Q: Dear Dave,I want to make my own habanero mash and I want to use as little salt as possible. What’s a good salt/vinegar/pepper ratio?–Douglas A: Hello Douglas:You are not giving me enough information to answer your question.–Is this for home or commercial use?–How do you intend to store the mash?–What is the purpose for doing this?The reason I ask …
No Reliable Listing for Hot Sauce Heat Scales
Q: Dave,I’ve looked around the internet but haven’t been able to find a listing of relative heat for the different commercial hot sauces. A listing, for example, which would let you see whether Dave’s Insanity Sauce is hotter than, say, Crazy Jerry’s Brain Damage. Is there such a thing?Thanks, Tom A: Hello Tom:The problem is that the manufacturers either:1. Don’t have …
Heat: Pickled vs. Fresh Peppers, Effects of Alcohol
Q: Dave:When making sauces with chiles, do fresh chiles add more heat than pickled peppers? Also, does alcohol enhance the heat of chiles?Thanx, Bill A: Hello Bill:Fresh vs. pickled, it depends entirely upon the variety. Vinegar does not affect the heat level. Alcohol has no effect on the heat of the sauce.–Dave
4-Chile Sauce
Q: Hey Dave! I have 4 different chilli varieties in my garden (jalapeño, tabasco, cherry, andHungarian yellow wax) all of which are fruiting so fast I can’t use them all! It’s a devil of a problem… I was wondering if you have a recipe for a nice dipping sauce that would combine the different chillis? Keep up the great work, …
Perennial Chile Plants
Q: Dave,Do habanero plants need to be removed and new ones planted every year or are they perennial?Thanks, Rod A: Hello Rod:All chile plants are perennial in climates that don’t get frost.–Dave