Chili Oil Notes Part 2

I have read and bookmarked the Part 1, and I love your notes.

I make my own chili oil, and grow my own chilis.

I once had this stupid, macho, self-imposed rule that for each plant I grew, the plant must earn its right-of-passage by way of myself eating a single pod from each plant.

I think it was 2017, I had chiltepins, Naga Jolokias (red, yellow, chocolate). I had Jalapenos (green and red) and Habaneros (red and yellow). I also grew Moruga Scorpion peppers. That year it was only the red scorpions.

I had somehow managed to survive what I had thought, and according to the literature, was the toughest one to get through, that being the Naga. My roommate bore witness to this, I was in pain for about 20 minutes and then I was fine again.

Once the Moruga scorpions had ripened, I decided I would put one of them through the same, erm, test.

Seemed fine at first, but a few minutes later my stomach started to cramp to the extent that I could no longer move. I was laying down flat on my sofa and begging for death, not really knowing what to do. Another ten minutes and projectile vomiting ensued, all over my new rug, under my coffee table. The relief was so great that the new rug may as well have been a Mac Pro or something of equal value and I wouldn't have been bothered.

Anyway (and back to the chili oil topic). I harvested all those, put them into my food dehydrator, ground them up into a chili powder with a spice grinder, and made oils and sauces which are famous to this very day.

Bring on Part 3!

My most recent batch I did the “slow infusion” strategy, but not with highly controlled temperature. I like it more than the hot splash. Better flavor outcome, easier overall since you don’t need to pour super hot oil anywhere. I use a bunch of stuff - erjintao, red lantern, gochugaru, green onion whites, garlic, star anise (not much), cassia bark/cinnamon, bay leaf, of course Sichuan pepper corn. Toast the toastable spices in a pan and grind before starting the infusion. I keep the temperature below the point where the garlic & green onion bubble / burn instead of monitoring with a thermometer. After infusing the spices at higher heat, I reduce heat to a tasteable level so I can mix in MSG, salt, and sugar to taste to complete the balance. I use 50% caiziyou, 50% peanut oil.

Part 1: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37546469