Tabasco's Hot Stuff!

I have waited almost six months to visit McIlhenny's Tabasco Factory on Avery Island in New Iberia, Louisiana, and it was well worth the wait;  I was not disappointed!  Our day began
with a tour of the factory, including a short, informative film about the making of Tabasco Sauce, then a bird's eye view of the workings of the factory.  It's amazing to think the Tabasco Sauce recipe has remained the same for well over a century. 

Capsicum peppers are still grown by the McIlhenny family on Avery Island to this day.  Family members identify those peppers which have reached their peak of ripeness and are ready to be picked.  The peppers are then mashed and stored in (retired) white oak whisky barrels, and the lids are covered in salt to prevent impurities from seeping in.  The barrels remain sealed for a period of three years.  At the end of the three-year period, the barrels are opened, vinegar is added to the mash and it is then strained into bottles and sold worldwide, labels translated into 12 different languages.  Tabasco's ingredients are quite simple:  Capsicum peppers, Avery Island salt, and vinegar.  Avery Island sits on a mountain of salt believed to be as high or higher than Mount Everest. 

Following the factory tour, we were invited to visit the Tabasco Country Store, and that is where the real fun was had!  We purchased a variety of things including t-shirts, assorted sauces, spicy chocolate and a terrific cookbook by the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, chock full of southern recipes.