pH testing

[bentalphanerd]

Are litmus paper testers readily available and where from?

Must be better to get a digital, but do they all cost US $100+ ?

Just about to try making first sauce, thought it'd be a nice gesture not to poison everyone :lol:

[DEFCON Creator]

Try this site:

www.labdepotinc.com

[darthcarl]

I have a digital pen type that was less than $40 even with the shipping. I ebay'd it.

[bentalphanerd]

Thanks darthcarl - I put a $20 bid on one...will find out tonight, but theres plenty others on there.

Good tip :)

[bentalphanerd]

cost me $25 + $6 postage & another $4.50 for the Buffer Solution

http://i6.ebayimg.com/04/i/08/94/c9/14_2.JPG

Thanks again guys :) pyro-nerd sauce coming soon :onfire:

[DEFCON Creator]

You need to purchase the 2 buffer solutions, the 4pH and the 7pH.

[bentalphanerd]

the buffer solution

http://i22.ebayimg.com/04/i/08/c1/d0/2b_1_sbl.JPG

solution & tester & registered post to the door ... AU$36

[chilliman64]

my bid's in for this type of set up also! I wonder if I can get it cheaper? :lol:

[chilliman64]

$35.61 AUD including postage and buffer solutions - what a bargain!!!

[bentalphanerd]

Aaawww man - I was ripped off 39 cents :D

[chilliman64]

hahahaha - I am THE bargain hunter! :)

[bentalphanerd]

I suppose this means i don't have to test the sample you're sending on my dog

[chilliman64]

I suppose this means i don't have to test the sample you're sending on my dog

that's a decision only you can make

[bentalphanerd]

that's a decision only you can make

tough luck dog, maybe next time

[chilliman64]

if it's a mongrel it should be ok

[bentalphanerd]

Mine arrived by courier 8am this morning....went down to the markets & was told I'll have to wait till Wednesday for public entry. Spewin :P

[chilliman64]

did you go to Coles or Woolies and buy up a few kgs of pods to practice on???

[bentalphanerd]

did you go to Coles or Woolies and buy up a few kgs of pods to practice on???

:lol: I don't know what the major centers are like down there - Here they'll have a range of 3 or 4 chillies (large red, large green & large yellow and/or serranos that they call 'baby chillies') ...then they want $20 + /kg

I'm not far from the Brisbane Markets here, one place is advertising Habs & another asian wholesaler says they have an eight variety range,a few others just list chillies as part of their stock so will wait for wednesday.

[chilliman64]

they got a website?

[bentalphanerd]

heres the market directory - http://www.brisbanemarket.com.au/directory.asp?sub=4&txt=Wholesaler

the shop i was hoping to get to - http://www.socrisp.com.au/

But i picked up 2 kg's of red habs for $8/kg within 10 mins from someone not listed.

[chilliman64]

BAN - have you tried your pH meter yet? do you know if the buffer can be reused to recalibrate or do you need to use new buffer each time?

[bentalphanerd]

Haven't got to it yet chilliman. I'm planning to give it a good rinse in distilled water and a quick air drying between testings & that way not contaminate the Buffer Solution.. well it's some sort of plan.

So far i've minced 1 kg of red savinas with 1/3 kg of serranos - lime, lemon, garlic, ginger, few different vinegars...about a dozen other herbs & spices - all into a mush. Cooked it up at a slow simmer for an hour & now the pots in the fridge cooling off.

All up it's reduced to a litre & half. Going to take out some small doses and try to adjust the flavor some more when it's cooled. And then apply changes to the main batch.

Will take paint off your car right now :P

[chilliman64]

you mean you've resisted the urge to have a taste this long???

[bentalphanerd]

lets say i dipped a spoon in & drew it out again without anything on it...i licked that & got burned

I have some 35 ml salad dressing tubs - I'll send you some like this

[DevilDuck]

Ha...sounds like you have a winner!

[chilliman64]

oh yeah - another scorched alimentary canal coming up!!!

[bentalphanerd]

I ended up with this:- a concoction of 3 different vinegars, fresh garlic cloves, minced ginger, coriander seed (fresh ground), hot paprika, cayenne pepper (powder), mustard seeds (fresh ground), green soft peppercorns, lime & lemon juice..lime zest, lime pulp and more lime juice, 2 large bunches of fresh chopped coriander, desecrated coconut, shredded coconut . Along with 1 cup of the chilli mush I mentioned before.

It's addictive though...I even took a 35 ml tub to my sons school disco tonight to smear on the hotdog :lol: made it taste like a green thai curry hotdog :party:

Tomorrow morning I'm going to turn another cup full of the base mix into Vindaloo for steaks & pies!

[POTAWIE]

Excuse my ignorance but what is a Vindaloo?

[bentalphanerd]

A Vindaloo is an Indian curry (although it may have been adapted from a Portuguese dish ) - Apart from the standard curry spices it also uses tomatoes and brown malt vinegar making it a powerful flavor & able to cope with lots more heat (chillies) before losing that flavor. If you're a fan of hot curries, head down to your local indian takeaway & get them to make it as hot as you think you can cope - you wont be disappointed.

P.S - a hot Vindaloo & cold beer is a match made in heaven ;)

[POTAWIE]

Sounds yummy. Curry is very rare in Canada unless you visit the low rental apartment buildings. I joined a curry forum once to learn more but it seems very complicated for a newbie. I'd really like to learn some basic recipes.

[bentalphanerd]

wow - i suppose living on the asian side of the planet I'm probably a little spoiled, but Canada being a commonwealth country and all....thought u may have a few curry shops about...live & learn.

but if u can grow some basil & coriander in your green house - the rest you can get from your local supermarket. Check this out > Link (http://www.thehotpepper.com/showthread.php?t=2011) <

Honestly I prefer a good curry to chilli anyday..but sshhh, don't tell anyone here :silenced:

[cyotefishing]

Okay. Got the ph tester today. I have 4 different types of sauce seeping in the refrigerator in 12 quart jars. Monday(when no relatives are around) I'll be straining my varied sauces and cooking thoroughly at 180 degrees for a while. When I put the meter in the sauce and it reads above say 3.8, do I use more vinegar? I may have read to use ascorbic acid also to bring down the ph? It will be bottled(sterilized)with heat shrink wraps. I have a label, but no acess to a commercial kitchen. It will be gifts for family and friends. I don't know how to post a pic, but if anyone wants to pm me with their e-mail to post it for me after Monday that'll be cool.

[bentalphanerd]

Anything under 4 pH will keep well. Use vinegar to reduce it, lemon/lime juice is good also (ascorbic acid).

For your pics - host them somewhere like http://www.imageshack.us/ then copy & paste the "Thumbnail for forums (1)" link straight into your post.

[cyotefishing]

Thanks. Appreciate it!

[chilliman64]

Anything under 4 pH will keep well. Use vinegar to reduce it, lemon/lime juice is good also (ascorbic acid).

For your pics - host them somewhere like http://www.imageshack.us/ then copy & paste the "Thumbnail for forums (1)" link straight into your post.

I have been trying to cut back on the vinegar and replace it with lime or lemon juice or a mixture of the two. I prefer the lime juice flavour though. too much vinegar in (my) home made sauce makes me think I'm eating Tabasco (which I don't mind) but it sort of takes my breath away with the 'spirity' fumes it gives off.

[bentalphanerd]

Any kind of fruit can be used - a higher sugar content means higher acidity.

A slow simmering will reduce water & increase acidity. Anything below 7 pH is considered acidic (low on oxygen).

Peppers are considered Alkaline (the opposite). The more sugary the fruit, the more peppers you can cram in per jar & still keep it safe {<4pH}.

Or you can use a less acidic fruit and boil it down over a longer time (increasing the sugar density) and work other subtler flavors into the mix yet still have the heat of the peppers.

I learned to cook under the method of "A good meal takes longer to cook than it does to eat"

Try a spoon of strawberry jam on a plate & add a little fresh ground black peppercorns on it until you taste the change. When you can taste both sweet & heat, test the pH of that.


....dammit, pissed again :beer:

[staffing]

When I put the meter in the sauce and it reads above say 3.8, do I use more vinegar?
===========================================
Acetic acid (vinegar) has a lower pH (2.9) than citric acid (around 3.2) but both will get you there.

[DevilDuck]

3.8 is good. 3.6 is better. But you shouldn't have any problems with that reading.