My first try at hot sauce, I used the salt "cap" mentioned here, and
found that within a few days almost all of the salt had dissolved as a
result of the liquid that came off of the peppers mash. Not only did it
render the cap useless as a protection against surface mold, but it
made the mash very, very salty.

Anyway, I plan to try again. Is the salt cap still de rigueur? Is there
some way to tweak this so I don't have the same problem? Or do I do
something else?

--
to respond (OT only), change "spamless.invalid" to "optonline.net"

<http://www.thecoffeefaq.com/>

Scott wrote:
> My first try at hot sauce, I used the salt "cap" mentioned here, and
> found that within a few days almost all of the salt had dissolved as a
> result of the liquid that came off of the peppers mash. Not only did it
> render the cap useless as a protection against surface mold, but it
> made the mash very, very salty.
>
> Anyway, I plan to try again. Is the salt cap still de rigueur? Is there
> some way to tweak this so I don't have the same problem? Or do I do
> something else?
>

How much salt did you use? Generally I only use about a third of a cup
on a one gallon crock full of mash. Depending upon heat and humidity you
may still get some surface mold but it's easy to take off with a
stainless spoon and about a third of a cup of vinegar will prevent it
returning.

Remember too that the salt cap used by McIlhenny is on top of a wooden
barrel top and is in a 52F salt mine to boot. They aren't bothered by
changes in temperature, wild mildew floating around, etc.

George

In article >,
George Shirley > wrote:

>
> How much salt did you use? Generally I only use about a third of a cup
> on a one gallon crock full of mash. Depending upon heat and humidity you
> may still get some surface mold but it's easy to take off with a
> stainless spoon and about a third of a cup of vinegar will prevent it
> returning.

That's about how much salt I used. It was entirely gone within 3-4 days,
so there didn't seem to have been much of a point in layering it on top.
I used a turkey baster to take off mold.

The peppers I got this year are better than the ones I'd used
previously: both fresh (an 80:20 mix of serranos and habaneros) and
dried (a couple of habaneros, though I'm reserving them to modify
spiciness at the end, if necessary, and some nice chipotles). That is,
they're better *quality* peppers, not better varieties.

You add vinegar early on? It doesn't interfere with fermentation?


> Remember too that the salt cap used by McIlhenny is on top of a wooden
> barrel top and is in a 52F salt mine to boot. They aren't bothered by
> changes in temperature, wild mildew floating around, etc.

Yah. Wanted to try and see that when I drove cross-country last summer,
but didn't get a chance.

I'm going to try and keep the heat down as much as possible. The
basement stays pretty cool in the summer.

--
to respond (OT only), change "spamless.invalid" to "optonline.net"

<http://www.thecoffeefaq.com/>

Scott wrote:
> In article >,
> George Shirley > wrote:
>
>
>>How much salt did you use? Generally I only use about a third of a cup
>>on a one gallon crock full of mash. Depending upon heat and humidity you
>>may still get some surface mold but it's easy to take off with a
>>stainless spoon and about a third of a cup of vinegar will prevent it
>>returning.
>
>
> That's about how much salt I used. It was entirely gone within 3-4 days,
> so there didn't seem to have been much of a point in layering it on top.
> I used a turkey baster to take off mold.
>
> The peppers I got this year are better than the ones I'd used
> previously: both fresh (an 80:20 mix of serranos and habaneros) and
> dried (a couple of habaneros, though I'm reserving them to modify
> spiciness at the end, if necessary, and some nice chipotles). That is,
> they're better *quality* peppers, not better varieties.
>
> You add vinegar early on? It doesn't interfere with fermentation?

Not if you only add a little bit. Remember that I live in a hot and
humid part of the US, our winter is normally a couple of weeks in
January. I've been thinking of buying a used fridge to do my pepper mash
, but when I've tried it in the regular refrigerator it still gets
moldy, I think because the door gets opens so much.

>
>
>>Remember too that the salt cap used by McIlhenny is on top of a wooden
>>barrel top and is in a 52F salt mine to boot. They aren't bothered by
>>changes in temperature, wild mildew floating around, etc.
>
>
> Yah. Wanted to try and see that when I drove cross-country last summer,
> but didn't get a chance.
>
> I'm going to try and keep the heat down as much as possible. The
> basement stays pretty cool in the summer.

That may work. Lots of the other commercial hot sauces are made fresh,
no fermentation at all. Watched a special about sauces on the Food
Network a while back and was amazed at how easy they made it look. May
try a batch this next year myself. I've actually run out of hot sauce
here, had 5 cases on hand so didn't make any last winter. Now I have a
half a bottle of Old Yeller left and I guard it. <VBG>

George
>

"George Shirley" > wrote in message
...
> Scott wrote:
>> In article >,
>> George Shirley > wrote:
>>
>>
>>>How much salt did you use? Generally I only use about a third of a cup on
>>>a one gallon crock full of mash. Depending upon heat and humidity you may
>>>still get some surface mold but it's easy to take off with a stainless
>>>spoon and about a third of a cup of vinegar will prevent it returning.
>>
>>
>> That's about how much salt I used. It was entirely gone within 3-4 days,
>> so there didn't seem to have been much of a point in layering it on top.
>> I used a turkey baster to take off mold.
>>
>> The peppers I got this year are better than the ones I'd used previously:
>> both fresh (an 80:20 mix of serranos and habaneros) and dried (a couple
>> of habaneros, though I'm reserving them to modify spiciness at the end,
>> if necessary, and some nice chipotles). That is, they're better *quality*
>> peppers, not better varieties.
>>
>> You add vinegar early on? It doesn't interfere with fermentation?
>
> Not if you only add a little bit. Remember that I live in a hot and humid
> part of the US, our winter is normally a couple of weeks in January. I've
> been thinking of buying a used fridge to do my pepper mash , but when I've
> tried it in the regular refrigerator it still gets moldy, I think because
> the door gets opens so much.
>
>>
>>
>>>Remember too that the salt cap used by McIlhenny is on top of a wooden
>>>barrel top and is in a 52F salt mine to boot. They aren't bothered by
>>>changes in temperature, wild mildew floating around, etc.
>>
>>
>> Yah. Wanted to try and see that when I drove cross-country last summer,
>> but didn't get a chance.
>>
>> I'm going to try and keep the heat down as much as possible. The basement
>> stays pretty cool in the summer.
>
> That may work. Lots of the other commercial hot sauces are made fresh, no
> fermentation at all. Watched a special about sauces on the Food Network a
> while back and was amazed at how easy they made it look. May try a batch
> this next year myself. I've actually run out of hot sauce here, had 5
> cases on hand so didn't make any last winter. Now I have a half a bottle
> of Old Yeller left and I guard it. <VBG>
>
> George
>>
>
I am very interested in learning to make my own pepper mash, can you
enlighten me on any good sites or books where I can learn what I need to do,
I am in the UK.
Vicky

vicky wrote:
> "George Shirley" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Scott wrote:
>>
>>>In article >,
>>> George Shirley > wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>How much salt did you use? Generally I only use about a third of a cup on
>>>>a one gallon crock full of mash. Depending upon heat and humidity you may
>>>>still get some surface mold but it's easy to take off with a stainless
>>>>spoon and about a third of a cup of vinegar will prevent it returning.
>>>
>>>
>>>That's about how much salt I used. It was entirely gone within 3-4 days,
>>>so there didn't seem to have been much of a point in layering it on top.
>>>I used a turkey baster to take off mold.
>>>
>>>The peppers I got this year are better than the ones I'd used previously:
>>>both fresh (an 80:20 mix of serranos and habaneros) and dried (a couple
>>>of habaneros, though I'm reserving them to modify spiciness at the end,
>>>if necessary, and some nice chipotles). That is, they're better *quality*
>>>peppers, not better varieties.
>>>
>>>You add vinegar early on? It doesn't interfere with fermentation?
>>
>>Not if you only add a little bit. Remember that I live in a hot and humid
>>part of the US, our winter is normally a couple of weeks in January. I've
>>been thinking of buying a used fridge to do my pepper mash , but when I've
>>tried it in the regular refrigerator it still gets moldy, I think because
>>the door gets opens so much.
>>
>>
>>>
>>>>Remember too that the salt cap used by McIlhenny is on top of a wooden
>>>>barrel top and is in a 52F salt mine to boot. They aren't bothered by
>>>>changes in temperature, wild mildew floating around, etc.
>>>
>>>
>>>Yah. Wanted to try and see that when I drove cross-country last summer,
>>>but didn't get a chance.
>>>
>>>I'm going to try and keep the heat down as much as possible. The basement
>>>stays pretty cool in the summer.
>>
>>That may work. Lots of the other commercial hot sauces are made fresh, no
>>fermentation at all. Watched a special about sauces on the Food Network a
>>while back and was amazed at how easy they made it look. May try a batch
>>this next year myself. I've actually run out of hot sauce here, had 5
>>cases on hand so didn't make any last winter. Now I have a half a bottle
>>of Old Yeller left and I guard it. <VBG>
>>
>>George
>>
> I am very interested in learning to make my own pepper mash, can you
> enlighten me on any good sites or books where I can learn what I need to do,
> I am in the UK.
> Vicky
>
>
Do a Google search on this newsgroup Vicky, we've discussed the methods
used many times. Lots of Chile Head sites have directions and
discussions too.

George

In article >,
Scott > wrote:

> The peppers I got this year are better than the ones I'd used
> previously: both fresh (an 80:20 mix of serranos and habaneros) and
> dried (a couple of habaneros, though I'm reserving them to modify
> spiciness at the end, if necessary, and some nice chipotles). That is,
> they're better *quality* peppers, not better varieties


Huh, what was I thinking? I didn't get the dried habs... IIRC, I tasted
a serrano in the store and was surprised to find them to actually be
spicy (I've haven't been so lucky in the past). I'll make the mash with
whole shebang, reserving about half of the dried chipotles until I taste
everything. I think I'll use a spaghetti-style storage jar: straight
sides

--
to respond (OT only), change "spamless.invalid" to "optonline.net"

<http://www.thecoffeefaq.com/>

In article >,
Scott > wrote:

> My first try at hot sauce, I used the salt "cap" mentioned here, and
> found that within a few days almost all of the salt had dissolved as a
> result of the liquid that came off of the peppers mash. Not only did it
> render the cap useless as a protection against surface mold, but it
> made the mash very, very salty.
>
> Anyway, I plan to try again. Is the salt cap still de rigueur? Is there
> some way to tweak this so I don't have the same problem? Or do I do
> something else?

Well, everything's all mashed up, no salt added as of yet. I have to
pick up some vinegar... I suppose a white, tasteless vinegar is called
for? (that is, to the extent that vinegar can be called "tasteless")

I didn't add a layer of salt; I'll be on the watch for mold.

--
to respond (OT only), change "spamless.invalid" to "optonline.net"

<http://www.thecoffeefaq.com/>

Well, it's been almost days since I made the pepper mash. I added no
salt, no vinegar, and kept it at room temperature (albeit in a sealed
glass jar right next to an AC vent). Not a speck of mold. How long will
the luck last? Time will tell.

--
to respond (OT only), change "spamless.invalid" to "optonline.net"

<http://www.thecoffeefaq.com/>