My 2nd attempt at sauce making...

[fineexampl]

So since my plants are suffering, i figure i should try and cheer myself up. I decided to make a new sauce with some things i had on hand.

I began by grinding one large chipotle andd about a dozen dried mixed habs, mostly chocolate habs. I made them into a fine powder. Next i pureed some pumpkin seeds, white peaches, pickled habs, and fresh figs (the figs in preparation for my fatalii fig for whenever i find both) with some honey, sea salt, kosher salt, and black pepper. I brought all of these to a pot with some apple cider vinegar and mixed them all up. I added a bottle of Harpoon UFO and mixed that in as well.

At first i was planning on calling this something like "White Heat" or something Velvent Undergroundish akin to that. I added the dried ingredients and the color changed so i'm leaving it open.

The mixture is now simmering on the stove. I want to reduce it quite a bit and than i'll sanitize a few bottles and give it a go.

Pics to come...:hell:

[fineexampl]

nearly 30 minutes on the stove now. it's not reducing much yet, but it will soon. I want it kinda thick. The flavor has changed already though. My girl says it smells good, but mostly vinegar. I want to change that by cooking it down some.

So, i have my choice. I can put it all in one mason jar, or a couple woozies, or i cleaned the hell out of some old vials that had oils and vinegars, kinda like test tubes. All will work. My evil side says to go buy some Grolsch to poke some fun at the "exploding grolsch" thread, but i'll stick to what i have on hand.

[fineexampl]

I am boiling my finished bottles. I made WAY more than i thought i had.
here's a near done pic...
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b313/fineexampl/IMG_0333.jpg

[fineexampl]

And here is the finished product!

I forgot to mention i also added in some cocoa powder to help with the color. I'm pleased with the outcome. I'll try some later tonight. We're going out on an old fashioned double date and I'm bringing both of my sauces with me to the local "On The Border". We'll see how my sauce stacks up against some tex-mex.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b313/fineexampl/IMG_0339.jpg

[fineexampl]

And one for the road. This is how i will be shipping the lucky bottles that make their journey. There are only 6 "production" bottles consisting of 4 2.5oz vials and 2 5oz woozies. Also, i made 2 3/4oz sampler grenades, and one 2.5oz sampler vial (already given away).

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b313/fineexampl/IMG_0343-1.jpg

I must confess, i wish i added the bhut jolokia to this. It was BEGGING for it. I should have listened, but i chickened out. Surely the next time i will not be so afraid.

[rainbowberry]

I love the idea of putting them in test-tube style bottles.

[Biscombe]

How funky! looks great!

[fineexampl]

:D

[Chiliac]

Gotta second all of that, looks great. Would sure love to try it, but at least it inspires me to create a new sauce as soon as I have plenty of ripe pods! Way to go!

[fineexampl]

So i guess i forgot to mention it, but here's the dilly. I clearly have 6 bottles. They were all bottled hot and boiled for quite a while filled. If there was any bacteria, it's most certainly taken care of. I heated the living crap out of these bad boys.

While they need some time to cure and let the flavors develop, i have reserved one bottle to donate to TheHotPepper. However, i do ask that it go to someone who lives and breathes hot sauce and can tell me what i may be doing wrong. Also, if i can submit to a particular person who may have the opportunity to share with other THP members to get many views, i'd be open to that.

any ideas?

[fineexampl]

Bragging rights!!!

I gave a bottle each of sauce#1 and sauce#2 to a friend's husband and he's expressed interest in buying sauce from me. :D I think i did good.

[talas]

And one for the road. This is how i will be shipping the lucky bottles that make their journey. There are only 6 "production" bottles consisting of 4 2.5oz vials and 2 5oz woozies. Also, i made 2 3/4oz sampler grenades, and one 2.5oz sampler vial (already given away).

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b313/fineexampl/IMG_0343-1.jpg

I must confess, i wish i added the bhut jolokia to this. It was BEGGING for it. I should have listened, but i chickened out. Surely the next time i will not be so afraid.

next time you make some please but my name down..the ingredients are interesting to say the least figs,cocoa powder wow must be really Hot/sweet? :)

[Sickmont]

I just had an idea for the company name....

"A 'fine example' of a hot sauce...."

I think it would work.

[imaguitargod]

Looks great! I too like the idea of the test tubes. We've got Defcon with his medicine/lab bottles and now you with the test tubes....must be a Jersey thing...

[Sickmont]

must be a Jersey thing...

Jealousy will get you nowhere, sir.

[talas]

fineexampl give me a p.m if you make anymore please buddy ;)

[fineexampl]

next time you make some please but my name down..the ingredients are interesting to say the least figs,cocoa powder wow must be really Hot/sweet? :)I will have to get back to you. The pre-curing flavor wasn't much to speak of. I will crack a bottle this week and get back to it.

fineexampl give me a p.m if you make anymore please buddy ;)I have a couple available. If you'd like to help fund the next batch, you're welcome to one, make me an offer. The only caveat would be a mandatory review.

I just had an idea for the company name....

"A 'fine example' of a hot sauce...."

I think it would work.I thought of that actually. FinExampl Sauces and than the flavors would be "Uvva (something)" like "FineExampl: Uvva Fruity Sauce" sort of thing.

Looks great! I too like the idea of the test tubes. We've got Defcon with his medicine/lab bottles and now you with the test tubes....must be a Jersey thing...Just a coincidence actually. I needed bottles and had these kickin around with old oil/vinegars. After a thorough cleaning, they were good as new.

Jealousy will get you nowhere, sir.
You could be right. People underestimate the drawing power and creativity level of the Garden State. ;)

[fineexampl]

Sauce 3 preview...(please visualize)

Swing-top bottles...flask/maple syrup style bottles with bluish hue. Pricey, but pretty. :)

[talas]

Now that would look damn fine..i think you would have hit there my friend ;)

[fineexampl]

Now that would look damn fine..i think you would have hit there my friend ;)I tend to agree. The bottles are about $5 each so that will no doubt affect my end cost. I'd really like to make Batch#3 available to THP.

Still have a bottle of #2 available. It will be in the "test tube" bottle/vial.

[talas]

I suppose its the final cost..but its gonna bloody fantastic..perhaps worth purchasing a couple to see how it looks etc..maybe.

ans use please to #2 :)

[fineexampl]

talas...got your PM. i'm not forgetting you, i just have some things i need to take care of at work before i can take care of fun stuff.


So, loyal readers, i have taken one of my personal sampling "grenades" of Sauce#2 with me to the office this morning. It will be my condiment of choice for my pecan and (my own recipe) 5 chile rub crusted chicken. I will post a thorough review later today of my own thoughts on my own sauce.

However, i couldn't wait. I poured a dollop on my hand this morning before jumping on the Garden State Parkway after a few sniffs. The smell is of vinegar and ale, with a distinct habanero aroma. The heat woke me up from my sleepiness and excited my senses, but it mellowed to a calming warmth.

I will get more in depth later. I'll be honest about any negative points as best i can. So far though? Very satisfied. :) If you don't like your own cooking, who else will?

[talas]

talas...got your PM. i'm not forgetting you, i just have some things i need to take care of at work before i can take care of fun stuff.


So, loyal readers, i have taken one of my personal sampling "grenades" of Sauce#2 with me to the office this morning. It will be my condiment of choice for my pecan and (my own recipe) 5 chile rub crusted chicken. I will post a thorough review later today of my own thoughts on my own sauce.

However, i couldn't wait. I poured a dollop on my hand this morning before jumping on the Garden State Parkway after a few sniffs. The smell is of vinegar and ale, with a distinct habanero aroma. The heat woke me up from my sleepiness and excited my senses, but it mellowed to a calming warmth.

I will get more in depth later. I'll be honest about any negative points as best i can. So far though? Very satisfied. :) If you don't like your own cooking, who else will?

Hey Your teasing now..that sweet aroma lol,buddy crazy time for us all this time of year going myself for a few days break tomorrow..whenever you have some fun time spare and i hope you do my friend ;)

[fineexampl]

abolutely man. :)

It's Friday. Plenty of time this weekend.

[fineexampl]

eating sauce #2 now. i wish i brought the other grenade. this will not be enough.

Right away there's an up-front burn that hits you. The color is that of a fine brown gravy. The smell is as pleasant as stated in my earlier post. I can pick out the differences between the dried habs and the fresh that are both in this sauce. Right as the heat hit you is a sweetness and a faint hint of the white peach. So far none of the cocoa, which is okay because i didn't want to overpower it and turn into a mole sauce. The fig and the hefeweizen sit nicely together and complement one another which is good. My chicken has pecan crust on it. I think i should have added ground pecan to the sauce; mental note for batch #2.1 to switch from pumpkin seed to pecan. Less vinegar next time and more beer. I used less vinegar than batch#1, but i still need less. There's a little hint of smoke too, which makes perfect sense. With the dry ingredients i added some dried chipotle as well. After the burn settles, the sweetness really comes through here. I wish i had a camera because my my face is sweating something good right about now. Every inch of my mouth has a nice even burn.

Now, this sampler grenade did not cure properly and was bottled and chilled fresh with no shelf curing at all. The 6 shelf-ready bottles were left to cure on a shelf, not refrigerated as i made them with the intent to sent out. I can only imagine what the final product will be.

It's time i had a sampling party. Oh it's very much time to have one. :D

Oh and THP...the figs seeds? Not noticeable at all. ;)

[talas]

Tease Tease Tease can not wait..why live so far hehe ;)

[fineexampl]

Only a small tease man. payday is this friday. i will most likely post by this weekend.

[talas]

P.M costs old man when you no ;)

[DevilDuck]

...another reason to have a THP party weekend.

I have a smoker, grill and a pool table.... not to mention all that good New Mexican green chile you can carry back with you.

[fineexampl]

mmmm newmex anything...