutes. The sauce was hot already when they filled the bottles and they boiled it for the extra protection I would think. I am just thinking about the caps, would this work with the caps or no? Would they just come off, or should I instead just have boiling sauce and straight into a hot bottle?

 

[jgln]

I saw a video on some guys in Italy making tomato sauce and bottling it into beer bottles. Then they took and capped them and boiled them for a few minutes. The sauce was hot already when they filled the bottles and they boiled it for the extra protection I would think. I am just thinking about the caps, would this work with the caps or no? Would they just come off, or should I instead just have boiling sauce and straight into a hot bottle?

Don't know, try an experiment with boiling water and see if the seal holds.

 

[imaguitargod]

No, not if you do everything right. I did have a VERY bad experience once though with a Grolsh bottle, the kind with the ceramic latched top and rubber seal. I bottled a hot sauce I made (like 25 years ago) and stuck it in the fridge for a couple months. Well, maybe I didn't cook it well or something, I don't remember, but it fermented and to make matters worse I shook it before opening and when I did I was looking down at the bottle and it exploded into my eyes and blinded me for like 5-10 minutes. I flushed it out with water (stumbling to find the sink) and when I could finally see the door was still open, the bottle was on the floor and the ceiling was covered in hot sauce. Habanero sauce, burt like hell. I was home alone by myself, but kind of glad about that though as I had the option do I tell anyone or not. I still laugh at myself to this day but at first I was really scared about my vision.

Usually explosions like that are a sign of bacterial infections. Glad you turned out ok.

I saw a video on some guys in Italy making tomato sauce and bottling it into beer bottles. Then they took and capped them and boiled them for a few minutes. The sauce was hot already when they filled the bottles and they boiled it for the extra protection I would think. I am just thinking about the caps, would this work with the caps or no? Would they just come off, or should I instead just have boiling sauce and straight into a hot bottle?

Boiling it is to sanatize the air that's left in the bottle. I'd skip on the swing top bottle and get the standard 5 oz Woozies.

 

[user 22118]

I plan on doing it in beer bottles with crown caps, not swing tops. I am just thinking that they will not be able to contain the seal. I don't know though so I ask the board.

 

[thataintchicken]

I have made hot sauces -- may get back into it now since I have nearly exausted my supply.

I use Mason Jars and have never used bottles, as I never had access to them.
Lots of jars however...

 

[user 22118]

I was only thinking in terms of size and opening. If you aren't being sarcastic Chicken, how do you make sure you don't spill your salsa? I have enough trouble with the little cups that mexican joints give you, I don't want my habanero hot sauce completely desimating my entire meal when I have had a couple beers and spill it all over the place.

 

[jgln]

I was only thinking in terms of size and opening. If you aren't being sarcastic Chicken, how do you make sure you don't spill your salsa? I have enough trouble with the little cups that mexican joints give you, I don't want my habanero hot sauce completely desimating my entire meal when I have had a couple beers and spill it all over the place.

Spoons?

BTW, I use mason jars too all the way up to quart sizes since I need a lot making wings, opened jars keep in the fridge long enough for the next time.

 

[jgln]

]Usually explosions like that are a sign of bacterial infections. Glad you turned out ok.[/B]

Boiling it is to sanatize the air that's left in the bottle. I'd skip on the swing top bottle and get the standard 5 oz Woozies.

Oh yeah most likely, but I don't remember if I even used it, just wanted to share a funny story, had nothing to do with what bottle I used.

 

[user 22118]

On the 5 oz Woozies, do you boil them in water too or just add boiling sauce into them and seal shut?

 

[rshortt]

Hi all, thanks for the awesome thread. I found it while googling for hot sauce recipes and it prompted me to join the forum.

I have recently dried some green jalapenos in a dehydrator and tonight I will be grinding them into a powder. Does anyone have a recipe for using powdered peppers for a hot sauce?

Also, has anyone here used xanthan gum to help suspend the pepper bits or powder in the sauce solution?

Thanks!
-Rob

 

[jgln]

Hi all, thanks for the awesome thread. I found it while googling for hot sauce recipes and it prompted me to join the forum.

I have recently dried some green jalapenos in a dehydrator and tonight I will be grinding them into a powder. Does anyone have a recipe for using powdered peppers for a hot sauce?

Also, has anyone here used xanthan gum to help suspend the pepper bits or powder in the sauce solution?

Thanks!
-Rob

No, I always make my sauce from fresh cooked peppers and much of the liquid to make the sauce comes from them, that and some vinegar. Is there a reason why you want to make a sauce using powder? What would you use for the liquid?

 

[rshortt]

No, I always make my sauce from fresh cooked peppers and much of the liquid to make the sauce comes from them, that and some vinegar. Is there a reason why you want to make a sauce using powder? What would you use for the liquid?

I had thought of some other uses for the powder - popcorn seasoning, jalapeno butter. I wanted to experiment with it also and thought I read before of a hot sauce recipe with it, only now I can't find any such thing.

I would use vinegar, water, and something like xanthan gum to keep the particles from settling.

I have several pepper plants on the grow but am experimenting with store bought peppers until I grow my own. Hopefully I'll have this down good by that time!

I did make a sauce from fresh green jalapenos, lime, cilantro, vinegar, water, and salt. It came out pretty good but I want to try some other methods, including aging / fermenting them.

 

[jgln]

Nothing wrong with experimenting, it is fun.

 

[Sean]

Hi all, thanks for the awesome thread. I found it while googling for hot sauce recipes and it prompted me to join the forum.

I have recently dried some green jalapenos in a dehydrator and tonight I will be grinding them into a powder. Does anyone have a recipe for using powdered peppers for a hot sauce?

Also, has anyone here used xanthan gum to help suspend the pepper bits or powder in the sauce solution?

Thanks!
-Rob

If you got good color, you could just slowly heat the powder with canola oil, and infuse the oil. Don't let it burn. Chile oil is nice to pour a bit over soup, a plate garnish, or used to make vinaigrette. Fun to play with.

 

[imaguitargod]

Hi all, thanks for the awesome thread. I found it while googling for hot sauce recipes and it prompted me to join the forum.

I have recently dried some green jalapenos in a dehydrator and tonight I will be grinding them into a powder. Does anyone have a recipe for using powdered peppers for a hot sauce?

Also, has anyone here used xanthan gum to help suspend the pepper bits or powder in the sauce solution?

Thanks!
-Rob

First off, be careful with Xanthan gum. Use a VERY small amount of it, if you don't you'll end up with a ball of snot instead of a hot sauce. It's best to use fresh, whole pods instead of powder (while powder will rehydrate, it doesn't do it very well, besides, you can find fresh unripened Jalapenos everywhere). I say put the powder in a salt shaker (minus the salt) and use it to flavor foods.

I have a blend of 13-20 dried peppers (each recipy is diferent) that I always carry with me and use on everything.

 

[imaguitargod]

On the 5 oz Woozies, do you boil them in water too or just add boiling sauce into them and seal shut?

I usually put them in a warm sanatizer solution for about a minute, let them drip decently dry and then put the sauce in them (this way they don't shatter when the warm sauce goes in them). ThenI put them in the water bath.

 

[user 22118]

Do you have a place you buy them locally or online?

 

[imaguitargod]

Do you have a place you buy them locally or online?

What, peppers?

Heather's Heat and Flavor has some excellent dried peppers and powders.

 

[user 22118]

no no no, woozies. I found them online but want to know if there are stores that sell them ever.

 

[imaguitargod]

no no no, woozies. I found them online but want to know if there are stores that sell them ever.

Oh, sorry. In CA, none that I know of. But some of the homebrew stores online sell them (Leeners does I know for sure).

 

[pnj]

I made two sauces tonight. I first grilled (on my stove top) a bunch of jalapenos and a few habaneros. I used about 10 habs and 20 jalapenos total.

I cut up half a sweet onion and five cloves of garlic and two large carrots.

I threw all of this into a pot along w/ 32 ounces of vinegar. I boiled this for 30 minutes, then split the mixture into two pots. I added a good tablespoon of All Spice and 3 large grated carrots to one pot, I added the juice of two limes at the end of the boil as well.

to the other I added 4 or 5 chipolte peppers (canned, it's all I could find) and a few large chunks of pineapple.

I then cooled them down and blended. I will let these sit for a week or so in the fridge, then strain them and bottle for consumption.

 

[user 22118]

What is the reason you split them up and then blended them? I just bought ten habs for making some sauce and almost did it up last night, but instead will do tomorrow on my day off. I have canned Chipotle peppers in Adobo and also am going to get some woozies today after work.

 

[pnj]

I split them because I made two different sauces.. one is more carribian style, with the all spice and carrots. the other has the chipolte and pineapple.

I don't usually write down my recipes, I just make a bunch of sauce with ingrediants that I like....

in this case, I started with a bunch of peppers, onion and garlic and vinegar, the split that so I could flavor each sauce a little differently, but still have the same basic underlying sauce flavor.

 

[user 22118]

Well, I went out and bought some Jalepenos and the Habs from above post. I will make two different sauces using vinegar, garlic, salt and maybe something else. I like the idea of carrot to give it that little sweetness and possibly even some color. I just canned up some dilled pickled zuchini two nights ago with SWMBO and they are f**king awesome! Taste just like a cucumber pickle, just are zuchini. Where if you have ever planted a zuchini then you know that one plant is enough for a family of 22, let alone the 8 plants I have going right now. Going to sound like Bubba in Forrest Gump, pickled zuchini, zuchini stew, zuchini grits, zuchini gumbo, fried zuchini...

 

[jgln]

Well, I went out and bought some Jalepenos and the Habs from above post. I will make two different sauces using vinegar, garlic, salt and maybe something else. I like the idea of carrot to give it that little sweetness and possibly even some color. I just canned up some dilled pickled zuchini two nights ago with SWMBO and they are f**king awesome! Taste just like a cucumber pickle, just are zuchini. Where if you have ever planted a zuchini then you know that one plant is enough for a family of 22, let alone the 8 plants I have going right now. Going to sound like Bubba in Forrest Gump, pickled zuchini, zuchini stew, zuchini grits, zuchini gumbo, fried zuchini...

I made zucchini lasagna, it was pretty good but watery. Probably best to cook some of the juice out of them before making the layers. I guess once made you can freeze it for fall when a lasagna would be nice.

 

[user 22118]

Don't cook them, salt them. When I make a zuchini rissoto or lasagna I like to shred the zuchini. Then salt it in a colander and let it sit for half an hour. Place into a dish towel and then squeeze the crap out of it and watch the water come out of it. It sounds like a lot of work, but think about making eggplant parmesan without salting it. The eggplant just tastes like crap and isn't finished expelling its juices. = watery.

So I just made the sauce. Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!!!!!

I took a look at like 10 recipes and made my own out of it. Hab, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, water, carrot, pepper, salt and a roasted ancho. Then after tasting it I added an extra half of a small tomato to add just a little something. Delicious.

Then I also made up a Jalepeno sauce and it too is spectacular. Way hot, though it doesn't linger like the Hab one. Made mostly the same way, but with a couple of differences. No ginger and no tomato. That was all.

Also made pickles with cucumbers (ie pickles) and they were made three different ways. One with ginger and dried thai peppers, one with dried peppers and one without. I can't wait for them to come out...so to speak.

 

[imaguitargod]

Well, I went out and bought some Jalepenos and the Habs from above post. I will make two different sauces using vinegar, garlic, salt and maybe something else. I like the idea of carrot to give it that little sweetness and possibly even some color.

If I might give some advice. Add the salt at the last 5 minutes of the boil, that way it won't suck any flavors out...and add just a pinch, you don't want alot (trust me, after tasting 2,000+ hot sauces I can tell you, a fraction of too much salt can kill a sauce).

Also, keep in mind that carrots really don't lend much flavor to a sauce. They are mainly used as a filler by the industry. To really make carrots noticable you have to use a decent amount. If you are going for a Carribean style recipy (which you need carrots for), wash but don't skin some of them, this helps to strengthen that "carroty" flavor without needing to use a ton off carrots.

 

[user 22118]

I don't like to peel my carrots. I like the flavor and the "rustic" aspect. I understand what you mean about having to add a lot of carrots to affect the flavor. I think that I might do that the next time because I love that carrot flavor.

I also tossed the garlic, unpeeled, into a dry sautee pan and toasted it a touch. Then I did the same with the Habaneros and just gave it a little toasiness. Really delicious. Not a roasted sauce, but with a little bit of roasted flavor.

We had tacos last night with the Jalepeno sauce, it was amazing and freaking hot.

Thanks for the ideas...

 

[jgln]

I had a thought; with all the zucchini we have growing now I want to try a hot sauce with zucchini. Anyone ever try this or hear or this?