# How to turn a sauce into a seasoning?



## kjdion (Apr 23, 2009)

How do I make a sauce into a pepper-like substance (dried and in small flake-form)?

Do I just dry it and then do something else to it?

I want to make one of my favorite sauces into a pepper-like thing, and then put it in a pepper shaker so I can sprinkle it on food.

Please tell me how to do this.


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

That's a new one on me.


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## amazingrace (Jul 28, 2006)

I'd be surprised if this is something that can be done at home. Commerical outfits with the ability to flash-freeze/freeze-dry foods might be able to produce such a condiment, but in the home kitchen, without the specialized chemistry of the big guys, how would you keep it from clumping, or becoming rancid, or loosing flavor quality over time [if it can be done at all]?


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## marius (Apr 13, 2009)

Maybe if you stirred it with some liquid nitrogen?
Or maybe dry ice?


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Backpackers do something kind of similar. However, the flavor shifts some in the process and it may not keep that well, particularly, if it has fats/oils in it. Fats/oils can even go bad during the drying process in some cases. Not every sauce can be treated this way.

You'll need a food dehydrator and the sheets used for making fruit leather. The time it takes to completely dry will vary with the type of sauce and how much you're making. Then the sauce is broken up. For your situation, you may want to use a food processor or clean coffee/spice grinder to get the right grind.

It's entirely possible the flakes/powder will not hydrate fast enough on table food to create the flavor you want either. You may also have clumping problems.

I don't have a reference link, but if you google on terms like 'backback' 'dehydrator' 'sauces' you should find some references.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

You're looking for a form of "deydration." There are a few traditional cooking techniques, and of course in the commercial realm there's freeze drying -- which is a way of vacuum dehydrating as and after the food freezes.

However, most sauces don't take well to these processes. If you think about how few dried sauces are available in the supermarket, you'll come to the same conclusion on your own.

Furthermore, some sauces which do freeze dry adequately wouldn't be suitable for your application, because they take a while to fully reconstitute. 

On the other hand, a variety of artificial flavorings are available, such as sour cream, onion, vinegar, ranch, barbecue, chili-lemon -- think of flavored "snack" foods. Most of these can be purchased in relatively small quantities, but it's going to take you some research to find suppliers. 

You didn't mention which sauce you had in mind. Sometimes reticence is a sign that people are thinking of a commercial development and don't want to give away their inspiration. If so, I suggest an extensive online search to see if there's anything at all like what you have in mind already available, and talking with a food chemist. 

BDL


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## ed buchanan (May 29, 2006)

I trust you are not a chemist or in a lab of any type. (As you state," cant boil water") You are looking for trouble, if your concoction did work the slightest bit of humidity based moisture or condensation would render it ideal culture for bacteria and therefore food poisoning. As BDL mentioned buy it from a flavoring company instead. They do it with correct equipment.:lol:


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## gonefishin (Nov 6, 2004)

I have NO experience with dehydrating anything. But I am wondering if you may want to look into catching the "essence" of the sauce in a dry form. I can understand not wanting to give a specific recipe for your sauce. But what type of sauce is it that your trying to place in a shaker? 


I like your idea though. 

dan


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## just jim (Oct 18, 2007)

I would not recommend going the route of drying a wet sauce, I would try to recreate it using dry ingredients.
It really comes down to the base.
Tomato based?
Dried tomato powder.
With your garlic and onion powders, and all of your dried spices, you should be able to come close.
If you use honey, you might have to adjust to brown sugar, etc.
I would think that with a little experimentation you should be able to come up with something that is close to the original.
It would be difficult to come up with something spot on.


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## kjdion (Apr 23, 2009)

I want to turn a suicide habanero hot sauce that I made into dried pepper-like form so I can sprinkle it on mashed potatoes and use it for other applications of that nature.


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## just jim (Oct 18, 2007)

One of my secret (shhh) ingredients for my Nitro Wing Sauce is Habanero Powder.
You might start there.

This message will self destruct in 60 seconds.
:roll:


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

How about putting together a dry seasoning blend using all dried ingredients? There aren't many things you'd put into a hot sauce which aren't also available dried.

BDL


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## chefhow (Oct 16, 2008)

You can very easily get vinegar powders, pepper powders and all the other seasonings you will need to make this in the store. Be careful when using them, because they are dried they are also concentrated so they are much stronger and when you start to mix dried hot sauces they get in the air and can burn your eyes, make sure you have a simple mask and are in a well ventilated area.


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## allanmcpherson (Apr 5, 2007)

If you were using a fatty sauce I would recommend investigating tapioca methyl-cellulose (willpowder is a good source). If you can't quite match the flavours of your wet sauce with a dry spice blend (which seems to me to be a entirely workable method) you could try flavouring salt with your sauce.

--Al


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## susann edmonds (Mar 9, 2012)

If the sauce is mostly fat, you can add maltodextrin. I have been researching the same methods. I'm still playing. I was making bacon salt which was very time consuming, but amazing, (especially on the bloody Mary! I will be trying this method next!
Susann


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## t78allgood (Jun 29, 2016)

kjdion said:


> How do I make a sauce into a pepper-like substance (dried and in small flake-form)?
> 
> Do I just dry it and then do something else to it?
> 
> ...


Have you tried using maltodextrin powder?

http://m.molecularrecipes.com/?url=...g-high-fat-liquids-powder/&utm_referrer=#3017


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## someday (Aug 15, 2003)

t78allgood said:


> Have you tried using maltodextrin powder?
> 
> http://m.molecularrecipes.com/?url=...g-high-fat-liquids-powder/&utm_referrer=#3017


Maltodextrin only works with very high fat liquids (at least in the way you are thinking to make a powder) and also this thread is 7 years old. Don't think the OP is coming back.


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