Hot sauce, do I need to stock up?

I will try buy some! Thanks

2 Likes

Anyone had trouble finding Frank’s products lately?

No issue finding them at Jasons

1 Like

Which?

Went to Jasons and saw that they no longer have Franks red hot or extra hot anymore.
But on a side note, the gallon jug of red hot is available on shopee again.

1 Like

This might be better as another thread (if there’s any interest), but does anyone here make their own hot sauce? Thought it might be fun to share notes.

I’ve been attempting to do that recently using ghost peppers from the big Wanhua fruit and vegetable market (very reasonably priced, surprisingly – just NT$100–150 for 600 grams). I’m hoping to get some habaneros soon as well, but they haven’t had any when I’ve been there recently.

First attempt was a passion fruit based one. I like how the color came out (from the passion fruit and fresh turmeric), but I think it’s simultaneously a bit too sweet and a bit too hot for me, so I guess I’ll need to dial back on the ghost peppers after I’ve managed to get through the first…1.2 liters of it. :grimacing:

Now working on a couple of brine-fermented ones with the ghost peppers plus Thai chilis, red bell peppers, garlic, onions, ginger, turmeric, and pineapple (in the one on the left). In retrospect, I suspect these might turn out a bit too hot as well, but I still had about a kilogram of ghost peppers to get through…

(I’m thinking to split the non-pineapple jar on the right after fermentation and initial blending and seeing what happens if I throw a load of home-grown basil in, then maybe adding fresh coriander or something to the other half).

7 Likes

Oh you are speaking my language. My two faves are fermented habeneros whizzed up with cooked carrot, onion and garlic. It’s super spicy, and only the smallest hint of sweetness. It tastes good on everything.

My second success is making my family’s regular cooked salsa and letting it ferment on the counter afterwards. This way I can make huge batches and freeze it, thaw it later, and not damage the lactobacillus.
I did one last year where I smoked the jalapeños first, but I must have messed up the brine, or my house was too hot. The yeast took over. I want to try this one again. And I want to try it with unripe tomatoes.
Basil might be good. Thai or sweet?

6 Likes

Oh good, another DIY hot sauce fan. Did you find the habaneros in Taiwan, or was this back in the US? It’s a habanero sauce I originally set out to make actually (after the Black Mamba one from Eswatini, which is probably the best hot sauce I’ve tried so far), but I haven’t been able to get hold of them yet.

I hadn’t decided yet. I have both, and two types of Taiwanese basil, and they’re all in need of a serious pruning. Probably sweet. What do you think would work better?

2 Likes

Related - has anyone seen Nando’s hot sauce for sale in Taiwan?

I heard it’s available but unsure where.

I’d just buy it from Shopee. Seems you have multiple options.

https://shopee.tw/search?keyword=nando's

1 Like

Thanks! Feels a bit weird buying sauces online but why not :grinning:

I think it should be fine - maybe just go for a seller who’s sold a lot of items and/or received the best reviews. This one looks alright. I’ve bought hot sauce and other food products on Shopee a couple of times. I doubt there’s a big market for fake Nando’s hot sauce in Taiwan…

1 Like

See a list of places in this thread:

1 Like

That’s some beautiful basil. My seedlings are going strong. Wish me luck. Last year I killed them all.
I think both types has its merits for hot sauce. Let me know what you end up doing.
I got my habeneros from either @Nomad4ever or Mr. Chili Pepper . I’ve bought from both of them before.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.facebook.com/taipeichiliman/&ved=2ahUKEwjH7qzT6_73AhWBHXAKHc1lAo8QFnoECAsQAQ&usg=AOvVaw19zjT_2Q0r-DE93PWDg3sB

2 Likes

Good luck! Basil is one of the few things I’ve been consistently able to grow well inside. I usually plant it really densely (a few hundred seeds per large pot) with the expectation I’ll need to harvest/prune it regularly and cull the stragglers. Those above are just six weeks old (since sowing). I’ve had aphid problems the last couple of times I’ve tried to grow coriander, so I’ve kind of given up on that for now. I’m mostly trying to grow basil, wheatgrass, and some microgreens this year anyway (I haven’t started on the latter yet).

How long do you find it takes to ferment chilis here? I’m kind of surprised by how much carbon dioxide the two jars above are giving off after just two days. It seems quite fast. My apartment is around 24 °C at the moment.

Chilis are good to eat in about a ten days. Firmer veggies like daikon and carrots take longer.

I hate carrots, but fermented escabeche style, I love them. I recently discovered that if I drop some hard boiled eggs into the escabeche brine and wait about a month, I have some very flavourful protein snacks.

3 Likes

For what its worth.

Sweet basil for habs and ghost (almost everything in taiwan is a mixed hybrid so plan accordingly if based on western recipes).

Thai basil for cayenne and birds eye.

Jalapeno goes both ways.

I just like sweet basil for sauces because it is less woddy/fibrous and i appreciate the bitter notes. I would go thai basil for anything sour/acidic probably. But we all have our taste preferences.

2 Likes

Gotta admit. I hate taiwanese giant carrots. The only way i can enjoy them is when pickled :slight_smile:

1 Like

I just saw Franks red hot at the Jason’s in Beyond at Yonghe.

1 Like

Yes, Canadian guy & his Taiwanese wife Anita started it.