At Butchart's Burners, our sauces are a labor of love, fire, and flavor. We don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach; we employ two distinct methods to create our unique and highly complex flavor profiles: the Quick-Cook Method for intense, immediate heat, and the Fermentation Method for deep, probiotic funk.
Method 1: The Quick-Cook Method (Intense & Direct)
- The Foundation: We combine our freshly picked hot peppers, filtered water, and a blend of vinegars in a stock pot. We use Apple Cider Vinegar or Distilled Vinegar as the base, but often elevate the tang with Rice Wine Vinegar or fresh citrus juices like lemon or lime to achieve the perfect flavor balance.
- Flavor Building: Dry spices such as cinnamon, cloves, and onion powder are introduced alongside fresh ingredients like ginger and garlic. Salt or sugar is added to balance savory and sweet notes.
- Consistency & Safety: We carefully control pH with vinegar and citrus to ensure shelf stability, preferring thick, concentrated sauces over watery ones.
- Pasteurization: The stock pot is covered and brought to a rapid boil. As soon as steam escapes, the heat is removed, then the batch is blended while still hot for a silky-smooth texture.
- Purée & Refinement: The sauce is strained, adjusted for final seasoning, and taste-tested.
- Hot Packing & Sealing: Bottled hot and sealed for 10 minutes at 170°F before labeling the next day.
Method 2: The Fermentation Method (Complex & Probiotic)
- The Mash: Fresh peppers are puréed into a mash and submerged in a 3–5% brine with optional spices or fruits to develop unique flavor depths.
- Post-Fermentation: After fermentation, solids and brine are blended with fresh vinegar to drop the pH to safe levels.
- The Probiotic Balance: Fermented sauces often retain beneficial gut bacteria while remaining stable and flavorful for years.
- Food Safety & Distribution: Small batches for family and friends are bottled immediately; large batches follow our hot packing standards for public safety.
Our Inspiration: Flavor Beyond the Heat
- Global Cuisine: We draw inspiration from world flavors—Mexican mole, Thai curry, Jamaican jerk, and more—to match or enhance those regional flavor profiles.
- Unique Ingredients: Local produce and foraged fruits like Pawpaw inspire seasonal sauces with character and story.
- Craft Ales & Spirits: The layered complexity of craft beverages often sparks creative ideas for sauce development.
- The Pursuit of Fire: Some sauces exist simply to push the limits of heat, using super-hots like Seven Pot Primo and Carolina Reaper.
- Innovation & Cloning: We enjoy reverse-engineering and reinventing unique sauces—adding our Butchart’s Burners twist to classic flavors.