Behind Aunt Glo's Sauce
It is very important to know where the products I use comes from. Therefore where possible I try to grow my own chilies. Scotch Bonet , scorpion chilies jalapeños and a Range of other chilies and colours mainly from the Caribbean. Growing chilies is very time consuming and have to be started in the greenhouse in electric heated propagators around February and kept at a certain temperature around 21°C in order to germinate. No chemicals are used and aphids are deterred using organic methods like warm soapy water.
Whilst making my chilli hot sauce is labour intensive its made With love in a clean environment. My sauce goes through various stages of preparation before bottling.
All the ingredients are blended separately once they have been washed and carefully prepared They are then cooked on a low heat for several hours after which time adjustments to taste are made if necessary and blended again. It is important to ensure that ratios of a pH of 3:8 or lower is maintained to make my hot sauce shelf stable. All bottles and lids are sterilised before use, then boiled again to create a vacuum.
Understanding the different heat levels of chilies is crucial when embarking on making your own hot sauce. The Scoville Scale measures capsaicin levels in various peppers, allowing you to gauge the heat of the hot sauces I make. Chili peppers are categorized by heat level: medium (2,500-30,000 SHU), hot (100,000-350,000 SHU), and extremely hot (300,000+ SHU). I never venture entirely into these, and my approach is more of a mix and match.
Mild peppers, such as bell peppers, contain minimal capsaicin, the compound responsible for chili peppers’ spiciness.
Mild peppers are generally not overly spicy and add flavor without being overpowering. People that want just a tickle in their taste buds when added to their food that’s the level for you. Growing the chilies I use gives me a lot of satisfaction, as there are a wide range of mild, medium, and hot chilies available to grow, but they need a lot of love and individual attention.
Medium-level heat in my pepper sauce will give you that desired spiciness with the moderate heat and flavor that enhances your food but at the same time brings your taste buds alive. My Medium pepper sauce is the “go to” for most of my clients as it packs the punch they desire without too much “kick”. It is my go to level also I must confess.
Hot level of heat in my pepper sauce is for those who truly crave a kick in their chili sauce, my hot level is for you. My hot sauce remains flavorful, but your taste buds will know you’ve added it as it kicks in afterward.
I understand that some people may find my hot-level sauce not hot enough for them, and I apologize for that. My main goal is to provide “flavor,” so you can still savor the taste of your food with your salivary glands popping, singing, and dancing to the level of spicy heat you desire.