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This sauce is dedicated to Sampson, who always helped me start my seeds and plant the seedlings, including the ones used for this sauce. I miss my little helper.

Bottle of hot sauce labelled "Sampson's" in front of larger full containers. A green chili and an origami dog sit in front.

An old Chihuahua looks up from behind a raised bed full of freshly planted chili seedlings. A bigger blond dog looks on from behind the garden fence.

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The combined consistency is perfect. I do add a bit of xanthan gum to keep things homogenized, but not enough to really affect the texture. Also since xanthan gum is hard to blend smooth in water but mixes easily with oil, I use this opportunity to use very flavorful black truffle oil.

A drop of sauce held up on a small white plate to check it's viscosity.

Each part has a different consistency. Fermented and smoked chili sauce is thick and luscious, fresh sauce is thin. Altogether I made 4 quarts of hot sauce. This is about double my previous record of 2L. I do have a dedicated chili garden bed now, so... I have reserved the solids for another use.

The combined sauce almost fills my largest bowl up to the 4 quart line.

With these I removed as many of the seeds as I could and the difference was striking. Almost no solids remained after milling. The seeds leave space for the good stuff to hide within.

Food mill has very little solids left after passing the deseeded smoked chilies through.

The smoked and dried chilies were rehydrated in an amount of barely simmering water based on the weight they lost. Left this longer than I meant to and had to add more water before blending. Salt and vinegar were also added.

The smokey chilies blended into a lovely orange color.

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Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 05/10/2025

Introducing yet another variable, I decided to go straight to the blender this year. Previously I've used (and almost broken) a food mill attachment for my stand mixer. I do think starting in the blender is the way to go, but straining was difficult and I ended up using my hand mill.

After bending it looks deceptively smooth.

Pushing through a strainer. There is still a ton of wet solids.

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Got enough ripe chilies plus some stored in the freezer to finish the main #HotSauce this year, along with smoked and dried chilies from September and vacuum bag #fermented mash from August. Just need to put it all together.

A large basket of variously shaped ripe chilies next to a bowl of dried chilies and a long sealed bag, slightly puffy, filled with chili mash and labelled "hot sauce".

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Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 24/09/2025

Yesterday I spent the day near the kitchen with my laptop while I slowly dehydrated the sauce at 225°F (convection). Managed to reduce the weight by about half in a little over 4 hours. It's in the freezer while I figure out next steps.

Pan about 25% full of smooth tomato sauce.

Same pan after dehydrating, the paste has been scraped into a big lump in the center.

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Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 22/09/2025

Cooked for 7 hours until significantly reduced, probably by about 1/3. Just milled it to remove skin and seeds and ended up with a bit less than 2 quarts of puree. I'm tuckered out so I put it in the fridge for the night, I'll need to reduce this further, probably in a sheet pan in the oven all day.

Same pot, now half full of what looks like tomato sauce with a lot of skins in it.

Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 21/09/2025

Managed to fit them all in the pot, it was pretty close. 😅

A 4 quart pot full to the brim with tomatoes, orange cherries on top.

Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 21/09/2025

I once again have more tomatoes than I can eat, so this is all getting cooked down and milled today. Since I recently did ketchup with fermented tomatoes I might dry this into paste and ferment that as a comparison.

An array of tomatoes spread onto a countertop, many still on the vine. There are a few beefsteaks in the top left and a bowl of orange cherries center left, the rest are paste tomatoes.

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Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 21/09/2025

Last of my 2022 (Ash & Ember) and 2023 (Firefruit Elixir) hot sauce reserves from before the move. This summer I've been working on the next batch since the hiatus, feels good. #fermentation

Photo of a bottle of deep red hot sauce. The hand-written label reads "Firefruit Embers, 2022–2023".

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Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 06/09/2025

About 10 hours later, most of the chilies are dry enough to store with some dessicant. Some of the thicker ones still need a few more hours in the dehydrator.

A quart mason jar full to the brim with smoked and dried chilies.

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Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 06/09/2025

Now it's time to dry the chilies. This needs to be done so that I can store them at room temp until I'm ready to make hot sauce. I'll let these go overnight at about 135°F.

5 round dehydrator trays with chilies spread across each with little if any overlap.

Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 06/09/2025

6 hours later, these smoked chilies are mostly done, though some of the larger ones were a bit too piled up so I will probably mix those up and let them continue. The point is smoke flavor, not drying, which is the next step.

Chilies on the grill looking darker and slightly dried out.

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I'm not actually all that good at this. I'll often need to restart the coals because I choked the airflow too much. I threw some mandarin orange peels in after having some for lunch because why not.

Grill open and grate folded over to expose the coals, a small flame peeks out.

I do my best to keep the temperature below 200°F, usually hovers around 175°. This is not precision cold smoking. I hang out nearby with a spray bottle to cool off the coals/chips when needed and adjust the openings to restrict airflow.

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I use a standard Webber grill for smoking with lump charcoal and cherry wood chips. I do have this insert that keeps the heat mostly contained and just one edge of the line of charcoal is lit. Soaked wood chips go on top and I monitor the temperature.

Open circular Webber grill with pans of chilies stacked on one side. Below the grate on the other side is a steel half-moon insert with charcoal and wood chips inside and a trough on the flat side for water to promote steam.

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Chili halves are spread as much as possible in these various baskets to promote airflow, and I'll actually stack two of these since I don't have much space which you'll see in the next post.

Halved chilies spread in 3 perforated grill pans of different shapes, one tray-like, one square with deep slanted sides, and one wok-shaped.

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Pausing here to provide alt text for the first 3 images of this thread.

A basket full of bright red chilies of all different varieties. Some long and fat like poblanos, some long, skinny, and shriveled like cayenne, and other shapes and sizes.

A picnic table set up with a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks, the basket of chilies, a box of vinyl gloves, a plastic cutting board and paring knife, and a grill pan shaped like a wok but with holes like a collander.

A long fat chili split in half, inside up, with the stem removed.

I split each chili in half for maximum surface area, and the skin doesn't allow smoke penetration quite as much as a wet fleshy surface does.

The prep table: chilies, gloves, cutting board and knife, and some of these perforated grill pans. And a pumpkin spice latte, for the right vibes.

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Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 24/08/2025

Time to smoke some chilies for the yearly hot sauce. Beautiful day for it, high of 64°F.

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About 2 years ago, I wanted my next video to be about my best hot sauce yet. Then life happened, and I haven't made a video or posted on the website since. Today I started fermenting this year's hot sauce. No recording, minimal photos, just me and my trusty physical notebooks.

My logbook, a lined notebook with messy writing and parts crossed out. Another notebook, open for reference, is mostly cropped out.

Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 11/08/2025

I don't like adding balsamic vinegar to my caprese salad because it overwhelms the flavor of my homegrown heirloom tomatoes. However, adding a dash of my homemade tomato vinegar really helps balance the tomato umami and creamy mozzarella. crockoftime.com/logbook/toma... #fermentation

A rustic caprese salad with hand-torn buffalo mozzarella, basil stalks laid next to the bowl. In front is a small vial of tomato vinegar with a hand-printed label.

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Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 05/08/2025

First canning session in a long while, dipping my toes back in slowly. I cringe a little at the passata video from a few years ago, would love to do an update but it's hard to find the time these days.

One quart and one pint mason jar of tomato sauce in front of 2 bowls full of tomatoes.

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Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 16/03/2025

since I was already going rogue I roasted the vegetables with the rendered fat & broth

A pan of roasted potatoes, carrots, and bok choy.

Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 08/03/2025

The beef, it is corning. Little later than I usually start, and couldn't find plain brisket, so we're trying a picanha roast this year. As per usual, I'm using my own recipe with Tender Quick and a little shio koji, plus a little a little liquid smoke this year. #fermentation #CornedBeef

Beef with a thick fat cap sealed in a vacuum bag with whole spices.

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Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 20/01/2025

Guess I should start posting my old videos here, and maybe get back to making new ones. This is from Feb 2023 of a #sourdough tianmanjiang I started in 2021. I can even post a link to the logbook! crockoftime.com/logbook/sour... #fermentation #KojiBuildsCommunity

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Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 25/12/2024

Sous vide prime rib with shio koji was a success at the picky family Xmas Eve dinner! 8 hours at 140°F, couldn't go lower for the picky eaters but I think I preferred it this way too. Finished under broiler. Forgot to 📸 the finished result, we ate it too fast. Nicely pink, juicy, and tender.

Cory holding up a vacuum-sraled bag containing a prime rib roast the size of his head.

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Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 29/11/2024

Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful that no one thought my turkey was "weird", even though it was dry-brined with some shio koji and slathered with miso herb butter. They loved it! #KojiBuildsCommunity

Photo of a serving plate piled with turkey breasts, thighs, and wings, with crispy roasted skin.

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Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 24/11/2024

Along with the #fermentation starter pack, I have a meticulous habit of adding people I follow to lists. Check out the lists tab on my profile to find even more folks to follow!

Screenshot of my bluesky lists:

Science Syndicate
The Food Folk
Grower's Guild
Band of Brewers
Sourdough Society
Fermentation Federation

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Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 18/11/2024

Breakfast today: Earl Grey Tea, hot, and natto.

Photo of a prepackaged natto, stainless steel chopsticks, and a large mug of tea with a scene from Chrono Trigger on it.

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Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 04/03/2024

The ultimate umami sandwich spread: approximately 3 parts mayo, 1 part oyster sauce, and 1 part fermented hot sauce.

Small jar of a light orange/beige mayo in the sunlight from a window.

Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 18/02/2024

Time to start #crockposting. Here are some crocks, cheeses, and charcuterie from Pentiment (2022). #videogame #crock #cheese #charcuterie

Screenshot of the game Pentiment, a monastery cellar with hanging meats, crocks and jugs, wheels of cheese, and various baskets in a hand-drawn and painted style.

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Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 17/02/2024

It's so simple I wonder why people buy the neon pink stuff from the store when this is way tastier. But I guess ignorance is bliss.

Beef brisket, corned and sealed in a vacuum bag. It is not neon pink.

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Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 17/02/2024

Time to start the #CornedBeef. I like to add amazake or shiokoji to mine for a boost of tenderizing and unami-producing enzymes. #curing #fermentation

Beef brisket in a vacuum bag surrounded by spices. Tender Quick is used for the curing salt and a jar of shiokoji sits to the side.

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Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 11/02/2024

But I still wasn't done! I had about 170mL of concentrated, sweet whey left, so I made caramel. Mixed with 1 cup white sugar, brought to a boil over medium heat in a tall saucepan, and allowed to darken for about 10 minutes. Added 4 Tbsp cold butter and we have caramel!

Caramel boiling in a tall saucepan on the stove. It looks like, but this is the color we're shooting for.

Removed from heat and butter being whisked in.

Honey-brown caramel in an open jar on the counter.

Crock of Time @crockoftime.com · 11/02/2024

I didn't have any plans for the whey and didn't want to keep it around so I simmered and reduced it a crazy amount. The concentrated lactose is sweet and delicious. I removed the ricotta and ate it prepared like a dessert cottage cheese.

Whey reducing in a saucepan collecting ricotta curds.

Straining ricotta from the reduced whey.

Fresh ricotta prepared like cottage cheese with half & half, it tastes like dessert cottage cheese.