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A common question we often get from our customers is "Why do so many hot sauces have vinegar as a main ingredient?" or “I don’t like vinegar, do you have any sauces that don’t use it?”. If you look at the ingredients list of most hot sauces, you’ll see that vinegar is often one of the first ingredients. So why is that and what can you do if you’re not so hot about vinegar? Well, let’s start with why so many hot sauces have so much vinegar. There’s two main reasons: preservation and taste.
Many people don’t realize that hot sauce falls into a category of food products that’s highly regulated by the FDA: acidified foods. Because of this, pH levels, and the entire manufacturing and bottling process, are strictly monitored to make sure that hot sauces are shelf stable and don’t have a risk of botulism. For hot sauces, that means that the pH, or the level of acidity, needs to be at least below 4.6, though many bottlers aim for lower than that. Because of that, it often means that the levels of vinegar, the acid that’s producing this pH level, is higher than some other food products.
It is possible to have sauces that don’t use vinegar, but still have the correct target pH. These sauces aren’t as common, but we are seeing more become available. In lieu of vinegar, these sauces are using acids such as citric acid from limes and lemons, and acetic acid.
Aside from helping to keep the sauces shelf stable, many sauces leverage vinegar for it’s tang and flavor. Vinegar-forward sauces are some of the most recognizable sauces, and tend to go well with rich or fatty foods that need a sharp complement, like wings or pork. I don’t know about you, but Buffalo wings just wouldn’t be the same without the tangy vinegar in the sauce. Louisiana style sauces like Tabasco, Crystal, Frank’s Red Hot, and Texas Pete are some of the most common sauces on the market, and are ubiquitous at bars, burger joints, and diners for just this reason.
And while many people still love those sauces, and most hot sauce fans were introduced to the sauce world with these supermarket staples, many modern sauce makers are embracing different types of vinegar, adding unique flavor profiles and different layers of complexity to their sauces. Cider vinegar, champagne vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and red wine vinegar (and various combinations of these) are becoming much more common in artisanal sauces. Some brands, like Queen Majesty, are experimenting with how the vinegar itself is flavored. For instance, in its super popular Queen Majesty Red Habanero & Black Coffee hot sauce, Queen Majesty brews the vinegar with coffee to give it a distinct, rich flavor. While other brands, like Seed Ranch, are experimenting with the natural sweetness and umami flavors of balsamic vinegar, and yet other brands are embracing cider vinegar.
So, what if you’re turned off to vinegary sauces because you’ve been over inundated with cheap vinegar and too much salt in the store brand sauces? Well, many sauce makers are now downplaying the taste of vinegar by countering it with fruits, sugar, honey, etc., while maintaining the necessary pH, but focusing on more “mild” vinegar notes. You’ll see that some of these sauces not only use different types of vinegar, but combine it with citrus fruits to get to the target pH, while adding a lot of flavor.
One way to tell how “forward” the vinegar will be in a hot sauce, is to look at the ingredient label. The ingredients will be listed in order of volume. So if vinegar is the first ingredient, you’ll know you have a very vinegar-forward sauce. If further down the list, and you don’t like vinegar, then this will be a sauce for you. Also, look for ingredients that can counter or help mute the sharp taste of vinegar, such as fruits, savory vegetables like squash and sweet potato, and honey and other sweeteners.
So whether you embrace hot sauce with vinegar, or can’t stand the stuff, there are a number of options available for each palate. Let us know in the comments which type of sauce you prefer, and why.
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The reality is that not everyone likes hot sauces or even has the guts to try. Even though you have told them countless times how it can dramatically change the taste of a food for the better. Here’s a few things you can do to convince your family or friends to become a hot sauce lover in a span of a few weeks or months.
