Delayed Regret

This mid-spice-tier sauce was inspired by the foods that I often regret eating later, but then will immediately consume again at the next available opportunity. Ghost peppers: despite being milder than scorpions and reapers (which are both also included here), these are the angry fruits that tend to have me reaching for the tums before bed time. Baby carrots: I am always amazed at how quickly a 2 lb bag of baby carrots can disappear, and then equally amazed at how stupid I am as I curl up on the couch in pain. IPA: I don't like IPAs very much, but I tend to favor the high ABV fruity ones. The kind of grog that leaves one feeling groggy the next morning. MSG and Ginger: a featured component of spicy Chinese food and the ever-present companion to sushi rolls; I am not known for exercising restraint around either. Apples: Actually I have no regrets about eating apples, but maybe eating so many kept my own doctor(ate) away for a little too long. And Pineapple Juice: because pineapple's natural home is on pizza right next to ham, and I will never not eat a slice of Hawaiian, especially if it's free. All of these elements were combined into a single fermented hot sauce that will be the best thing I've ever had... until it's the worst.

Fermentation

In a large, wide mouth mason jar, combine:

• 5 reaper peppers (cut into octants) - 45 g
• 5 scorpion peppers (cut into octants) - 55 g
• 8 ghost peppers (cut into octants) - 81 g
• A single ripe habanero (cut into octants) - 15 g
• 5 Hungarian wax peppers (cut into octants) - 231 g
• 30 infantile carrots (sliced) - 338 g
• Liquid Death (fill to brim) - 845 mL
• A splash of IPA (The Cat's Meow, Exhibit A Brewing) - just a lil' splishy splash
• Sea salt (iodine free) - 39 g (2.25 wt% of water + peppers + carrots)

The jar was sealed with a lid containing a one-way air valve, and the contents were allowed to ferment for 14 days, resulting in a final pH of 3.8. A layer of white Kham yeast formed onto of the fermentation fluid. This yeast is harmless, but tastes funky, so the yeast layer was scooped off with a spoon before proceeding.

Blending

The peppers were filtered from the brine with a sieve, and the fermented peppers and 2 cups of brine were then combined in a blender and thoroughly annihilated. The pepper mush was then simmered for 20 minutes for safety.

Sauce Time

To the cooked pepper/brine was added:

• Apple Cider Vinegar - 1 cup
• Pineapple Juice - 12 oz
• Garlic Salt - 1 tsp
• Kosher Salt - 3 tsp
• MSG - 2 tsp
• White Pepper - 1 tsp
• Onion Powder - 1 tsp
• Ground Ginger - 5 tsp

This mixture was blended further, and then the sauce was transferred to freshly boiled glass bottles.

Verdict

I have no regrets about making this hot sauce. The pineapple juice does an excellent job of cutting the heat, and the ginger complements the fruitiness very well. Delayed Regret is a good all-around addition to meat and pasta dishes and is also good for adding a kick to veggies and other sides. The flavor is briefly refreshing followed up by a wallop of pepper heat and ginger warmth. The extra sugars from the carrots and Hungarian peppers helped feed the fermentation resulting in more lactic acid tanginess. I don't think the IPA added anything and can be easily excluded (it was only added due to a mix up with Liquid Death spring water...). However, in the future I think a sauce that more heavily features a strong, hazy IPA could be quite good.