Green Scorpion guac b1

Realized my frozen bag of reapers were actually a mix of scorpions, reapers, and a sugar rush! Usually this recipe uses ghost peppers but I wanted to try it with reapers. The ghost peppers definitely work out better, the scorpions have a sharper flavor that distracts from everything else. I think I also used a bit more jalapeno and serrano which didn't help (double checking, no that's the build order)

• Tomatillo- 10 medium 
• Scorpion peppers- 26g (3 pods)
• Serrano peppers- 44g (5 pods)
• Jalapeno peppers 107g (2 pods)
• Yellow Onion- 1 Medium
• Garlic- 17g (4 medium cloves)
• Avocado- 3 Medium
• Cilantro- 1 Bunch
• Water- 3 Cups
• Salt- 1tbs
• Lime- juice of one 

Peel and wash tomatillos and boil in 3 cups water until olive green. Save the water. Sautee jalapeno, serrano, scorpion, and onion in olive oil. Once peppers char and onion caramelizes, add garlic for a few minutes, don't burn. Add to food processor with salt, cilantro, lime juice, water, and avocado pureeing for 30 seconds. Afterward, finish blending in low power blender 10 seconds. Don't blend too hard 

Ideas:
• Too much avocado. 2 medium is fine
• One jalapeño and three serranos
• Blend less
• The pepper flavor was just a bit too strong.  Dial that back to let all the green shine through
• Fresh water? instead of tomatillo water

Hab Mango Salsa

Designed to be low heat and for everyone, stupid addictive with a sweet and salty punch. Excited to share this, kinda proud

• Roma tomatoes- 10 medium 
• Garlic- 18g
• Habanaro- 3 Large
• Red Onion- 1 Large Peeled
• Mango- 190g
• Salt- 1 tbs
• Water- 3 Cups

Threw the tomatoes and garlic in the oven at 425* for twenty minutes, then broiler for 5 minutes until the oven smokes and you worry about your smoke alarm. Habs and onion sauteed in a pan while the tomatoes cook until nicely charred. Once everything is cooked combine everything in the food processor and puree for 1 or 2 minutes. Yields about 50oz. Strong on the garlic but that's my favorite part

Ideas?
- Fermented ingredients
- A little less salt
- Pineapple juice and/or sub some mango for pineapple
- Smoked peppers
- A little less garlic 

Honestly this was a home run out the gate and doesn't need any actual changing

Frank A Bitch b1

Ingredients (fresh):

• Reaper- 110g (25 pods, frozen)
• Garlic- 26g
• White Vinegar- 2.5 cups (20oz)
• Salt- .5 tbs
• Lime- One Juiced
• Xanthan gum- 1/4 tsp
 

Formerly named Satan's blood where we just had peppers and vinegar. The idea is to have a non fermented super hot pepper blitz. I've made this six or seven times before where it's just straight vinegar and peppers, but I wanted to add a bit of nuance to it. The vinegar base really reminds me of wing sauce influencing the name

This ended up being my last bag of frozen reapers, which is okay because pepper season is right on the horizon. Everything together in the vitamix except the xanthan, blended on high for 3 minutes and boiled for 10 minutes after to pasteurize. Scooped out the gunk that formed at the top and then blended on low with the xanthan gum. All my previous blends of this always started to separate and break so I added a bit more xanthan than usual, doubling from 1/8tsp to 1/4 which initially is a good move. I'm in love with the color, which is a vibrant red with some white marbling from the garlic. The boil was tough, for sure irritated my eyes and throat, maybe bring the box fan into the kitchen next time. Big improvement on the direction of this recipe. pH of 3.5

 Initial thoughts:
- I like the viscosity of the xanthan
- I forgot to toast the garlic cloves
- Ferment the reapers and garlic?
- Alternately use fresh peppers, maybe smoke them or at least roast 
- I tried a bit and the heat is stupid and where it should be
- Use the spent candied peppers from the honey to add a bit of sugar?

Second week:
- Lime is coming through a lot more which I like
- The extra xanthan paid off big, no separation issues and the consistency is right where it should be
- No real issues to address moving forward. I'm really happy with the simplicity and where I'm at with this sauce right now 

Serrano tequila lime b1

Serrano Tequila Lime B1

Fresh Ingredients:
• Green Bell Pepper- 136g
• White onion- 180g
• Garlic- 20g
• Cilantro- 18g
• Lime- Juice one up
• Jose Cuervo silver 1 oz
• White Vinegar- one cup

Fermented Ingredients:
• Garlic- 35g 
• White Onion- 85g
• Jalapeno- 42g
• Serrano- 148g
• Brine- 200g

Blend, boil. Ten minutes should cook out the alcohol from the tequila and bring the plant matter from the cilantro and other veggies to the surface. Scoop out the sludge that forms at the top with a spoon. Bottle. Normally I'd strain but I straight bottled it. Half mixed storage, sirracha bottle is runny but the woozy is thick? Consistency issues 

Ferment was 4 weeks (28 days) but the jar had settled a week prior to blending. A little activity when I woke it up after the final week but this thing was aggressive early and settled down completely pretty quick afterwards, about 18 or 19 days. I forgot the brine measurements, but 15g non ionized nacl to 2c h20 in a 16oz mason. I also didn't remember to weigh the peppers pre-ferment. It was like 4:1 serranos to jalapenos which is how I scored the recipe, with the peppers gutted and deseeded. I sauteed the bell pepper, onion, and then garlic at the end with some light olive oil. I wanted to add .25 more white vinegar but I ran out. Result is a thicker sauce. It runs but medium slow, straddles the need for the seat belt. 

Initially I thought it needed more salt, but one day in it's everything I want it to be. It has the bite JTL was missing while still balancing the acids and body. I'll revisit in four weeks? This sauce is crack tbh

Things to improve:
• Take a sip of the tequila .7oz
• Cut the cilantro 25% like 3g
• 2g salt. Super light here
• Add .25c vinegar? I sort of like this body though 
• Let the base shine a bit more 
• Sit on the frying pan. All char no burn

"Smokey" habanero pineapple batch 1

 Ingredients Fresh:
• Red Bell Pepper- 136g
• Carrot- 73g
• Yellow Onion- 180g
• Garlic- 15g
• Pineapple- 210g

Ingredients Fermented (22 weeks):
• Habanero- 170g
• Yellow Onion- 60g
• Garlic- 26g
• Reaper- 10g (2 pods)
• Morita- 23g (2 pods)
• Brine- 350g (15g nacl:2cups h20)

Blended with 1 cup vinegar and .25 cups apple cider vinegar

So the idea was to try to get some smoke from the morita and that didn't come through. Like at all. Also to make something less spicy to drop on coworkers? Anyway it's not too bad. There's a bit larger yield because I used a 24oz jar instead of a 16oz mason. I sauteed the bell pepper, onions, and garlic prior to the blend. I also caramelized the pineapple a bit. It's a good viscosity, a bit watery but doesn't explode out of the bottle. It's not as good as mixed pineapple from March 2023, or trop habanero. I'll have to revisit it in a week but initial thoughts:

- The carrot is a bit stronger than I'd like it and honestly the carrot is a bit unnecessary 
- Omit the ACV. Just remember to buy more white vinegar, total 1.25c
- The pineapple is good but maybe a little less. It's a bit skewed by the carrot
- Add more morita or don't add it at all. Zero smoke and a bit of a waste. Use actual smoked peppers?
- I liked the reaper heat but let's do a straight hab sauce next time
- Maybe utilize that extra jar space for more garlic/onion
- The vinegar is a bit strong, maybe the acv but also I can use pineapple juice to get the consistency and cut down the solid pineapple a bit

One week update:
-Flavors came together quite well and improved significantly. Sweet but savory with a lowish amount of heat
-The vinegar is starting to separate so next time add some xanthan gum
-I'd still maybe add a little less carrot, not because of flavors but to cut the sugar just a bit
-The ACV actually plays pretty nice but could still be omitted
-The reapers do push it a little over the top. If I want a bigger kick use a fresh ghost or add to ferment
-I think the morita was able to add to the flavor. Not smokey but helped bring out the roasted notes of the onion and garlic. I should add more
-Pretty proud and a good use of pineapple
-This sauce kicks ass and prior to recent self criticism, it is me at my best! The pepper and pineapple play is complex and reaches a depth I don't think I've hit with any other sauce before.

Aguitas Moritas b1

My friends at Aguitas gifted me some smoked morita peppers. This is batch one

Fermented Ingredients (45 days):
• Moritas 250g (hydrated)
• Garlic 50g
• Brine 50g

fresh Ingredients:
• Red bell pepper 160g
• Yellow Onion 300g
• Fresh Garlic 30g
• Chile de arbol 10g
• Sweet apple 220g
• Lime Juice- 3/4 lime
• Salt 9g
• White Vinegar 2.25c
• Apple Cider Vinegar 1.25c
• Water 1.25c

Toast the chili de arbol and remove. Afterward saute the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Add everything to the blender and blend on high for 5 minutes

Notes:
• Very thick post blend
• Also the more vinegar added to make the viscosity thinner robbed the smoke from the peppers. Still good but next batch will have less adjuncts with out the final vinegar additions I made this batch.
• 1.75c white vinegar, 1c acv, 1c h2o. Should preserve the smoke a bit better, maybe stay a bit stronger on the apple for sugar while cutting the onion and bell pepper by a 50g.
• Add 50% chilis de arbol? The apples were sugarbee apples and a less sweet apple could use a tablespoon of brown sugar or honey.

Really good but reminds me of bbq sauce a bit

Batch 2 when I figure out tamales and sell at work?