Hot Sauce

[Matt B]

i <3 hot sauce
A whole compartment in my fridge door is full of them. And then I’ve got several jars of chili crunch variants in the cupboard. I think we can extend the discussion to include those, too.

I’ve never made my own, but I know some members do. Let’s hear what people make, along with favorite commercial hot sauces.

My favorites:
Tabasco, not just a sauce but a critical ingredient. Just peppers, vinegar and salt aged in oak barrels, I buy the big bottles of this classic standby. The green version is a nice change of pace for breakfast sometimes. I have no use for the other flavors.

Frank’s, critical for wings and also good on leftover pizza. Although, sometimes it’s fun to switch it up with Texas Pete or Louisiana brand. These are sorta boring on their own but still staples. Very versatile and barely hot.

I like habanero hot sauces too and usually have several around but some of my usuals are Marie Sharp’s and Secret Aardvark although I think both are overpriced, especially the Marie Sharp’s in the US.

I got some chili garlic crunch recently from Uwajimaya with the fermented soybean in it that I’ve been hitting up a lot, especially to top soups and stews.

Hot sauces are like fly rods in a way, ideally you can use different models for different applications.

 

[Russell]

I really like the Marie sharps and chili gods is a favorite out of Sonoma. Have been using the momofuku crunch.
And the go to cholula
EDIT
Forgot the sriracha. Use it properly the most

 

[Matt B]

There are so many hot sauces out there (and a lot seem like unit moving vehicles for novelty packaging) that it is actually nice to get some real recommendations.

 

[Zak]

Our go to is the regular red Cholula.

 

[adamcu280]

My favorite prepared heat sources:

Barnacle Seafoods kelp chili crisp great on tacos, eggs, sushi/fish, just about anything.
Lao Gan Ma black bean chili crisp but it's much saltier than the above so use with discretion. For instance, I won't use this on an eggy sammy if I also have bacon or ham on board.
Huy Fong Sriracha and Sambal Oelek for just about anything.
Huichol on tacos
Wasabi on fish

I still have a bunch of jars of this stuff and other variations based on the local pepper Donne' Sali from my time in the Marianas. A little goes a long way! I'll add it to black bean chicken or other Asian dishes, or mix it with soy sauce and lime for a Chamorro style dip for sashimi.

Years ago I liked Yucatan Sunshine but I haven't had that one in a while.

I mostly shift between Asian-inspired or Mexico/Latin-inspired hot sauces.

 

[Evan B]

I make a LOT of hot sauce. Really depends on what I grow for peppers each year. Most sauces I make up as I go.

Some favorites/recurring themes are various smoked/Chipotle hot sauces.

Most I ferment the peppers, onions and garlic first. I use the sealer bag method.





A few from this year.

 

[Brute]

I make a LOT of hot sauce. Really depends on what I grow for peppers each year. Most sauces I make up as I go.

Some favorites/recurring themes are various smoked/Chipotle hot sauces.

Most I ferment the peppers, onions and garlic first. I use the sealer bag method.
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A few from this year.
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Hehe…can you please also make Purple Haze?

 

[Evan B]

Hehe…can you please also make Purple Haze?

But what's the hot sauce-related pun? I can't do it without the pun.

 

[Brute]

I used to grow my peppers and make hot sauce in Hawaii…upon the birth of my first daughter, I pulled the peppers out of the ground. Hawaii has a local bird chili that is quite hot…I also grew habanero & jalapeños…

Traditional Hawaiian chili pepper water is Hawaiian chilies, white vinegar and water…it can be found in most homes & local eateries. I usually used garlic, lime juice, occasionally shredded carrots, cane vinegar and salt…heated to a boil, then cooled before bottled…using either single types of chilis or a combination of them. I haven’t made any for years…

 

[Brute]

But what's the hot sauce-related pun? I can't do it without the pun.

If you get it in your eye …

 

[Evan B]

My annual "hot sauce made exclusively with superhot varieties." This one was mostly Trinidad Scorpions.

 

[Matt B]

I used to grow my peppers and make hot sauce in Hawaii…upon the birth of my first daughter, I pulled the peppers out of the ground.

For…safety?

Or is this like a Hawaiian traditional thing. Daughter’s born, you pull your peppers and throw them into the sea, lest some haole from Arizona who learned to surf in a wave pool come to jah islands and woo your daughter away.

 

[Pigs]

I’m a chili head for sure. Current fave is a Torchbearer sauce called Garlic Reaper. Really hot, and really flavorful.

Other faves include Mazzettas twist and shout Habanero, Marie Sharps Beware Habanero. I like some of the Melinda’s sauces too. Cant go wrong with Huy Fong (rooster) chili garlic paste. I’m always down for some tapatio as well.

 

[Pigs]

Evan if you need a taste tester I can send you my address

 

[Old406Kid]

While reading these posts this song keeps coming to mind.

 

[Riverrun]

Somehow, over time, growing hot peppers has become my thing. Last year I grew 19 different varieties with seeds personally saved and collected over time and, recently, with some additional seeds gifted by family and friends. Last year, my niece and a friend gifted me several new varieties, including Brute's Hawaiian pepper. (Let me know if you want some)! Not only do I have shelves of hot sauces (vinegar based and fermented) produced from my prolific yields, but I annually gift something in the neighborhood of 40 bottles of my standard production. Of late, I've taken to smoking, drying, grinding and blending various salts as well as making pepper jellies. I have a massive overproduction every year and can't find enough people to give them away to for their own uses!

I have more than 20 plants I overwinter (mostly growing and producing year round) in my heated greenhouse, some going on 8-10 years old.

Peppers anyone?

 

[Matt B]

Makers, bring your spicy wares to the Swap-n-Meet!
Swap-n-Eat Heat

 

[Evan B]

We've had around two dozen plants each of the last 5-6yrs or so. Since doing starts is a project, we decided to forego doing all the starters this year since we have too many projects going on, including finishing up a major bathroom remodel. So this will be a bit of an "off" year.

I'll still get some plants, but will acquire starters from a few local nurseries. So will be more standard-issue plants this year vs a lot of the more niche/specialty varieties I often do.

 

[Evan B]

Btw - for those who are Sriracha fans, specifically the Huy Fong Rooster variety, that landscape has changed a bit in the last couple years. The pepper supplier/grower and Huy Fong had a major falling out. During that episode, Huy Fong basically shut down for a while. That original supplier now sells exclusively to Underwood Ranches. I've done a side-by-side, and the Underwood Ranches is definitely superior to the "new" Huy Fong version, which has absolutely changed since that whole thing.

 

[Mossback]

Gotta grow 'em before anything else...

Used this place for plants, getting late for orders, but still time.

ChilePlants.com - Live Plants

www.chileplants.com