Recent content by HotFloridaSun

I've read a lot about not bottling below 180F, but I'm curious.....   I think I read somewhere that if pH was below 4, then sterilization temp would be ... say 190F.   And if pH was 3.5, the sterilization temp required was 175 or 180F.    I'm just making up the numbers above, but does anyone...

SL, I wonder.... how forthcoming should I be with an inspector?  If overly forthcoming, am I exposing myself to being over-inspected? Or, if he asks me , I say "Refrigerated ingreds are stored here and non- refrigerated ingreds are brought in on a needs basis".   I'm not familiar with the...

Yeah huh? Big difference. I asked the owner today.   Monthly refrigeration/freezer is not included, unless I'm a daily user. He's never heard of requiring a transportation log.   If not daily, he allows ingredients brought in day before, but removed when I'm done for the day.   I think as I get...

THANK YOU Hot Sauce Guy!   A major thank you for making me take another look. What I was looking at was $35 for 10 hours in one month, no strings attached. If I used this for 3 months it would be $1050 for the three months.   The NEXT level, which I really just overlooked, is $19/hr for a min...

Welcome to THP.  I'm a newbie too and people have already been very helpful.   Best of luck with your peppers! I apparently have a black thumb.  Any time I've tried to grow anything it's either died or had a terrible yield.   Last year I tried Ghosts,  habs and Jalapenos.  I think I got 4 habs...

Yeah, we definitely can not use home kitchens in Florida, otherwise I wouldn't have to go commercial.  Good points on the cold storage, and insurance.   I know they have refrigerator and freezer areas, just not sure how they manage it.   The Insurance he pointed me to is Food Liability Insurance...

Thanks for the tip.    I checked out the place and it seems pretty good. The owner wasn't there when I got there but I got a wealth of good info from one of the clients using the kitchen. The owner is very easy to work with.  (I'm thinking this s a key point) Scheduling is a bit tight on...

I'm going out today to check out a commercial kitchen that's available for hourly rental about 15 miles from home. I'd like to take my 3 hot sauces to a broader audience and I'd also like to go about it in the proper/legit fashion.    I already know that the hourly rate is based on a usage...

Hello all!   And a hearty Hola from the newest guy, for now.