Hot Sauce's topics - tribe.net

free pepper fermentation handbook online.

2008-04-28T02:36:36Z

Hi hotties: I just finished uploading the new free version of my handbook of pepper fermentation
Pepperoncini, Pimentos and Hot sauce: simple methods for making authentic fermented peppers at home

Here is the URL: http://paleotechnics.com/Articles/Pepperoncini.html

it is in HTML format.

Hope you enjoy!

posted in Hot Sauce - 0 replies

Fermented Pepper and Hot Sauce Recipe

2008-04-03T03:46:41Z

I don't care much for vinegar pickles. Actually that's an understatement. I prefer instead to ferment all my peppers. These fermented peppers make much better hot sauce too. A whole lot of flavor develops during fermentation. Vinegar pickles taste mostly like vinegar.

If you want the peppers whole with stems (pepperoncini etc..), stab each one through once. In this case it will take a little more time to get the brine to fill the pepper seed cavities, so put the brine on and let sit for a day or so adding more brine as needed and agitating occasionally.

If you don't mind them in pieces (pimentos, hot sauce etc...) cut them into sections to let the brine in. Leave seeds in for hot sauce.

Pack into a canning jar. Any size will do, but fill it up.

cover with a brine of these proportions. 2 cups of water, 1 tablespoon of salt, and two tablespoons of vinegar. (the vinegar is barely detectable and just helps shift the brine to a little lower ph encouraging desirable bacteria and discouraging bad ones. I've left it out before or sometimes just splash a little in without measuring)

Knock the jar around a bit to get air bubbles out.

Fill all the way to the rim before sealing with a regular canning seal and ring lid so that it overflows when you put the lid on. If you decide you like this recipe, and hot sauce people will, buy some plastic canning jar lids. They aren't rings, but they come in narrow and widemouth sizes and you can still put a seal underneath them. You can buy them online. They are better because they don't rust.

Put in a warmish place to ferment for a few weeks. Store away in a cool area till needed. No, the jars won't explode. As long as you don't crank it down super tight, the lid lets pressure out, but doesn't let air in.

If you open the jar, either refrigerate, use right away, or top back up to the rim with brine and reseal putting back in a cool area. It's all about exclusion of oxygen.

The finished peppers should have a good acid bite to them and smell and taste good. I say this, but have actually never had a batch spoil by this method.

For hot sauce, I'm still working out the perfect proportions, but right now I grind the peppers in a blender with equal amounts of mother brine and vinegar. I like rice vinegar the best so far. I don't like apple cider vinegar. Whatever you do, use quality vinegar. The vinegar keeps the sauce from spoiling when the jar is left on the kitchen table or near the stove or whatever, which is where I keep mine, and also gives it a little more cutting flavor. You can leave the seeds in, or run the sauce through a sieve to get them and the skin pulp out.

Try it, it's so easy it's ridiculous, tastes way better and you don't have to buy so much vinegar.

Also, try drinking the extra juice. It's very healthy and refreshing being full of beneficial bacteria.

enjoy! I do. Gallons of them every year.

P.s. Italian Pepperoncini are better than greek types in my trials. I have used cayenne and serrano's for hot sauce. Both great. Cayenne is maybe a little better. Trying to grow tabasco and another hot sauce variety this year.

posted in Hot Sauce - 6 replies

Best hot sauce?

2008-03-18T16:21:51Z

I'm bored with the cheapy ones. Anyone recommend a good hot sauce? I'm goin for flavor, not just pain.

posted in Hot Sauce - 29 replies

Pickle recipe for hot peppers?

2008-03-14T03:58:05Z

I would love to hear your favorite pickle recipe for hot peppers. I have access to a lot of small thai peppers... the little and medium size oblong red peppers
The quick recipe I been using is: white vinegar, whole garlic, and chopped up onions.
Thanks!

posted in Hot Sauce - 3 replies

?jalapeno?sauce!?!

2007-10-09T05:44:57Z

I have 31 jalapeno plants this year and ~~~~~~
here they come!!!!!!

Last time I had great succes pickling them.

I want to make a lot of sauce this year. I tried a small batch last week blending some vinegar, salt, cilantro and lime that is good & HOT.

*
Anybody have some good sauce recipes?

posted in Hot Sauce - 3 replies

Sambal source?

2007-04-18T01:00:14Z

Some friends out in the boonies asked me to look for sambal bajak, I think it's called. It's a black sambal? Anyone know what this is & where to get it?

Thanks
Aggie

posted in Hot Sauce - 1 reply

Sambal, Yum!

2007-04-11T12:25:23Z

One of the real treats in Gili Air, and island just off Lombok (east of Bali) was the condiment sambal made by our hosts from scratch. My Bahsa was nonexistant and their English was sketchy so I never was clear about the ingredients. The family said they were ethnic people that came from Burma centuries ago. Does anyone know about this?

Auntie Suz

posted in Hot Sauce - 2 replies

New tribe- ethnic and traditional foods and food lore

2007-04-11T06:58:10Z

I started a new tribe for discussing 'ethnic food' in general, and also for discussing food traditions- what people eat on traditional holidays and other special occasions, food in religious ritual, and anything else related to what the grandma's did besides cook the stuff.

We're vegetarian-friendly over there, too.

www.tribes.tribe.net/foodtraditions

posted in Hot Sauce - 1 reply

new HOT HOT HOT pepper created by professor ...

2007-02-21T21:54:47Z

http://www.nmsu.edu/~ucomm/Releases/2007/february/hottest_chile.htm

posted in Hot Sauce - 0 replies

Mama's Fire

2006-10-16T19:47:49Z

Has anyone here ever heard of Tibetan hot sauce? My freind TJ turned me onto a brand called Mama's Fire a couple of weeks ago and its totally awesome. It isnt like most hot sauces its kind of oily and has little chunks of dried peppers and a bunch of spices that we dont usually use here I think. Its like all hot and smokey but it has a real subtle kind of flavor I cant describe too. I usually cook with it instead of spooning it on top of things. Its really good with meat but I haven't tried fish yet. Mostly I like it in things like meatloaf and stir fried vegetables. The veggies are easiest. I just put a teaspoon in the wok with the chopped up veggies and a shake of salt and I have a mean meal. I cant find it in town anywhere and I looked all over. I guess you have to order it online right now. They make it in Oregon. http://www.mamasfire.com/

posted in Hot Sauce - 0 replies

Stairway to Hell (Zeppelin hot sauce) XXX

2006-10-04T06:27:26Z

Anyone interested in some kick ass hot sauce or bad ass music should
try this sauce - a guaranteed top 5 greatspicy barbque flavor
Caution: Burns Twice here's the link:
http://www.barracudaent.com/stairway_site/index.html

posted in Hot Sauce - 0 replies

For those in the Bay Area...

2006-09-14T05:47:53Z

... get a burger over at the Prince of Wales Pub in San Mateo some night. They come smothered in a nice, warm habanero sauce.

Heck, read about some history here : http://www.habanero-hamburger.com/index.shtml

posted in Hot Sauce - 0 replies

withdrawal

2006-09-14T05:45:55Z

I went to the tourist trap that is the Farmers Market in LA last night just to hit the hot sauce store, Light My Fire, and stock up on my favorite sauce, Ring of Fire. Turns out they no longer carry it, and don't know of any other place in the area that does! What's a girl to do?

posted in Hot Sauce - 6 replies

Favorite Hot Sauce Recipes?

2005-12-14T22:15:50Z

Favorite Hot Sauce Recipes?

Anyone...?

posted in Hot Sauce - 8 replies

Frank's Hot Sauce? & Rank your top 5 faves?

2005-07-24T23:59:33Z

What's Frank's all about? Curious to try, but if its like Tapatio...
And, care to list your top favorite sauces?

posted in Hot Sauce - 3 replies

links

2005-05-20T17:27:53Z

some links to reviews and general hotness chatter
http://www.metafilter.com/mefi/33837

posted in Hot Sauce - 1 reply

Scoville scale

2005-05-10T23:44:26Z

All chile peppers contain a chemical, called capsaicin, which is found concentrated in the veins of the fruit (not the seeds as is widely believed). Capsaicin, when brought into contact with mucous membranes, such as the inside of the mouth, stimulates the nerve endings, making your brain think that it is being 'burned', that real pain and damage are being inflicted. The brain counters by releasing endorphins, similar in structure to morphine, which bring about the "Chile-High", just like a runner experiences euphoria after passing the peak of their endurance.

The amount of capsaicin in a pepper determines how hot it is. But how to measure this heat?? Well, in 1912 while working for a pharmaceutical company, a chemist, Wilbur Scoville, developed a method to measure the heat level of a chile pepper. This test, called the Scoville Organoleptic Test, is what is called a dilution-taste procedure. In the original test, Scoville blended pure ground chiles with a sugar-water solution, and then a panel of testers sipped the concoctions, in increasingly diluted concentrations, until they reached the point at which the liquid no longer burned the mouth. A number was then assigned to each chile based on how much it needed to be diluted before you could taste no heat. In example, one cup of chile pepper per 1,000 cups of water rates as 1 Scoville Units. Pure Capsaicin rates over 15,000,000 Scoville Units! The power of chile peppers is measured with these Scoville units, from the bell pepper at 0 Scoville units, to the incendiary Habanero at 300,000 Scoville units! The creator of the "Red Savina™" Habanero has had it tested at over 577,000 Scoville units! This is so much hotter than the normal Habanero chile pepper, that the "Guinness Book of Records" lists it as "the hottest chile pepper" in the world.

The validity and accuracy of the Scoville Organoleptic test have been widely criticized. The American Spice Trade Association and the International Organization for Standardization have adopted a modified version. The American Society for Testing and Materials is considering other organoleptic tests (the Gillett method) and a number of other chemical tests to assay for capsaicinoids involved in pungency. Even so, the values obtained by these various tests are often related back to Scoville Units. Nowadays the High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) test is used. In this procedure, chile pods are dried, then ground. Next, the chemicals responsible for the pungency are extracted, and the extract is injected into the HPLC for analysis. This method is more costly than the previous, but it allows an objective heat analysis. Not only does this method measure the total heat present, but it also allows the amounts of the individual capsaicinoids to be determined. In addition, many samples may be analyzed within a short period. As a result of all these tests, various varieties of chile peppers can be ranked according to their heat or "pungency" level:

0-100 Scoville Units includes most Bell/Sweet pepper varieties.
500-1000 SU includes New Mexican peppers.
1,000-1,500 SU includes Espanola peppers.
1,000-2,000 SU includes Ancho & Pasilla peppers.
1,000-2,500 SU includes Cascabel & Cherry peppers.
2,500-5,000 SU includes Jalapeno & Mirasol peppers.
5,000-15,000 SU includes Serrano peppers.
15,000-30,000 SU includes de Arbol peppers.
30,000-50,000 SU includes Cayenne & Tabasco peppers.
50,000-100,000 SU includes Chiltepin peppers.
100,000-350,000 SU includes Scotch Bonnet & Thai peppers.
200,000 to 300,000 SU includes Habanero peppers.
Around 16,000,000 SU is Pure Capsaicin.

posted in Hot Sauce - 2 replies

Purchasing Hot Sauces

2005-04-29T15:53:53Z

Does anyone else find themselves buying their favorite assortment of hot sauces from an array of different web sites? It seems some sites have much better prices on a couple sauces, but then are outrageous in comparison on others. So, I find I end up splitting my order across different sites. Of course, factoring in shipping, it's sometimes difficult to tell at a glance if I'm actually saving any money this way. Is there a particularly inexpensive/reasonable site that someone could recommend for one-stop shopping? Or is this just par for the course with hot sauces?

posted in Hot Sauce - 5 replies

use by date

2004-10-25T03:21:12Z

I joined this tribe and immediately went to look in my refrigerator. I have half a bottle of Cholulas with a use by date of March '00. Whatya think? should I chuck it?

posted in Hot Sauce - 1 reply

Candied Habaneros

2004-06-10T16:00:08Z

I've developed a process for making candied habanero peppers that I think works pretty well. A few people have suggested that I sell these. Do you all think there's a market for such things?

posted in Hot Sauce - 2 replies

where to get seeds for unholy hot peppers?

2004-05-23T00:20:26Z

any ideas? my pal from Guam gave me some seeds from an amazing pepper, but I think I killed em.

posted in Hot Sauce - 0 replies

Roasted Chipotle Seeds

2004-05-22T19:29:18Z

I was seeding an arseload of chipotle peppers in preparation for making a pretty wicked chipotle spread (w/ olive and sesame oils, garlic, ginger, vinegar, lemon, salt, pepper, and pinch of sugar- whip it up in a food processor 'til smooth and LOOK OUT! :). When done, I had a bowl full of the seeds. I thought, well, these are lovely little things, smoky from the chipotlization process, hot as hell.. hmmm...

So I opened the kitchen window, turned my stove's fan on full, and proceeded to roast them 'til a few started popping in a flat frying pan. A liberal pinch of sea salt and a few more shakes of the pan, and they were done.

The heat had subsided a bit, the smokiness had been brought out.. I was, in a sense, left with something not entirely like miniature, hot, smoky roasted pumpkin seeds. I've used them as a garnish, an ingredient in other sauces, and, scariest of all- I can't stop eating them straight. They are so indescribably yummy.

Try them, but be warned- you're going to have a pretty serious chipotle-buying addiction if you really want to keep these around. Soak the chipotles first for an hour or two to make the job easier. The moisture will be purged by the roasting.

posted in Hot Sauce - 1 reply

Hottest sauce you actually use?

2004-05-21T20:17:46Z

I have "Da Bomb" in my kitchen. It is extremely hot, but I actually use it in some of my cooking. Other times, it's used for dares between guests at my parties.

What's the hottest sauce you've got that you actually use?

posted in Hot Sauce - 7 replies

cowards

2004-03-16T00:54:46Z

...

posted in Hot Sauce - 3 replies

Has anyone tried making hot sauce?

2004-03-13T03:29:11Z

I just did some research and found wildly varied directions.
There were some helpful ideas about brewing outside and wearing safety gear though.

posted in Hot Sauce - 0 replies

Cayenne calling

2004-03-02T07:59:00Z

Hi guys!

I'm new. 'Just love fresh cayenne pepper (organic 20,000 heat units for the flavor; 90,000 heat units for, well, the heat.)

Do any of you ever make your own hot sauce? Being a starving student, I just need to make my own.

Sometimes I swear cayenne has magical properties: boosts my mood, wakes me up, works as a decongestant. I swear it lets me keep up with heavy drinkers...but you need some 100,000 unit capsules for that one. Fabulous stuff.

Warm Regards,

Emma

posted in Hot Sauce - 2 replies

Ginger Chili Pepper Sauce

2004-01-29T06:41:16Z

Not quite a hot sauce, more like a Catsup. Lots of ginger and lime give this a unique taste. The amount of vinegar is unfortunate. It could easily rock given a boost (or mixed to taste).

posted in Hot Sauce - 0 replies

Pumpkin Seeds

2004-01-26T22:14:45Z

Found a grand sauce called 'Yucatan Sunset' that has Pumpkin and Sesame seeds as the base and Serranos as the heat. Surprisingly good with the seeds making a good counterpart to the medium-low heat. A nice long burn. A bit too much vinegar that mars the nose. Anyone seen other seed based sauces? I'd love to track down a few others ...

posted in Hot Sauce - 1 reply