Preparation / Directions:
This note describes how to make a very intense habanaro concentrate. However, the process is somewhat expensive, a little risky, and the resulting concentrate might be too hot for your tastes. The process starts by making habanaro extract. Under an exhaust fan (i.e., range hood) and wearing gloves, fill a blender with habanaro peppers, a quart of grain alcohol (i.e., Everclear), and liquefy. Fill empty jars with the liquid and seal. Clean up the mess. After a day or so, shake the jars and let the pulp settle again for a couple of days. Put a jar on papers under the exhaust fan and insert a coffee-filter lined funnel. Wearing rubber gloves, pour the clear liquid through the filter and spoon the pulp in the filter. Let it drain until no more liquid comes out. Discard the pulp. The next step is dangerous because it involves boiling off the alcohol, potentially very flammable. My technique is to setup a pressure cooker with half an inch of water and a cup or so of the habanaro extract in an open bowl or jar in the pressure cooker. Put the lid on and without covering the steam exhaust port, apply a moderate-low heat with the exhaust fan running. Within about 30-45 minutes, the steam will evaporate the alcohol and leave a brownish, oily looking liquid, habanaro concentrate. Never use a microwave or an open pot over a flame to evaporate the alcohol, the risk of a kitchen fire or explosion is too great. Habanaro sauce is the essence of hot, taste test it with a toothpick, a very small amount goes a long, long way. I've frozen mine and use the point of a sharp knife to remove crumbs for soups, drinks, and other foods. In spite of the trouble and expense, the main advantage of the concentrate is that is does not have the "green pepper" vegetable flavor of either the extract or habanaro
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