Hot Sauce – Solar Flare

Adapted from a favorite (Eclipse Embers), I have upped the ante on this batch to a level X45.

On September 1–2, 1859, the sun unleashed a massive Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) known as the Carrington Event. This solar storm slammed into Earth’s magnetosphere with an estimated intensity of X45—the most powerful solar flare ever recorded.

The impact was so profound that it triggered spectacular auroras visible as far south as Cuba, Mexico, and Colombia. Beyond the light show, it caused the world’s first major technological “blackout” by wreaking havoc on telegraph systems. The surge was so intense that telegraph operators received electric shocks, and in some instances, the equipment sparked enough to set telegraph paper ablaze.

That said, so will this batch if you let the deliciousness lead before the heat catches up. It’s addicting.

INGREDIENTS:

• El Salado extra virgin olive oil (coat sauce pan) 
• 2 small garlic bulbs
• 1 bowl of cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 Large White Onion (coarsely diced)
• 1 large carrot (cut into chunks)
• 1 3/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 1/2 Cup Water
• 1/2 lime (juice only)
• 4 bitesize pieces of fresh pineapple
• 1 TSP Sea Salt (add as needed)
• 1 TSP Tony Chacheres creole seasoning (don’t overdo it here)
• 1 TSP Brown Sugar (generous)
• 1 TBSP Ghost Pepper Honey (HoneyBee Basics)
• 2 TBSP Medium Masala Powder (Madari & Sons)
• 2 TBSP Pepper Steak Powder (Madari & Sons)
• 12 habaneros, 2 Big Jim Hatch peppers –  Cut the stems off but leave the seeds in the peppers.
• A pair of disposable latex gloves. Do not handle the peppers with your bare hands— especially if you wear contacts.  Capsaicin oil can last 24 hours on your fingers

HOW THE MAGIC HAPPENS

Place garlic bulbs and onion (both cut in half) in toaster (cut side down on sheet) until firmly soft.  Remove from toaster and squeeze out the cloves.  In a large pan, add 1 1/2 Cups of Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 Cup of water, garlic cloves, tomatoes, onion, carrots and peppers. 

Let it come to a boil then turn down to a simmer. Stir in the Marsala Powder, Pepper Steak Powder, salt, Tony’s and Leave at simmer until the peppers and carrots are firmly soft.  The longer you simmer the more heat you will remove from the peppers.  

Turn of heat to pan and let it cool down until warm.  Pour in the contents from the pan into a blender (Vitamix works best).  Add in: the remaining apple cider vinegar, water, pineapple, honey, lime juice, sugar and brown sugar.   If the mixture is a little to thin, add in some water to thin or tomato paste to thicken.

This liquid will thicken up after it sets and cools down, so go light on the thickening agents or pouring from a bottle will be like Ketchup. The blend should seem a little thin when complete and you are ready to transfer into Hot Sauce bottles, using a funnel.  It is a good idea to sterilize the bottles in a large pot of water, adding salt for buoyancy.  Only flash sterilize the caps or they will warp. Use a hair dryer for the shrink wrap and add labels of you creation. Refrigerate when done.

SERVE WITH:

• On Chips, artisan breads, vegetables, as a dip
• On Eggs, sandwiches
• Add to salsa to spice things up
• Soups, Chile, stews, when the weather cools and you want to shave off the chill.