Hot Sauce

[redrider]

We have been growing hotties, (peppers, that is) for a long time but just now started making our own hot sauce. This years crop consists of, Jalapeno, Fresno Red, Scotch Bonnet, Red Ghost and Carolina Reapers along with the staples-dragon chile and habenero.. The home made sriracha(Fresno Red) is to die for. The Red Ghost sauce will excite the most jaded palate and when enough Reapers and bonnets ripen we can probably melt glass. Who else here is a pepper head? BTW, I use pink himilayan salt and palm sugar in the recipes if any one wants to duplicate. PM for details.

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[spectre6000]

Peppers are my favorite food. Pubelos (like hatch peppers, but meatier and with more flavor; heat varies) just came into season and started hitting stores here, and I bought all the big cartons of roasted peppers the grocer had when I was there last. Skin, seed, gill, and then it's taco time! Sour cream, queso fresco, peppers (often only need one with the Pueblos, hatches took about 3 per taco), tortilla. The end.

We eat a lot of hot sauce here. I've literally purchased Chipotle Tabasco by the gallon just for home use. Heat for the sake of heat is dumb, but a little enhances the flavor of everything. If heat is a byproduct of flavor, I'm all for it. My tolerance is through the roof. A lot of hot sauces these days try to compete solely on scoville though, and you end up with nothing but hot salty water; vinegar if you're lucky. I've seen a lot of hot sauces over the last few years that were "award winning" where the sole criteria being judged must have been capsaicin content because they were incredibly bland aside.

I've done a few batches of fermented sauces in the past. Puree some of my favorite peppers (I used hatches and chipotles, but would sub pueblos for the hatches these days), some spices, and then let the little buggies in the air have their way! Gave some of it as xmas presents.

 

[redfish]

Chipotle Tabasco goes on everything

 

[TwelveGaugeSage]

I hate the taste of Jalapeños, but ripen it up and smoke it into a chipotle and its one of my favorite flavors. Ghosts and Habaneros are delicious too. I haven't had the others you mentioned(to my knowledge), but they sound tasty.

When I was in technical training for the Air force years ago there was a vending machine in the break room that had a bag of habanero potato chips. One of the guys in my class decided to give it a go and gave up after one chip. One of my other classmates and I were all too happy to take over. Then the guy I was sharing with decided to be a dumbass and dump the chip crumbs and dust into his mouth from the bottom of the bag. His throat closed up instantly and I legit thought he might die. Fortunately he kept his airway open enough that I didn't have to call 911, but I was looking for something I could intubate him with, lol.

 

[Blue Ridge]

I grow a few varieties of cayenne, habenero and dragon in my garden each year but my better half has zero tolerance for heat. I make us each separate wing sauces each Sunday for football, and still put some fresh ripened peppers on my own homemade pizzas and such. End of the season is upon us here so I'm smoking and/or freezing them as they turn red for chili season (of which I have to make 2 batches of also) and mostly for gifting my wing sauce.

I wish there was a chicken wing contest somewhere in my area. I've been tinkering with my wing sauce recipe for close to 20 years now. It's pretty simple compared to some I've seen but is really outstanding and easy to change heat levels on by adding more peppers/seeds. I've gotten to where I don't even fry the wings anymore and just cook them through in the oven and then finish on the grill. Looking forward to the weekend just typing that.

 

[spectre6000]

I haven't had the others you mentioned(to my knowledge), but they sound tasty.

It's a southwest thing. Hatch as in Hatch, NM. If you ever come across a New Mexico license plate, that's a hatch pepper in the middle. The regional cuisine is essentially those peppers in/on/under/through/whatever-other-preposition-you-like everything edible. They're delicious.

Peublos are a more recent cultivar out of Colorado. Pueblo as in Pueblo, CO. Bigger, thicker flesh, more flavor. Basically more pepperer and better and New Mexico can suck it! Hatch season was my favorite culinary season until Peublos started being more commercially available. Now I can't be bothered with a hatch if there's a pueblo anywhere nearby.

When I met my wife, she couldn't handle heat at all. She grew up in Minnesota where they have a thing called "mexican gravy" which is salty red water and confusion that goes on ground beef and canned refried beans. It's considered dare food, and adventurous. Too spicy. She was not an adventurous eater. These days, it's a different story. She can't hang with me still at the top end, but anything that's not straight up intended to be a show of heat is tolerable and won't be turned down. As I've gotten older, my tongue can handle more heat than my intestines can. Too much heat for dinner, and I have a hard time sleeping and an even harder time the following morning. Then I discovered I have silent reflux, which is acid reflux without the heartburn; manifests as a constant cough/clearing of throat. I have to be very careful with the spicy food, alcohol, and black coffee (which I downed a pot of first thing every morning for decades... tea is not the same).

I also grow peppers in my garden. We have crazy water issues out here, and while I have water rights that allow me to have a garden, I still try to be careful with my water use. I designed and built some raised beds that don't require active watering, even in the dry high altitude climate. Plant in the spring. Stroll around and grab weeds as needed every once in a while. Then harvest. Ultra low maintenance. All of this is at a comfortably ergonomic standing height with minimal lean. I also grow onions, tomatoes, tomatillos, and herbs for salsa. I've also experimented with corn, which really shouldn't work on paper, but surprisingly did... until a hail storm took just about everything out in the experiment bed (uncovered). Had to skip this year because we had a lot of work done around the house, and the beds need to be relocated at an unknown time (which has turned out to be a time that would have allowed some use after all), but next year... I have some good seeds saved up!

 

[Blue Ridge]

I know what you mean about them being easy enough to eat, but then digestion has to take place. As a New Mexico native once said to me, "Hot today, hotter tamale!" But peppers in general have been harder to digest as I've gotten older. I can't even eat a green bell anymore, and have to take it easy on reds or yellows. I think some of that intolerance translates to chilies and other hot peppers too.

 

[mazeppa]

I'm an addict and can't claim a favorite, I can eat raw pork because I fear no worm. Now since the garden is providing many fresh vegetables, mostly using homemade salsas.


Pulled from the refrigerator

In case of another Covid-19 lock down, the pantry.

 

[1234zxcvvbk]

It sounds like you have quite a variety of peppers, and your homemade sauces using pink Himalayan salt and palm sugar sound delicious. Sharing your recipes with others who are interested in making their own hot sauces is a great idea. I'm sure many pepper lovers would appreciate the opportunity to try out homemade hot or orange sauce recipe. Keep up the good work and happy pepper growing!

 

[dawducan]

Keep up the fantastic work in the kitchen, and I'm sure your culinary creations will continue to delight your taste buds and those of others. Happy cooking and pepper growing!

 

[Rusty PW]

Gluttons for punishment.


What is the hottest pepper 2023?

Pepper X can be nearly double the heat of the mildest Reaper and a hefty 493,000 Scoville heat units hotter than the Reaper at its maximum spiciness. This is crazy heat. And as of October 9, 2023, the Guinness Book of World Records acknowledges it too, naming the Pepper X officially as the hottest pepper in the world.

 

[Shigeru]

Your passion for creating homemade sauces using a variety of peppers, pink Himalayan salt, and palm sugar is truly commendable. It's always a pleasure to meet fellow food enthusiasts who are dedicated to experimenting with flavors. If you're open to expanding your culinary horizons, you might want to explore the world of mushroom powder. It's a versatile ingredient that can lend a unique umami richness to your sauces. Sharing your recipes with others who are interested in making their own hot sauces is a wonderful idea. It not only spreads the joy of homemade cooking but also fosters a sense of community among pepper lovers.

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