30 August, 2008

Chilies Are in Season

Earlier this week a co-worker gave me a clutch of chilies from his garden and they sat in the refrigerator until today when I turned them into hot sauce.



Like a total maroon, I cut and cleaned the peppers by hand. It wasn't too bad cutting them open as I don't have any cuts or open wounds on my paws. But when it got to cleaning them out at the sink, it was terrible. Chili fumes cut through the water and into my nose, mouth, and lungs. Between coughs, all I could smell or taste was chili pepper.



In addition to garlic, I also threw in some coriander and cheap booze. A bit of rye, in this case.

The kitchen got hot and steamy with my water bath heating and the chilies boiling in vinegar made a cloud of noxious gas which ate away all my mucus membranes depite my best effort in venting the kitchen.



When it was all done, I ended up with a pint of sauce. Once it cools off, it'll be sent to the cellar for aging. Three months minimum but 10 is, in my limited hot sauce making experience, even better. The garlic and coriander take their time in consummating the marriage of the flavors. Perhaps this winter I'll bust it open for a bit of summer flavor to cut the cold.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

That's *inexpensive* booze, you.

Rittenhouse is a pretty respectable rye, IMHO. I'm no expert, and I've had better, but for what I paid for it, I was/am pleasantly surprised by it's deliciousness. It's dandy on the rocks with a bit of soda. Head and shoulders above a similarly priced bourbon or scotch, I think.

The D