# Chilli sauce-help please!



## Harry Cobean

i like my chilli sauce hot & i was in the supermarket today & saw bottles of "daves ghost pepper sauce" which,according to the label is off the richter scale of insanely hot & had all kinds of warnings about children,eyes,don't eat it without food 'cos it can burn yada yada yada.as it's made in the states have any of you guy's tried it? is it that hot & dangerous? if so i'll buy some! but i ain't putting the equivalent of $8 in mr tesco's already over stuffed coffers for a tiny bottle of sauce if it isn't going to dissolve my fillings!!
harry


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## buckytom

i've had dave's insanity sauce, and it's really hot. i don't know how his ghost pepper sauce compares, but if it's any hotter you will need to go see a proctologist for a corn chute transplant.


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## Harry Cobean

buckytom said:


> i've had dave's insanity sauce, and it's really hot. i don't know how his ghost pepper sauce compares, but if it's any hotter you will need to go see a proctologist for a corn chute transplant.


hey buckytom
they had daves insanity sauce on the same shelf.according to the labels insanity sauce is insanely hot+ ghost pepper is insanely hot++!!
sorted! i'll get some tomorrow & i've already put a couple of rolls of toilet tissue in the freezer in anticipation!!
thanks for the help bucky!
harry


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## Rocklobster

That stuff is almost too hot to eat. I think the heat is so hot that it negates any flavor that the pepper may have. I don't see any reason to go hotter than habanero. Even that can be too hot for some applications. 
I don't enjoy my meal when I have to get up and walk around and howl after every time I take a bite. And I am insane enough to have done that many times......

Then there is always the day after....


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## buckytom

you're welcome, harry.

just for a reference point, i'm a big fan of "normal" hot sauces. i think tobasco is a very nice sauce for small children, and i can drink a shot of sauces like frank's or louisiana hot sauce as a matter of course. sriracha is also a favourite as i often squirt a good teaspoon on a slice of pizza.

but i usually don't go for the ones that are made from peppers grown by inmates in mexican insane asylums. i like hot and vinegary, but not so hot that you can feel it burn all the way into your stomach, making it tighten up.

i don't know what made me try about a good quarter teaspoon of dave's insanity one day. i must have been feeling my oats to try that much. shortly thereafter my oats spontaneously combusted...

good luck with it and i'd love to hear your review.


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## Harry Cobean

Rocklobster said:


> That stuff is almost too hot to eat. I think the heat is so hot that it negates any flavor that the pepper may have. I don't see any reason to go hotter than habanero. Even that can be too hot for some applications.
> I don't enjoy my meal when I have to get up and walk around and howl after every time I take a bite. And I am insane enough to have done that many times......
> 
> Then there is always the day after....


hey rocky
i'm in real estate,i enjoy pain!thanks for the warning but i'm still going to give it a go.won't need to let you know how it goes.......looks like you'll hear the screams your side of the pond,both during & the day after!
harry


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## Harry Cobean

buckytom said:


> you're welcome, harry.
> 
> just for a reference point, i'm a big fan of "normal" hot sauces. i think tobasco is a very nice sauce for small children, and i can drink a shot of sauces like frank's or louisiana hot sauce as a matter of course. sriracha is also a favourite as i often squirt a good teaspoon on a slice of pizza.
> 
> but i usually don't go for the ones that are made from peppers grown by inmates in mexican insane asylums. i like hot and vinegary, but not so hot that you can feel it burn all the way into your stomach, making it tighten up.
> 
> i don't know what made me try about a good quarter teaspoon of dave's insanity one day. i must have been feeling my oats to try that much. shortly thereafter my oats spontaneously combusted...
> 
> good luck with it and i'd love to hear your review.


thanks again bucky,take a look at my reply to rocklobster,won't need to post a review,looks like you'll hear the screams your side of the atlantic!
harry


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## Vanitas

buckytom said:


> just for a reference point, i'm a big fan of "normal" hot sauces. i think tobasco is a very nice sauce for small children, and i can drink a shot of sauces like frank's or louisiana hot sauce as a matter of course. sriracha is also a favourite as i often squirt a good teaspoon on a slice of pizza.


A man after my own heart! I don't even consider tabasco a "hot" sauce and go through a bottle of sriracha every couple weeks.

I'm a HUGE hot sauce fan - my collection currently consists of 14 different varieties, including a bottle of Dave's Insanity sauce. The name sums it up perfectly - it's insane. I imagine drinking lava would be comparable. I rarely have a meal that does not have hot sauce for smothering/dipping purposes, but I can't use Dave's sauce in this manner - it's THAT hot.

Best use I've come up with? Toss it into pasta sauces or chilis while cooking - it slightly lessens the heat to something a human can safely consume, plus it really brings out the flavours.

I look forward to hearing the outcome as well!! Good luck!!


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## PrincessFiona60

Shrek will make a red beer and then dip a toothpick into the Dave's Insanity Sauce and stir the beer with it.  He says that's enough.  I'm not crazy enough to try it.


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## Whiskadoodle

I was having an Innocent Breakfast at a little diner.  Eggs sausage toast.  On the counter was a little bottle that said One Million Scovill heat hot sauce.  I was just itching to try it.  Opened the bottle and it had an eye dropper, so I put 3 drops on my plate.  Dabbed a little egg using my fork.  I Couldn't Breathe.   And on top of that, it was a little oily/ thick, so that little bit lingered on my fork for many more mouthfuls.    Don't remember what brand  or who made it.   I seldom use Habeneros or scotch bonnets,  so anything beyond serrano chilies,  tabasco, cholula or Sriracha sauces are usually hot enough for me.  

I still have quite a few dried Thai chile peppers from last year's garden.  I planted 2 Tabasco pepper plants a few days ago.  I'll see how these are to use fresh this summer before drying them in the fall too.  Jalapenos are plenty fine with me for most uses calling for chile peppers.


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## Greg Who Cooks

There is no hot or chili sauce too hot to eat. The only question is how hot do you want it and how much do you add?

And note that hot or chili sauce is not just a question of hotness or spiciness alone. There are many dimensions of the flavors, and the only way you can decide is to try them yourself and make your own judgements about their relative merit.

Buy a bottle and try it. If you don't like it then don't buy any more and maybe toss it out. Or if you like it, stock up!


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## Harry Cobean

Gourmet Greg said:


> There is no hot or chili sauce too hot to eat. The only question is how hot do you want it and how much do you add?
> 
> And note that hot or chili sauce is not just a question of hotness or spiciness alone. There are many dimensions of the flavors, and the only way you can decide is to try them yourself and make your own judgements about their relative merit.
> 
> Buy a bottle and try it. If you don't like it then don't buy any more and maybe toss it out. Or if you like it, stock up!


with you on that one gg,should try everything(well almost everything)at least once.my local supermarket had some dorset naga in last year(yes the hottest chilli in the world grown in dorset uk!!).wish i'd bought more & frozen them.
"Dorset Naga is one of the hottest chillies in the world. It belongs to the species _Capsicum chinense_ and was originally selected   from naga morich, a landrace variety from Bangladeshi. 
               Annually, since 2005, we have tested the  heat level of Dorset Naga, taking samples from different sites, various  seasons and states of maturity. The heat level has ranged from 661,451  SHU for green fruit in 2007, up to 1,032,310 SHU for ripe fruit  harvested in 2009." 

smokin'!
harry


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## Gravy Queen

Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuurgh nay nay and thrice nay to the Dorset Naga. Horrible, made me ill. 

I like a nice hot fruity chillie like Scotch Bonnet, best sauces I have ever had were in Jamaica, hot but tasty too. And I'm a wuss, I don't really like them to burn on re-entry.


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## Harry Cobean

Gravy Queen said:


> Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuurgh nay nay and thrice nay to the Dorset Naga. Horrible, made me ill.
> 
> I like a nice hot fruity chillie like Scotch Bonnet, best sauces I have ever had were in Jamaica, hot but tasty too. And I'm a wuss, I don't really like them to burn on re-entry.


lightweight!agree with you on the scotch bonnets tho'.made a stonkin' thai yellow chicken curry last night with bonnets.bigger hitters than the thai bird eye's and,you're right gravy,convinced i could taste them along with the other spices.right,i'm off to manchester to meet up with my son ben & his mum julie for some lunch & the movies.
hava nice day
harry


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## CraigC

Both those "sauces", IMO, are really not for use as a table sauce. They are a flavor/heat enhancer, to be used sparingly as an ingredient. I love spicy food, but when all you get is heat, with taste bud blowing intensity, you've ruined the dish and are beyond the relm of good food.

These contests that involve eating insanely hot food, the only thing they prove is how stupid people can be.


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## taxlady

CraigC said:


> Both those "sauces", IMO, are really not for use as a table sauce. They are a flavor/heat enhancer, to be used sparingly as an ingredient. I love spicy food, but when all you get is heat, with taste bud blowing intensity, you've ruined the dish and are beyond the relm of good food.
> 
> These contests that involve eating insanely hot food, the only thing they prove is how stupid people can be.


+1

I had a friend from Guiana. He made a hot sauce that was so hot you should only add two or three drops while cooking. That stuff was tasty.

We went to a party with some 20 something year olds. It was a potluck. One of the boys brought hot chicken wings. They were just hot. They were too hot for my friend. They weren't worth eating. But, we weren't surprised. The boy was at that macho stage in his life.


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## jennyema

CraigC said:


> Both those "sauces", IMO, are really not for use as a table sauce. They are a flavor/heat enhancer, to be used sparingly as an ingredient. I love spicy food, but when all you get is heat, with taste bud blowing intensity, you've ruined the dish and are beyond the relm of good food.
> 
> These contests that involve eating insanely hot food, the only thing they prove is how stupid people can be.



+2

I love hot sauces and have 20 or so in the fridge plus I make my own with Habs from my garden.  But they have to TAStE GOOD.  Dave's Insanity is made from capsaicin and IMO is not very tasty.  It's meant to make food hot, which I don't get.


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## Harry Cobean

*Thanks*

well,i did ask didn't i! on balance i think i'll pass on the ghost pepper sauce.i like my food hot when i want hot but it's gotta taste good otherwise there's no point.heat for the sake of it? i think i'll leave that to adam richman & the rest of the man v food loonies!
thanks again,sounds like you've saved my tooth enamel!
harry


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## Greg Who Cooks

I think there's too much significance attached to which sauces are hotter than others, or which are too hot. If it's hotter it's more concentrated and you use less of it. Chili pepper sauces may be used as condiments, recipe ingredients, or both. The hotter sauces are probably less suitable as condiments unless the food or drink they are being applied to are amenable to sufficient mixing that hot spots can be avoided.

There are vast numbers of different chili species. All or almost all chilis contain the "hot" component capsaicin to varying degrees: bell peppers have little to none, habaneros have huge amounts. But capsaicin level is not the only difference between different chili species. Chili sauces vary by which chilis are used (and may use a mixture of different species) and also vary by the means the chilis are prepared, which other ingredients are used, and how the sauce is produced.

It's probably safe to say that no two chili sauces are exactly the same. One of the most obvious differences is hotness but there are many other dimensions they vary on including complexity of taste. Visit virtually any market and you're going to find a huge selection of chili sauces. If hotness were the only difference then we'd need only a very few types, or for that matter maybe even only one since you can generally use more or less to achieve the desired hotness.

I question whether most of us can even describe the difference between specific sauces except in the most general terms other than hotness--which I think in specific taste comparisons we could probably agree that sauce "A" is hotter, less hot, or equally hot as sauce "B." I know I couldn't give you a detailed answer comparing several different chili sauces in terms other than comparing their hotness (although I don't mean to imply that you folks couldn't do it either--maybe some of you can).

When you get right down to it IMO the only way you can tell whether you like one chili sauce more than another is to buy both brands and try them yourself. Luckily most of these sauces are relatively inexpensive, often starting out at 99 cents or even less (I use Tapatío more than any other brand, under $1 for 5 oz.), up to perhaps $4-$5 or several dollars for the most expensive ones. My advice is to just buy several, buy whichever ones seem interesting, and then you decide which ones you like the best and which are most suitable for your use.

And don't confuse condiment sauces with the hottest ones which are probably more suited for adding heat to dishes or beverages during preparation. Only "macho men" (and their female counterparts) are out to prove how hot they can stand it. Most people--particularly those of us on the forum--are out to enjoy food rather than taking punishment. Use your sauces appropriately. Add a little at a time and taste your recipes before adding more. It's like sugar or salt--you can always add more or even add more at the table, but once you have too much the only thing you can do is prepare more of whatever you're making and mix the unspiced portion with the too hot portion.

And Harry I know you're joking about your tooth enamel but capsaicin is an irritant, not a caustic. It may irritate the hell out of your gums, tongue and other soft tissues but I think your teeth are safe.


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## Harry Cobean

Gourmet Greg said:


> I think there's too much significance attached to which sauces are hotter than others, or which are too hot. If it's hotter it's more concentrated and you use less of it. Chili pepper sauces may be used as condiments, recipe ingredients, or both. The hotter sauces are probably less suitable as condiments unless the food or drink they are being applied to are amenable to sufficient mixing that hot spots can be avoided.
> 
> There are vast numbers of different chili species. All or almost all chilis contain the "hot" component capsaicin to varying degrees: bell peppers have little to none, habaneros have huge amounts. But capsaicin level is not the only difference between different chili species. Chili sauces vary by which chilis are used (and may use a mixture of different species) and also vary by the means the chilis are prepared, which other ingredients are used, and how the sauce is produced.
> It's probably safe to say that no two chili sauces are exactly the same. One of the most obvious differences is hotness but there are many other dimensions they vary on including complexity of taste. Visit virtually any market and you're going to find a huge selection of chili sauces. If hotness were the only difference then we'd need only a very few types, or for that matter maybe even only one since you can generally use more or less to achieve the desired hotness.
> I question whether most of us can even describe the difference between specific sauces except in the most general terms other than hotness--which I think in specific taste comparisons we could probably agree that sauce "A" is hotter, less hot, or equally hot as sauce "B." I know I couldn't give you a detailed answer comparing several different chili sauces in terms other than comparing their hotness (although I don't mean to imply that you folks couldn't do it either--maybe some of you can).
> When you get right down to it IMO the only way you can tell whether you like one chili sauce more than another is to buy both brands and try them yourself. Luckily most of these sauces are relatively inexpensive, often starting out at 99 cents or even less (I use Tapatío more than any other brand, under $1 for 5 oz.), up to perhaps $4-$5 or several dollars for the most expensive ones. My advice is to just buy several, buy whichever ones seem interesting, and then you decide which ones you like the best and which are most suitable for your use.
> And don't confuse condiment sauces with the hottest ones which are probably more suited for adding heat to dishes or beverages during preparation. Only "macho men" (and their female counterparts) are out to prove how hot they can stand it. Most people--particularly those of us on the forum--are out to enjoy food rather than taking punishment. Use your sauces appropriately. Add a little at a time and taste your recipes before adding more. It's like sugar or salt--you can always add more or even add more at the table, but once you have too much the only thing you can do is prepare more of whatever you're making and mix the unspiced portion with the too hot portion.
> And Harry I know you're joking about your tooth enamel but capsaicin is an irritant, not a caustic. It may irritate the hell out of your gums, tongue and other soft tissues but I think your teeth are safe.


wise words gourmet g!so,i've got myself a bottle of tabasco  habanero,louisiana hot sauce(green) & tabasco with chipotle all for  only a few of our english pennies more than a small bottle of dave's!
harry


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## buckytom

bok  bok  bok  ba GAWK!


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## Harry Cobean

buckytom said:


> bok  bok  bok  ba GAWK!


now steady on bucky you only wanted me to slurp that devils brew so that you could hear an englishman scream,whatever happened to "the special relationship" thought you guy's were on our side!!


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## The Fat Man

Hi,

This sauce from Dave is extremely hot largely because it contains pepper extract (capsiacin) which is the oil from the chilli which creates the heat.

Personally, I find sauces containing capsiacin have a metallic/chemical flavour edge to them which does not appeal to me - I much prefer sauces only containing 'natural' chillies as opposed to a chemically extracted component of the fruit. And Dave does some excellent sauces containing just chillies.

If you love really hot sauces definitely go for the ghost chilli (also known as the Naga Bhut Jolokia) ones, but you may wish to start with something a little less challenging and flavourful. I have found a brand in the UK called Hot Headz and they make a wonderful range of chilli sauces using only single variety chillies. The mildest one they make and which I have tried is a Pasilla Chilli sauce which is delicious, full of flavour and extra mild; I eat it by the desert spoon full. They then go up the heat scale all the way to Naga, which is delightfully hot, if you like serious heat. I particularly like the Serrano, Chipotle and Jalapeno flavours - none of them real scorchers but each with a fantastic flavour. Well worth a look - just google Hot Headz if you're interested. Hope this helps.


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## Harry Cobean

The Fat Man said:


> Hi,
> 
> This sauce from Dave is extremely hot largely because it contains pepper extract (capsiacin) which is the oil from the chilli which creates the heat.
> 
> Personally, I find sauces containing capsiacin have a metallic/chemical flavour edge to them which does not appeal to me - I much prefer sauces only containing 'natural' chillies as opposed to a chemically extracted component of the fruit. And Dave does some excellent sauces containing just chillies.
> 
> If you love really hot sauces definitely go for the ghost chilli (also known as the Naga Bhut Jolokia) ones, but you may wish to start with something a little less challenging and flavourful. I have found a brand in the UK called Hot Headz and they make a wonderful range of chilli sauces using only single variety chillies. The mildest one they make and which I have tried is a Pasilla Chilli sauce which is delicious, full of flavour and extra mild; I eat it by the desert spoon full. They then go up the heat scale all the way to Naga, which is delightfully hot, if you like serious heat. I particularly like the Serrano, Chipotle and Jalapeno flavours - none of them real scorchers but each with a fantastic flavour. Well worth a look - just google Hot Headz if you're interested. Hope this helps.


hi fm
thanks for the input.really confirms what the other guy's have said.i love food & i enjoy heat when i want it(chillies of choice for cooking are scotch bonnet,bird eye & habanero) but it is crucial that i can taste the food & the input that the chilli makes.as i said in an earlier reply heat for heats sake,i'll leave to adam richman,man v food et al!
okey schmokey,maybe a new thread on favourite home made chilli sauce recipe's?
anyone out there still reading this thread? what's your fav home made chilli sauce recipe?
cheers fm
harry


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## PrincessFiona60

Harry Cobean said:


> hi fm
> thanks for the input.really confirms what the other guy's have said.i love food & i enjoy heat when i want it(chillies of choice for cooking are scotch bonnet,bird eye & habanero) but it is crucial that i can taste the food & the input that the chilli makes.as i said in an earlier reply heat for heats sake,i'll leave to adam richman,man v food et al!
> okey schmokey,maybe a new thread on favourite home made chilli sauce recipe's?
> anyone out there still reading this thread? what's your fav home made chilli sauce recipe?
> cheers fm
> harry



Chipotle and apricot or mango.


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## Harry Cobean

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Chipotle and apricot or mango.


"anyone out there still reading this thread? what's your fav home made chilli sauce recipe?"
and the recipe is...............?!
harry


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## taxlady

I had a friend from Guyana who made a fabulous, very hot, homemade chili sauce, but he wouldn't give me the recipe and now he has moved to BC (British Columbia), Canada. So, I don't have a recipe.


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## Harry Cobean

taxlady said:


> I had a friend from Guyana who made a fabulous, very hot, homemade chili sauce, but he wouldn't give me the recipe and now he has moved to BC (British Columbia), Canada. So, I don't have a recipe.


try this one tax,it's more of a marinade really but works as a sauce too(note the precise measurements)
harry's home made piri piri:
1)2 or 3 roasted red peppers in oil/vinegar from a jar
2)4 or 6 thai bird eye chillies
3)teaspoon or two paprika
4)teaspoon or two dried cumin
5)50ml(just under quarter cup) red wine vinegar
6)25ml(half the above!) lemon juice
7)2 teaspoons maldon salt
8)2 teaspoons ground malibar pepper(kirkland is good if you use costco)
9)6 big fat cloves garlic
10)big pinch of sugar
chop up everything that can be chopped,put in a processor & whizz 'til smooth.in a covered container in the fridge for a few hours to allow the flavours to blend then use how you will.great as a marinade as the lemon/red wine vinegar tenderises the meat.
harry


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## The Fat Man

*Chipotle chilli ketchup*

I found this recipe on a fantastic UK food blog site 'Eat Like a Girl' . Brilliant, but go easy on the chipotles en adobe as they have a hell of a kick. I've bottled mine and keep it in the fridge.

Chipotle Ketchup

2 x 400g tins good tomatoes
5 chipotles en adobo (I got mine online from Hot Headz)
1 red onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
50ml cider vinegar
5og dark brown sugar

Method

Sauté the red onion in some light oil over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until soft but not brown. Add the garlic for a minute further before adding the rest of the ingredients.

Cook over a low hear for up to an hour, longer if you have it as tomato based dishes always benefit from a low slow cook. Taste and season. Blend and leave to the side.

Enjoy. 

Here is the link to the blog page: Recipe: Black Pudding Croquettes with Chipotle Ketchup |


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## Harry Cobean

looks good fm,i'll check out the web site too!
harry


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## buckytom

Harry Cobean said:


> now steady on bucky you only wanted me to slurp that devils brew so that you could hear an englishman scream,whatever happened to "the special relationship" thought you guy's were on our side!!



my mom is norwegian and dad irish, so my relatives have got you surrounded... (of course you can escape through france, but then again you could just stay home and surrender, thus being just like a frenchie)


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## kitchenmagician

*bhut jolokia hottest pepper in the world !!!*

Bhut jolokia is hottest pepper in the world !!!, 401 times hotter than tabasko !!!


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## PrincessFiona60

Harry Cobean said:


> "anyone out there still reading this thread? what's your fav home made chilli sauce recipe?"
> and the recipe is...............?!
> harry



One jar of apricot preserves, add chipotle powder just until it is almost right for you and then stop and let sit and meld the flavors.  Then try it and adjust.  It's that simple!  You can thin it with water if you like.

I like the canned chipotles in adobo for the mango sauce, it's a fresh salsa.  Chop the ripe mango, add 1-2 (or more) chopped chipotles, thin sliced green onions and a little bit of chopped cilantro.  

Love both of these on grilled chicken thighs.  And the mango on a white fish.

Recipes, we don't need no stinkin' recipes


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## Greg Who Cooks

kitchenmagician said:


> Bhut jolokia is hottest pepper in the world !!!, 401 times hotter than tabasko !!!


I've heard the same said about the "ghost" peppers, or in milder times about the habanero peppers.

What practical difference does it make to professional and amateur/home chefs which is hottest? I've already made my opinion clear in this topic that for heat alone you can just add as much chili sauce as you like to achieve any desired hotness, including 'too hot,' 'very too much hot,' and 'black hole hot so strong that it sucks the rest of the universe into a black hole and destroys all reality.'

It doesn't matter what the hottest chilis are. What matters is the chili sauce you use, how much you add to get the desired hotness, and what other taste dimensions your sauce provides.

The same applies to ingredients, for example chilpotle peppers in adobo sauce. These are smoked jalapeño peppers in a vinegar + garlic + other herbs and tomatoes, onions, etc. sauce. This sauce is not particularly spicy to those used to Southwestern cuisine. The reason this condiment is so popular is because it is so dimensional. It adds taste dimensions that the hotness of capsicum cannot supply.

Mere hotness can supply only one dimension: hotness. You can always add more hotness to any recipe. The challenge is to add taste dimensionality. A simplistic way of looking at it is to add capsicum to achieve hotness, and then add dimensionality via other ingredients. I believe that skilled chefs add the hotness and taste dimensionality at the same time by choosing their ingredients and which chili sauces they employ.

BTW chilis are not peppers. This was a mistake made in the 15th century when New World chilis were imported to the Old World, and the chilis most resembled their extant pepper varieties. Chilis are in the genus _Capsicum_. Peppers are in the genus _Piper_. (Some peppers are genus _Pimenta_.) Both can be spicy and hot depending on species.


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## Andy M.

Gourmet Greg said:


> ...BTW chilis are not peppers. This was a mistake made in the 15th century when New World chilis were imported to the Old World, and the chilis most resembled their extant pepper varieties. Chilis are in the genus _Capsicum_. Peppers are in the genus _Piper_. (Some peppers are genus _Pimenta_.) Both can be spicy and hot depending on species.




Just to clarify.  Piper is the genus for black pepper.  Capsicums are chilies and bell peppers.


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## Greg Who Cooks

Andy M. said:


> Just to clarify.  Piper is the genus for black pepper.  Capsicums are chilies and bell peppers.


I thought that's what I said. Bell peppers are not really peppers. They are merely _Capsicums_ without venom. 

So, um... What genus are white peppers? Y'know, the kind we get white pepper from.


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## Andy M.

Gourmet Greg said:


> I thought that's what I said. Bell peppers are not really peppers. They are merely _Capsicums_ without venom.
> 
> So, um... What genus are white peppers? Y'know, the kind we get white pepper from.




I prefer the working hypothesis that there are two kinds of peppers - capsicums and pipers.  I don't call peppers capsicums for the same reason I don't call black pepper piper.

White pepper is also piper.  Same berry stripped of its outer shell.


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## Greg Who Cooks

Andy: you missed my intended humor. 

I usually use the separate terms 'chilis' and 'peppers' to refer respectively to _Capsicum_ and _Piper_. I sometimes fall into the vernacular 'chili peppers' which refers to chilis alone (called chillis by some), because so many say 'chili peppers' (or 'chilli peppers') even though technically they are not peppers, they are only chilis.

And to make it worse we have bell peppers, and green, yellow and red bell peppers, all of them the same and none of them peppers, and damned little capsaicin in any of them!

It's all the damned fault of Christopher Columbus. First he discovers the New World and he calls its inhabitants Indians, then he brings chilis back to the Old World and calls them peppers, and finally he claims he discovered America even though the Scandinavians had been traveling there for hundreds or thousands of years.

With all the hulabaloo you he could have at least discovered India or China. Probably a good thing he didn't discover China or otherwise we'd be confusing Chinese and Indians to this day, but maybe without him we would have at least known that Native Americans are not from India. Or China.

Note that much of my post is intended as humor.


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## Harry Cobean

buckytom said:


> my mom is norwegian and dad irish, so my relatives have got you surrounded... (of course you can escape through france, but then again you could just stay home and surrender, thus being just like a frenchie)


france? nah,they don't like the english,we've whupped 'em too many times over the centuries..........foods good tho'!


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## Bolas De Fraile

Brother H as you are coming over this weekend is it going to be a chilli fest and if so Madge want to know how many toilet rolls she should put in the fridge


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## Harry Cobean

Bolas De Fraile said:


> Brother H as you are coming over this weekend is it going to be a chilli fest and if so Madge want to know how many toilet rolls she should put in the fridge


yes it is,i'll call at costco on my way over & get an an industrial size pack,have you got room in the freezer?


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## Greg Who Cooks

Harry Cobean said:


> france? nah,they don't like the english,we've whupped 'em too many times over the centuries..........foods good tho'!


I also recall you guys and the US saving them from having to take German speaking lessons a couple of times.


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## Bacardi1

Although not a sauce, Wisconsin Cheese Mart carries a Monterey Jack cheese flavored with fresh Ghost Peppers.  I just placed an order with them, & although tempted, decided not to waste my $ on something that might just blow the top of my head off with no additional flavors.


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## Harry Cobean

Gourmet Greg said:


> I also recall you guys and the US saving them from having to take German speaking lessons a couple of times.


yep,me too gourmet,but i guess that's just what we do....................


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## CraigC

Anyone interested in some mint condition French carbines, circa 1941. They have never been fired and were only dropped once!


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## Harry Cobean

CraigC said:


> Anyone interested in some mint condition French carbines, circa 1941. They have never been fired and were only dropped once!


swap ya for a french tank,same yearne very careful owner,4 reverse gears & 1 forward...just in case they got attacked from behind!


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## Jolokia

I'd like to respectfully protest the concept that ghost peppers add spice with "no flavor". Ghost peppers have some of the most complex flavors of any chili I have ever tried (and I make my own hot sauces). 

I have used fresh and dried ghost peppers, there are hints of chocolate and sweetness and a completely different taste than any mexican peppers. 

As far as being too spicy, its simply a matter of how you implement the pepper into a chili sauce. Dave's, for example, likely uses few other ingredients to bring out the flavors or dilute the spice. I make a "garden ghost sauce" using the dried peppers, roasted red bells, garlic, peppadews,etc. One of the most flavorful, and yeah, still hot, sauce. 

I just don't like when something gets right beyond someones personal spice level and they claim it's "empty spice without flavor"


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## taxlady

Jolokia said:


> I'd like to respectfully protest the concept that ghost peppers add spice with "no flavor". Ghost peppers have some of the most complex flavors of any chili I have ever tried (and I make my own hot sauces).
> 
> I have used fresh and dried ghost peppers, there are hints of chocolate and sweetness and a completely different taste than any mexican peppers.
> 
> As far as being too spicy, its simply a matter of how you implement the pepper into a chili sauce. Dave's, for example, likely uses few other ingredients to bring out the flavors or dilute the spice. I make a "garden ghost sauce" using the dried peppers, roasted red bells, garlic, peppadews,etc. One of the most flavorful, and yeah, still hot, sauce.
> 
> I just don't like when something gets right beyond someones personal spice level and they claim it's "empty spice without flavor"


A friend of mine has a pepper sauce company. He makes a ghost pepper sauce and gave us a sample. We were too wimpy to try it, so we gave it to a friend who likes really, really hot food. He said it was very tasty.


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## PrincessFiona60

Personally, I cannot taste food that is too hot for me, all I feel is pain and want it to stop.  It doesn't matter if someone else can taste the nuances around the heat, I can't taste it.  So yes, I am going to describe it as fire with no taste.


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## Addie

I want to taste my food. Not heat. If I want heat, I will become a fire eater in the circus.


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## Jolokia

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Personally, I cannot taste food that is too hot for me, all I feel is pain and want it to stop.  It doesn't matter if someone else can taste the nuances around the heat, I can't taste it.  So yes, I am going to describe it as fire with no taste.



No problem. In fact, I even apologize if I was offensive. But if you take offense when I say you can't "take the heat" please remember spice eaters take equal offense when you say "heat is not flavor". That is all I ask. And it does not seem like too much.


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## Margi Cintrano

*Harry: Mexican Chili Sauce*

 Harry,

I too am a " piquant " aficionada, as I love chili peppers, fresh and dry ...

I do have an old old recipe from Mexico 1980s where I had lived for two years. Let me see if I can find it and I would post it for you.

I am also a vindaloo woman ... aromatic, and just divine. 

Margi.


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## Gravy Queen

In Jamaica they had really tasty hot sauces to go with the jerk chicken.  I saw one man take a huge mouthful - big mistake. 

He swiped his kids lolly ices and had 2 of them stuck in his gob for a long time. 

Hilarity ensued.


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## Steve Kroll

Harry Cobean said:


> i like my chilli sauce hot & i was in the supermarket today & saw bottles of "daves ghost pepper sauce" which,according to the label is off the richter scale of insanely hot & had all kinds of warnings about children,eyes,don't eat it without food 'cos it can burn yada yada yada.as it's made in the states have any of you guy's tried it? is it that hot & dangerous? if so i'll buy some! but i ain't putting the equivalent of $8 in mr tesco's already over stuffed coffers for a tiny bottle of sauce if it isn't going to dissolve my fillings!!
> harry


Harry, sorry mate but I only now saw this post. I have a bottle of Dave's Ghost Pepper (aka Naga Jolokia) Sauce in the fridge. I like to think I have a very high tolerance for fiery foods, but this is one sauce that scares me a bit. I actually bought it because many of the Thai restaurants around here season their food for American palates. Even the hottest level isn't that hot.

So I take my little bottle of ghost pepper sauce with me when I dine out and put a few drops in the food when it arrives. Seriously, TWO or THREE drops. That's it. It really is that hot. Any more than that, and the food is just not enjoyable.

Now I know there are those of us who like to puff out their chests and say things like "no sauce is too hot" but I guarantee this ghost pepper stuff is capable of inducing tears in even the most heat hardened individuals. I've witnessed it firsthand.

Oh, and I should also add that it isn't just empty heat. It does have a pleasant flavor, similar to habanero, which you taste up front just before the actual heat whollops you upside the head.


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## Harry Cobean

Margi Cintrano said:


> Harry,
> 
> I am also a vindaloo woman ... aromatic, and just divine.
> 
> Margi.


just how i like my women..................!
harry


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## Greg Who Cooks

Beer is the best antidote to consuming food that is too hot. The carbonation helps.


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## Andy M.

Gourmet Greg said:


> Beer is the best antidote to consuming food that is too hot. The carbonation helps.




Most experts agree it's dairy that's the best antidote.


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## Greg Who Cooks

Most experts agree that you shouldn't consume too much hot food.


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## Harry Cobean

Steve Kroll said:


> Harry, sorry mate but I only now saw this post. I have a bottle of Dave's Ghost Pepper (aka Naga Jolokia) Sauce in the fridge. I like to think I have a very high tolerance for fiery foods, but this is one sauce that scares me a bit. I actually bought it because many of the Thai restaurants around here season their food for American palates. Even the hottest level isn't that hot.
> 
> So I take my little bottle of ghost pepper sauce with me when I dine out and put a few drops in the food when it arrives. Seriously, TWO or THREE drops. That's it. It really is that hot. Any more than that, and the food is just not enjoyable.
> 
> Now I know there are those of us who like to puff out their chests and say things like "no sauce is too hot" but I guarantee this ghost pepper stuff is capable of inducing tears in even the most heat hardened individuals. I've witnessed it firsthand.
> 
> Oh, and I should also add that it isn't just empty heat. It does have a pleasant flavor, similar to habanero, which you taste up front just before the actual heat whollops you upside the head.


no probs steve.like the idea of using it to top up the heat in restaurants...i tend to find that in the thai restaurants over here too.no problem in the chinese & indian restaurants though.
interesting that you said it's got flavour too.guess i'll just have to buy some & let y'all know!
thanks steve
harry


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## Dawgluver

Gourmet Greg said:
			
		

> Beer is the best antidote to consuming food that is too hot. The carbonation helps.



I saw Alton Brown on his food science show putting to the test water, beer, and milk with the food techs and hot stuff.  The carbonation in the beer actually spreads the hot stuff around, making it more painful!  Dairy was the way to go.


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## Harry Cobean

Andy M. said:


> Most experts agree it's dairy that's the best antidote.





Gourmet Greg said:


> Beer is the best antidote to consuming food that is too hot. The carbonation helps.


hot food,beer,cheese(ok it's not a glass of milk but it's dairy!)winning combination in my book!


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## taxlady

Gourmet Greg said:


> Beer is the best antidote to consuming food that is too hot. The carbonation helps.


I like to drink a shandy with hot food. The beer mixed with lemonade keeps it from getting too "burny". Lemon juice squeezed into water works pretty well too.

I agree with others, that milk is really good to cut the burn, but I don't usually want the taste of milk with my hot food.


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## Margi Cintrano

Harry,

Thank you once again for the compliment ... The recipe is on Plan 1 tomorrow. It is similar to Vindaloo in the piquantness, however, it is ALL 100% MEXICAN. Do you have access to Mexican products, as this is NOT made from Jar Sauces. 

I have to translate it for you, and to re-check to see if I have it in English too. 

Have nice evening. I shall be in and off through the evening.
Ciao,
Margi.


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## Greg Who Cooks

taxlady said:


> I agree with others, that milk is really good to cut the burn, but I don't usually want the taste of milk with my hot food.


+1

Just a matter of practicality, I am not going to be drinking milk with hot Mexican food or hot Thai food. Beer on the other hand is possible or likely.

Or this novel idea: just don't put on too much chili sauce!


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## taxlady

Gourmet Greg said:


> +1
> 
> Just a matter of practicality, I am not going to be drinking milk with hot Mexican food or hot Thai food. Beer on the other hand is possible or likely.
> 
> Or this novel idea: just don't put on too much chili sauce!


Greg, you gotta try the beer/lemonade 50/50 mix some time. It's really nice.


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## Harry Cobean

Margi Cintrano said:


> Harry,
> 
> Thank you once again for the compliment ... The recipe is on Plan 1 tomorrow. It is similar to Vindaloo in the piquantness, however, it is ALL 100% MEXICAN. Do you have access to Mexican products, as this is NOT made from Jar Sauces.
> 
> I have to translate it for you, and to re-check to see if I have it in English too.
> 
> Have nice evening. I shall be in and off through the evening.
> Ciao,
> Margi.


yep,can get hold of the full range in manchester,only 15 minutes up the road from me.
i'm off to start prepping my evening meal.moules frites.simple & tasty...one of my favs
harry


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## GotGarlic

taxlady said:


> I agree with others, that milk is really good to cut the burn, but I don't usually want the taste of milk with my hot food.



I agree, but sour cream works  With Mexican, at least. Or yogurt for Indian. Not sure there's a dairy item that works well with Asian cuisines.


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## GotGarlic

Steve Kroll said:


> Harry, sorry mate but I only now saw this post. I have a bottle of Dave's Ghost Pepper (aka Naga Jolokia) Sauce in the fridge. I like to think I have a very high tolerance for fiery foods, but this is one sauce that scares me a bit. I actually bought it because many of the Thai restaurants around here season their food for American palates. Even the hottest level isn't that hot.
> 
> So I take my little bottle of ghost pepper sauce with me when I dine out and put a few drops in the food when it arrives. Seriously, TWO or THREE drops. That's it. It really is that hot. Any more than that, and the food is just not enjoyable.



In Thai restaurants where I live, you can request a hot sauce tray and they bring out (ta da!) a tray of different types of hot sauces and sometimes pickled cucumber. It would be interesting to know if it's possible elsewhere.


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## taxlady

I once ate in a Thai restaurant that had a sauce with negative heat  My sister and I ordered some dish for two. She didn't want more than a hint of heat, I wanted it hot. They gave me some hot sauce on the side. The hot sauce was quite hot on its own, but I swear, it went to neutral when added to the sauce that came with the dish.


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## Margi Cintrano

*Harry: See My Chili Pepper Guide*

 Good Evening Harry,

Please note, that chili is not the most piquant dish from Mexico ... it has to do with the varieties of chili peppers employed ... 

Enjoy the guide. Do you have a Latin American / Mexican and Peruvian Market close by ?

Kindest.
Margi.


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## Harry Cobean

Margi Cintrano said:


> Good Evening Harry,
> 
> Please note, that chili is not the most piquant dish from Mexico ... it has to do with the varieties of chili peppers employed ...
> 
> Enjoy the guide. Do you have a Latin American / Mexican and Peruvian Market close by ?
> 
> Kindest.
> Margi.


good morning margi
i am lucky that both manchester & bolton(which is only 2 miles from where i live)have huge ethnic populations from all over the globe.sure i could track most things down.the ethnic food stores/supermarkets are amazing,never heard of half the stuff they sell,but the people are great too & happy to talk for hours & explain how to use the ingredients & what they are etc.
peru? if i need a guinea pig there's my local pet shop.............!


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