What vinegars?

[POTAWIE]

I'm starting to try different vinegers in my home-made sauces and was hoping for suggestions. My brazilian buddy uses cachaça a lot, but I have no idea what that is. Any help would be appreciated.

[POTAWIE]

I see cachaça is booze, not vinegar

[marcosauces]

haha....and he use that as vinegar..?

[imaguitargod]

I usually use just a plain vinegar (for the bulk of it) and use a little white wine vinegar for an extra boost of flavor.

[marcosauces]

vinegar should be use it as 'extra" flavor to your sauces..it all depends on what kind of flavor you trying to achive, wrong vinegar can destroy a sauce...

[thehotpepper.com]

cachaça a lot, but I have no idea what that is. Any help would be appreciated.
Whoa! That's not vinegar, it's sugar cane liquor.

[chuk hell]

Cachaca is sort of like rum or auga dienta ( sp) .

I like apple cider vinegar for most of my sauces.

[marcosauces]

ya chuck...its sweeter too.. :)

[thehotpepper.com]

Cachaca is sort of like rum or auga dienta ( sp) .

I like apple cider vinegar for most of my sauces.
I used to serve caipirinhas as a bartender with Pitu cachaca. It's a sugar cane liquor, like rum, but it's nasty straight, unlike rum. You have to add a lot of sugar to this liquor to make a palatable drink. Sugar + limes + cachaca = caipirinha.

[staffing]

Cachaca is sort of like rum or auga dienta ( sp) .

I like apple cider vinegar for most of my sauces.
============================
I agree with Chuck...and as he has more experience than I (much) I would defer to his opinion. But remember...the sauce is in the eye of the beholder. If you are making sauce for personal consumption, use what you like.

Josh

[imaguitargod]

the sauce is in the eye of the beholder
Boy, I bet he's regretting putting it in his eye... :mouthonfire:

[setzuanfire]

If you want to make a sauce that doesn't need refrigeration after opening, use vinegar. Be safe and get a PH meter. We put whole or cut chile pods in white vinegar for 2-3 years to let the flavors mellow and 'mature'(although 6 months should show much better flavor). The sharp bite from the vinegar is gone and it has a smooth 'liquor'-like consistency. We drain the vinegar from the pods and use it as a quick hot additive to many foods.(try it in marinades) The pods, of course, become sauces with just enough of the vinegar to keep it runny enough to come out of a bottle. Apple cider vinegar is used for some pods that will benefit from it's flavor, see what works for you. Be careful of wine and rice vinegars, as they may not be acidic enough.
I know many sauce-makers HATE vinegar, but I try to follow safe home canning and preserving methods as approved by the USDA, The Ball Blue Book, etc. If you want short-term sauces with no vin. for the fridge, just freeze your fresh pods and thaw only small amounts when needed.

brookthecook

[E.Z. Earl]

I'm starting to try different vinegers in my home-made sauces and was hoping for suggestions. My brazilian buddy uses cachaça a lot, but I have no idea what that is. Any help would be appreciated.

:idea: My question first is what kind of sauce was your buddy building and , most important, how did it turn out. My point is, as a maker, what is your objective? My Blazin'-Hot Stuff (and Smokin'-Hot) always seems to surprise people because vinegar is my number one ingredient but the finshed sauce has no distinct vinegar note. (I use the highest quality distilled white I can find, by the way.) Why? Because that was the objective when I began my R&D process. If I wanted vinegar as a flavor component than I would trudge through the tedious R&D process of testing various flavorful vinegars until I settled on the one with the right note. (Probably some type of cider one) Not to pontificate too much but it is my belief that the single most important ingredient in a new food product is "patience", and it doesn't even have to be listed on the label!!

[Shooty*]

2 to 3 YEARS??!?

Wow. Well done.

[POTAWIE]

How do you know a good vinegar other than price and where do you purchase high quality vinegars. I just use what's at the grocery store but would like to know more.

[E.Z. Earl]

How do you know a good vinegar other than price and where do you purchase high quality vinegars. I just use what's at the grocery store but would like to know more.

I suppose there are good distilled white vinegars in grovery stores. Check the %. 5% is called single-fold. I use commecial quantities of at least 2-fold for white vinegar. I guess having a distillery in my area helps a lot. Personally, I believe if you go with the best vinegar (of whichever type you choose)you can find and focus on the quality of your other ingredients everything will turn out fine. How well you balnce your R&D test formulas is important too.

[HotSauceGoonie]

Cachaca is sort of like rum or auga dienta ( sp) .

I like apple cider vinegar for most of my sauces.

I agree.. for sauces that are not purees I tend to like this also. Does give it that sweet flavor somewhat.. One that comes to mind is Texas Hold 'Em-- All In.. it is an underrated sauce in my opinion..

[marcosauces]

:idea: My question first is what kind of sauce was your buddy building and , most important, how did it turn out. My point is, as a maker, what is your objective? My Blazin'-Hot Stuff (and Smokin'-Hot) always seems to surprise people because vinegar is my number one ingredient but the finshed sauce has no distinct vinegar note. (I use the highest quality distilled white I can find, by the way.) Why? Because that was the objective when I began my R&D process. If I wanted vinegar as a flavor component than I would trudge through the tedious R&D process of testing various flavorful vinegars until I settled on the one with the right note. (Probably some type of cider one) Not to pontificate too much but it is my belief that the single most important ingredient in a new food product is "patience", and it doesn't even have to be listed on the label!!

I do list patience in my label...is that wrong..? :)

[Cap'n Bones]

I do list patience in my label...is that wrong..? :)

No. Because it's like this. If I listed patience as one of my ingredients, and you listed it as one of yours, technically our patience may be different because our personalities are different. Your patience may have taken longer than mine to manufacture, therefore having it's own unique flavor that would add a special twist to your recipe that mine may not have. ;) Maybe I can explain this patience as an ingredient thing a bit better when I have more time, but I'm in a hurry, so I'll just leave it as it is for now.
I do agree that patience is the most important ingredient.

[DEFCON Creator]

I do agree that patience is the most important ingredient.

"Patients"? Wow, the secret's in the meat. LOL!

[HotSauceGoonie]

"Patients"? Wow, the secret's in the meat. LOL!

LOL not just for sauces or foods, but for Life.. I know I sound like Mr. Myiagi I guess.. :shocked:

[imaguitargod]

I do list patience in my label...is that wrong..? :)
What does patience taste like? I would imagine it to be a little dry tasting.

[E.Z. Earl]

;) Alright men - you do realize you are testing my patience here, don't you - :!: - E.Z.

[marcosauces]

I like how all this postings go out of topic so easily..:)

[Cap'n Bones]

I like how all this postings go out of topic so easily..:)

Oops!!:oops:

[batch24man]

My preference is apple cider vinegar in my Batch 24!!

[BBQ-Phil]

I don't like strong vinegartaste in my sauce,so I use a little of white balsamico....

[rabbit]

If you want to make a sauce that doesn't need refrigeration after opening, use vinegar. Be safe and get a PH meter. We put whole or cut chile pods in white vinegar for 2-3 years to let the flavors mellow and 'mature'(although 6 months should show much better flavor). The sharp bite from the vinegar is gone and it has a smooth 'liquor'-like consistency. We drain the vinegar from the pods and use it as a quick hot additive to many foods.(try it in marinades) The pods, of course, become sauces with just enough of the vinegar to keep it runny enough to come out of a bottle. Apple cider vinegar is used for some pods that will benefit from it's flavor, see what works for you. Be careful of wine and rice vinegars, as they may not be acidic enough.
I know many sauce-makers HATE vinegar, but I try to follow safe home canning and preserving methods as approved by the USDA, The Ball Blue Book, etc. If you want short-term sauces with no vin. for the fridge, just freeze your fresh pods and thaw only small amounts when needed.

brookthecook

I was considering making a couple homemade hotsauces next year. I was going to use a little lime juice in one and the other one I was going to have some tequila in it. Anyways, how long will the sauces last in the fridge without vinegar. I plan on making some HOT ones. I'm sure I won't be dumping it on like Tabasco..LOL!! Should I use vinegar???