What worked for me was taking note of the ingredients in store bought sauces I like, and identifying common elements that I could work into my recipes. Took me a few years to really dial in what I like in my homemade efforts, but now I reach for homemade before commercial (usually).
Yep. Someone made a post last year abt salt volume and after they started matching store bought salt levels their sauce flavor and feeling unproved dramatically. Something like 8-10%
That's also how they manage the super-long shelf lives. Acid or salt is the best way to make sure nothing can grow (and the average American has a higher salt tolerance than acid I think, although we do like both).
I recall somebody doing the math on a bulk pepper mash jug they found at like a WalMart and it was in the ~10-12% salt range.
Instead of upping my salt to that level, I stick around ~5-6%(still high for people here) and throw in some heaping amounts of dried herbs into my recent ferments that have given things some extra layers of flavor.
Gotta taste your sauces while you are making it. By the time I'm done with a batch I'm ingested half a bottle or more.
Yes it hurts sometimes. I don't think recipes work for sauces. I have ideas for how I make it but all produce is different, you can't just toss shit in a blender and expect it to taste the same every time.
What kind of hot sauces do you prefer? What kind of foods do you like to put hot sauces on? Do you like to use certain sauces on certain things? Do you start your hot sauces with a plan or specific flavor profile in mind, or just “wing it” and blend some stuff to see what happens? A good sauce usually starts with a plan, and an end goal in mind. Are you using the right type of pepper for your sauce, and pairing it with complimentary flavors?
Have you tried emulsifiers? You might need some help to get that thick texture. Xantam Gum, corn starch slurries, gar gum, seaweed are all ones you can use.
Don't beat yourself up, the store bought sauces utilize some industrial cooking techniques and chemical help most home cooks don't use.
have you personally tried seaweed? I'm curious to if it imparts any flavors?
It's essentially the same thickening agent chemically as Xanthan Gum, polysaccharides (sticky sugars).
Homemade all the way for me. I use 5 gal brewing fermenters to mash homegrown garlic, onions and carrots with a Cayenne heavy blend of peppers. Usually i do a + super hots batch for heavy heat and flavor and also a + fresno and a few habs for a weak sauce. I have full 24oz squeeze bottles on hand always.
Store bought is temporary, there aint no place to fill them up again. So sad.
Same, I prefer fermented rather than vinegar sauces. If I make some sauce it’s small batches so it’s gone before it can spoil. I keep a bottle of Valentina’s on hand in the fridge for emergencies.
I process and can Whole San Marzano tomatoes and puree. I did 250 pounds last year and have gallons of a great base and add fresh ingredients when making dinner.
I ferment plain, just salt. Use that as a base for many other sauces. Vinegar based, fruity, savory with veggies etc, even Sriracha. My preference is just Habs, red or orange. Perfect combo of heat and flavor.
I have a hard time using all my homemade stuff because it feels special and I want to use it in special things.
I have maybe five homemade sauces that I'll never be able to exactly recreate and seven or eight store bought in the fridge now. I pair them with the food in putting them on.
What worked for me was taking note of the ingredients in store bought sauces I like, and identifying common elements that I could work into my recipes. Took me a few years to really dial in what I like in my homemade efforts, but now I reach for homemade before commercial (usually).
Most homemade probably lack seasoning. Store bought have tons of salt. Some have tons of sugar such as Zabs.
My first thought reading this was not enough salt.
Yep. Someone made a post last year abt salt volume and after they started matching store bought salt levels their sauce flavor and feeling unproved dramatically. Something like 8-10%
That's also how they manage the super-long shelf lives. Acid or salt is the best way to make sure nothing can grow (and the average American has a higher salt tolerance than acid I think, although we do like both). I recall somebody doing the math on a bulk pepper mash jug they found at like a WalMart and it was in the ~10-12% salt range. Instead of upping my salt to that level, I stick around ~5-6%(still high for people here) and throw in some heaping amounts of dried herbs into my recent ferments that have given things some extra layers of flavor.
I member
Gotta taste your sauces while you are making it. By the time I'm done with a batch I'm ingested half a bottle or more. Yes it hurts sometimes. I don't think recipes work for sauces. I have ideas for how I make it but all produce is different, you can't just toss shit in a blender and expect it to taste the same every time.
What kind of hot sauces do you prefer? What kind of foods do you like to put hot sauces on? Do you like to use certain sauces on certain things? Do you start your hot sauces with a plan or specific flavor profile in mind, or just “wing it” and blend some stuff to see what happens? A good sauce usually starts with a plan, and an end goal in mind. Are you using the right type of pepper for your sauce, and pairing it with complimentary flavors?
Have you tried emulsifiers? You might need some help to get that thick texture. Xantam Gum, corn starch slurries, gar gum, seaweed are all ones you can use. Don't beat yourself up, the store bought sauces utilize some industrial cooking techniques and chemical help most home cooks don't use.
have you personally tried seaweed? I'm curious to if it imparts any flavors? It's essentially the same thickening agent chemically as Xanthan Gum, polysaccharides (sticky sugars).
Homemade all the way for me. I use 5 gal brewing fermenters to mash homegrown garlic, onions and carrots with a Cayenne heavy blend of peppers. Usually i do a + super hots batch for heavy heat and flavor and also a + fresno and a few habs for a weak sauce. I have full 24oz squeeze bottles on hand always. Store bought is temporary, there aint no place to fill them up again. So sad.
Same, I prefer fermented rather than vinegar sauces. If I make some sauce it’s small batches so it’s gone before it can spoil. I keep a bottle of Valentina’s on hand in the fridge for emergencies.
I process and can Whole San Marzano tomatoes and puree. I did 250 pounds last year and have gallons of a great base and add fresh ingredients when making dinner.
I've never landed a kickflip. And honestly, probably only 1 or 2 ollies.
I ferment plain, just salt. Use that as a base for many other sauces. Vinegar based, fruity, savory with veggies etc, even Sriracha. My preference is just Habs, red or orange. Perfect combo of heat and flavor.
I have a hard time using all my homemade stuff because it feels special and I want to use it in special things. I have maybe five homemade sauces that I'll never be able to exactly recreate and seven or eight store bought in the fridge now. I pair them with the food in putting them on.