How It's Made: Hot Sauce

Summary

This video showcases the meticulous process of crafting hot sauce, from selecting the perfect peppers to bottling the final product. The journey begins in Louisiana's pepper fields, where only the finest peppers are hand-picked. After fermentation in oak barrels for three years, the mash is mixed with vinegar to develop its signature flavor. The sauce undergoes a refining process, including milling and quality control checks. Finally, it is bottled in glass containers to preserve its taste and quality. With attention to detail at every step, this hot sauce is crafted to perfection, ensuring an exceptional product for every bottle.

Takeaways

• 😀 Hot sauce is a quick way to spice up various dishes like nachos, tacos, burritos, eggs, potatoes, and sandwiches.
• 😀 The American company producing the hot sauce has been in operation since 1868, using tabasco peppers as the main ingredient.
• 😀 In addition to the signature tabasco sauce, the company also produces varieties using habanero, chipotle, and green jalapeno peppers.
• 😀 The company cultivates peppers in Louisiana, as well as in Central and South America, using seeds harvested from its Louisiana crop.
• 😀 The president of the company selects the best plants for seed extraction based on traits like even ripening, juicy peppers, and healthy branches.
• 😀 A traditional tool called a 'petite baton rouge' (a small red stick) is used by pickers to identify perfectly ripe peppers.
• 😀 After harvesting, the peppers are sent to a seed extractor, and only the ripest peppers are chosen for sauce production.
• 😀 The peppers are mixed with salt to create a mash, which is then fermented and aged in oak whiskey barrels for three years.
• 😀 The aging process allows natural yeast growth while preventing excessive air exposure, which could negatively affect the flavor.
• 😀 After fermentation, vinegar is added to the mash and churned for 3-4 weeks, breaking down the solids and enhancing flavor and aroma.
• 😀 The sauce is refined through a two-stage milling process to remove pulp and seeds before being bottled in glass containers to preserve quality.

Q & A

What type of cuisine is hot sauce typically served with?

Hot sauce is typically served with Mexican food such as nachos, tacos, and burritos.

What other foods can hot sauce be used with aside from Mexican dishes?

Hot sauce can also be used to spice up everyday fare such as eggs, potatoes, and sandwiches.

Since when has the American company producing hot sauce been in operation?

The American company has been producing hot sauce since 1868.

What is the signature version of the hot sauce made from?

The signature version of the hot sauce is made from Tabasco peppers, a type of chili pepper.

What are some other pepper varieties used in the company's hot sauces?

The company also produces hot sauces using habanero, chipotle, and green jalapeno peppers.

Where are the company's pepper fields located?

The company has pepper fields in Louisiana as well as in Central and South America.

How does the company select the best plants for seed extraction?

The company president uses his experienced eye to select plants with even and early ripening, juicy peppers, well-formed branches, and healthy, damage-free leaves.

What is a 'petite baton rouge' and how is it used in the pepper harvesting process?

A 'petite baton rouge' is a small red stick used by pickers to determine if a pepper matches the color required for harvesting. If it does, it is picked; if not, it stays on the plant.

What happens to the harvested peppers after they are picked?

After harvesting, the peppers are ground and mixed with salt to create a mash, which is then placed in oak whiskey barrels to ferment and age.

What is the role of fermentation in the hot sauce production process?

Fermentation allows natural yeast growth, which contributes to the flavor and development of the sauce, while releasing carbon dioxide and forcing liquid out of the mash.

Why does the company use glass bottles for its hot sauce instead of plastic?

The company uses glass bottles because glass is a better barrier against oxygen, which would negatively affect the flavor and color of the sauce.

What is done to ensure the quality of the hot sauce before it is bottled?

Quality control technicians analyze samples from every batch for factors like viscosity, pH, salt levels, and flavor. They also conduct taste tests to ensure the sauce meets the desired standards.