Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Triple D: Dad's Datil Doom

Last November, I wrote this ...

"In my refrigerator is a datil experiment that is meant to mimic a Tabasco type sauce using datils.

I took bright orange, ripe datils and chopped them in a food processor.

Then, I combined the caustic orange goo with a little vinegar and salt.


I don't have oak barrels, so it's aging in a glass jar, but it smells wonderful when I pop the top to check it.
Months from now, I will process it again and then strain it for an orange liquid that I hope will be amazing.
I will let you know."

Well, it's time to let you know.

The fresh peppers on the right were just picked. THEY were off my best, most vigorous datil plants and they are the source of the seeds for the upcoming 2012 gardening season.
I didn't waste the fruits of course, they will be used to make some of our traditional tomato based datil pepper relish.

This post is really about the jar to the left.
It contains ripe datils from last year that were chopped in a food processor before being placed in that crock with vinegar and salt.
It's been curing in the fridge since November, and with a new crop of peppers pouring in, I chose yesterday to finish it off.
The photo above shows half of the aged pepper mix already reprocessed into a smooth sauce. On the right you can see the remaining half awaiting  a turn in the food whacker.
I had thought I would strain it through cheese cloth, but cancelled that idea in favor of just giving it a heck of a puree ride in the processor.

I'm not afraid of the extra heat those seed will provide.

This sauce is going to stay in the fridge, hence the lack of canning equipment and boiling water.

I have a long list of things to add it to ... seriously considering wings as my first experiment.


Don't let the "DOOM" part scare ya'.
I dipped out a spoonful to taste test it and it was pretty damn wonderful.

Certainly good enough that the Pure Florida Crock Of Datil Fermentation will soon be curing a new batch in the fridge.

I have peppers coming out of my ears.

Not really.


That would be weird.


9 comments:

tai haku said...

That is SO awesome.

Dani said...

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy!

Dani said...

How is the pond doing with all this rain?

R.Powers said...

Tai,
I think it has awesome potential.

Dani,
Yes, ditto!
The pond is damp and puddley, but not pondy.

Anonymous said...

Dang, you are good!
Momadness in KC

swamp4me said...

So FC, what does it mean when your datils start turning purple instead of orange? I'm beginning to think they don't like our soil ;)

R.Powers said...

Momadness,
Well, the datil stuff is anyway ... LOL!

Swampy,
That is perfectly normal!
Datils go from green to purplish to orange on a regular basis!
They are good to go at green, you do not have to wait for a color change to use them.
Sounds like they are doing just what they are supposed to do.
Congrats!

Anonymous said...

That looks hot and delicious. Do you find that you want to spoon the hot sauce on to just about everything?

Julie Zickefoose said...

I have the same 18-year-old Handy Chopper. I know how old it is 'cuz we got it for a wedding gift. The plastic cup has been broken and Superglued together years and years ago and still it processes on. This sauce is GORGEOUS! Who cares how it tastes? Will it hold that yellow hue, or do you have to put ascorbic acid or something else in it?