by Tdarcos » Fri Jul 04, 2014 4:25 pm
The History Channel did a show about hot spices. It's where I learned about Bhut Jolokia, which has a Scoville Unit rating of about 1,000,000, which can be compared to jalapenos at about 5,000 Scoville Units.
The show discussed the making of the McIlhenmy Company's signature product, Tabasco sauce, which they make from their own special peppers at their plant on Avery Island, Louisiana.
The original mash is packed in wooden barrels, sealed with a layer of salt and left to cure for three years. Then they decant it, let it rest for a month then cut it with vinegar. (The decanted mash is about 60,000 Scoville Units, much too strong. By cutting it with vinegar they bring it down to 5-6000).
So. to answer your question, all Texas Pete has to do is use less vinegar to cut their sauce, and the exact same recipe will come up much hotter.
I was talking to one of the bakery staff at a Ralphs Grocery in Southern California about 25 years ago because I was mentioning how I lilke the bulk chocolate chip cookies they make, but I felt they were too crispy, I would have liked them a bit softer, like oatmeal raisin, although not that soft.
He was telling me it's the flour. Use more flour in the recipe and you get a softer cookie. Use more shortening and you get a crispier cookie. And most people prefer crispier chocolate chip cookies, which is why they make them that way.
So it's all in the recipe as far as the hot sauce is concerned, and all it can take is to change the amount of vinegar, maybe by just a little bit, and it can dramatically change the heat level. Also, when they add vinegar can change the heat level by how fast the chilies release the capcacin, which is the part that gives the feeling of heat.
The History Channel did a show about hot spices. It's where I learned about Bhut Jolokia, which has a Scoville Unit rating of about 1,000,000, which can be compared to jalapenos at about 5,000 Scoville Units.
The show discussed the making of the McIlhenmy Company's signature product, Tabasco sauce, which they make from their own special peppers at their plant on Avery Island, Louisiana.
The original mash is packed in wooden barrels, sealed with a layer of salt and left to cure for three years. Then they decant it, let it rest for a month then cut it with vinegar. (The decanted mash is about 60,000 Scoville Units, much too strong. By cutting it with vinegar they bring it down to 5-6000).
So. to answer your question, all Texas Pete has to do is use less vinegar to cut their sauce, and the exact same recipe will come up much hotter.
I was talking to one of the bakery staff at a Ralphs Grocery in Southern California about 25 years ago because I was mentioning how I lilke the bulk chocolate chip cookies they make, but I felt they were too crispy, I would have liked them a bit softer, like oatmeal raisin, although not that soft.
He was telling me it's the flour. Use more flour in the recipe and you get a softer cookie. Use more shortening and you get a crispier cookie. And most people prefer crispier chocolate chip cookies, which is why they make them that way.
So it's all in the recipe as far as the hot sauce is concerned, and all it can take is to change the amount of vinegar, maybe by just a little bit, and it can dramatically change the heat level. Also, when they add vinegar can change the heat level by how fast the chilies release the capcacin, which is the part that gives the feeling of heat.