Hot Sauce make!

I've been making my own salsas since I was old enough to hold a knife, but I'd never tried making my own hot sauce and after seeing this video on Etsy and just how simple it is, I had to give it a go -err, uh, a whirl, if you will.

Watch it yourself here: Heatsy!
-Or- for a link to the Etsy recipe, go here: Heatsy! Recipe!

I was curious about the introduction of Sherry in this recipe to infuse the sauce with the flavor of aging in an oak barrel. Ultimately, though, after doing some research on other sauces, I decided on another method. While I'd love to make this and age it in an old oak barrel, since I don't happen to own one, I purchased a grilling plank (and I recommend using one of these as opposed to ordinary lumber to be assured it isn't treated.), sawed it into smallish (2x3 in. or so) bits, then canned my sauce with the heat canning method, inserting a small piece of the wood into each. I reserved one jar of sauce for the refrigerator and after only about a week, I can taste a hint of the wood. The kind of wood you choose will vary the flavors. After finding out that many of the more popular brands of apple cider vinegar are aged in cedar, I decided to try it with my hot sauce, which could prove disastrous but I was interested in experimenting. So far my refrigerator version is pleasantly affected. The kind of wood you choose is your choice, just be certain it's safe to age with and not chemically treated. Most major brands of Tobasco do strain their sauce, whether or not you do is up to you.

Try it yourself!


XO, Debbie

mustard

Making Mustard

There are three types of mustard seed. Yellow mustard seeds have the least heat and are what we typically find on the grocery store shelves, brown mustard has a bit more bite than yellow mustard and can be purchased in health food and specialty stores. Black mustard is the spiciest and also the smallest seed. It must be hand harvested and is harder to come across. Indian markets usually carry it.

Making mustard is easy, just grind up the seeds coarsely or fine, to your liking (some people have a dedicated coffee grinder for this purpose. Do not use a coffee grinder you plan on using again for coffee! A mortar and pestle, though more labor intensive, gets the job done.) and add in your liquid and flavorings. Mustard powders can also be used to make mustard but bear in mind they will have a more intense heat, as there is no heat in the hull of the mustard and in the powders the hulls are removed. The mustards most Americans are accustomed to contain many seasonings and are usually mixed with white vinegar, wine vinegar or cider vinegar.

One of my favorite varieties is a simple combination of yellow and brown seeds, coarsely ground, some apple cider vinegar, sea salt and ground pepper. Don't be afraid to try many flavorings, though. I tried adding some orange marmalade and balsamic to the same recipe and it was tremendous.

I recommend getting out several small prep bowls or jars, adding some seeds to each and combining them with different liquids and seasonings. Fruits, herbs, spices, beer, wine, vinegars, juices, jams... look around your kitchen and get creative. Let your concoctions sit for a good time to allow the flavors to marry, then taste test and see which you like best.

XO, Debbie