Fermented Habanero Garlic sauce

[Hockeydudde]

One you finish and bottle, do you pasteurize or water bath them?
I'm there part I've saved them in the fridge for our personal use, but giving these ones away, I'm wondering about find something to make them more stable.

 

[jcam222]

One you finish and bottle, do you pasteurize or water bath them?
I'm there part I've saved them in the fridge for our personal use, but giving these ones away, I'm wondering about find something to make them more stable.

I do not. I make sure my PH is good and low which to me is good enough. I still refrigerate for safety. Many people do pasteurize though.

 

[Steve H]

I do not. I make sure my PH is good and low which to me is good enough. I still refrigerate for safety. Many people do pasteurize though.

If you pasteurize. Doesn't that take away the whole purpose of fermenting?

 

[chopsaw]

I do not. I make sure my PH is good and low which to me is good enough. I still refrigerate for safety. Many people do pasteurize though.

I sure hope it's OK . I'm using one that sits on the table and the rest have been on the counter . PH was 3.3 when bottled . The one on the table is better everytime I use it .

 

[PulledPorkSandwich]

If you pasteurize. Doesn't that take away the whole purpose of fermenting?

This is a piece I want to understand better. In my latest batch, I milled and bottled the fermented mash in plastic condiment squeeze bottles. I don't pasteurize, so the resulting sauce is still actively, but very slowly, fermenting and contains beneficial pro-biotics. Refrigeration minimizes continuing fermentation, but adding anything containing sugar post-fermentation could result in active fermentation, which could bubble and potentially make a mess in my refrigerator. I've not yet had this experience.

My understanding is that pasteurizing kills all the beneficial bacteria -- no more fermentation -- but will make the sauce "shelf-stable" as long as the pH remains low. I kind of like the idea of keeping the pro-biotics around.

I'm no expert, so I'll read and learn now.

 

[Hockeydudde]

More fuel to my, I need a ph meter fire. Just sent my wife a subtle hint
Thanks!

I sure hope it's OK . I'm using one that sits on the table and the rest have been on the counter . PH was 3.3 when bottled . The one on the table is better everytime I use it .

Do you get down to 3.3 without adding sugar?

If you pasteurize. Doesn't that take away the whole purpose of fermenting?

I'm most cases of be against it, but a sauce that is so hot you can only use a drop, I think the nutritional difference is a literal drop in a bucket, lol.

 

[chopsaw]

Do you get down to 3.3 without adding sugar?

That's what the brine was when I opened the jar . I did add canned pineapple and red wine vinegar . It was 3.3 after mixed up too . I have two small batches going now . Started on the 12th . Just looked at them . Lots of bubbles .

 

[indaswamp]

As long as the sauce has a pH below 4.5 then it is shelf stable. Fermentation with sugar alone usually will not push the pH that low because Lacto bacteria have a hard time producing more acid when the pH approaches 4.5. This is why vinegar is usually added at the end of hot suace lacto fermentation to ensure pH below 4.5....

 

[jcam222]

Most of my pepper ferments that go at least 3 weeks are around 3.4 +/- 0.2 I still add some white vinegar in most my blends to offset any change in PH from other ingredients I might add when finishing. Usually that’s only around 1/4 cup to 2 quarts sauce. Sometimes I’ll add more as I adjust to taste. I don’t pasteurize mostly because I feel like it takes extra time and is not necessary. Relative to losing the “good bacteria” in all likelihood you aren’t getting much from hot sauce unless you are doing shots :). I do think the slow fermentation though continues to change taste over time.

 

[chopsaw]

I just checked my meter in white distilled vinegar . Came up with 2.7 .
I'm thinking that's about right ?

 

[jcam222]

I just checked my meter in white distilled vinegar . Came up with 2.7 .
I'm thinking that's about right ?

Yep what indaswamp said

 

[indaswamp]

Yeah chop...vinegar is around pH 2.5ish

 

[indaswamp]

...and actually, commercially sold vinegar is adjusted to pH2.5 and can be used as a check on calibration of a pH meter......

 

[chopsaw]

OK , I'll go back to being " Not worried " .

 

[Hockeydudde]

Awesome! Great info chopsaw and indaswamp . Appreciate letting me pseudo high Jack your thread.

 

[chopsaw]

Awesome! Great info chopsaw and indaswamp . Appreciate letting me pseudo high Jack your thread.

I'm just learning this . Facts are you can learn so much on this site just by paying attention . The other day jcam222 made a comment about his PH meter . Something like " I put it in white vinegar and it was right on " So I asked myself why ? Answer was he must know the PH of white vinegar . I did the research and found more than one source that supported a number , and Indaswamp backed up the findings .

 

[jcam222]

Fermenting is a riot. A dedicated forum might make sense.

 

[chopsaw]

Fermenting is a riot.

It's hard to believe how good the " funk " smells .

 

[jcam222]

It's hard to believe how good the " funk " smells .

I have a closet in a downstairs guest bedroom that is my ferment area. The whole room has that delicious ferment funk

 

[JoePD]

Third batch of hot sauce for this month bottled and labeled. This one is the blend that started my obsession last year. Orange habanero ferment. 4 weeks in a 3.5% brine. Finished with heavy garlic, a little salt and sweetener along with xanthan gum to prevent separation. Immediately fiery on the lips and tongue creeping into the throat with a hint of sweet on finish. Great on tacos. Named after my friends son Aiden as he loved it last year and hoarded their bottles. I have 6 more half gallons for several blends going. Most of those I’ll process in 2 weeks View attachment 649481

Beautiful labels, I bet it’s fiery hot!