Ya know, I’ve never really understood why Ohio is considered part of the “Midwest”. Really, it should be borderline “Northeast”, look at where it is on the map, it’s not mid anything, it’s Northeast! Now, if we’re talking about Wyoming, than ya, that’s Midwest. So for this review, I state that Ohio is Northeast and since I currently reside in Cleveland, Ohio, I’m staking my claim as a Northeasterner.
Suffern Brothers All American Hot Sauce: Northeast Horseradish Tomato Ingredients: Seasoned rice wine vinegar, chilies, tomato paste, lemon juice, prepared horseradish, cayenne, salt, sugar, sodium bisulfate, sodium bisulfite.
Great, sodium bisulfate and sodium bisulfite. Two chemicals that, once again, should never be in food. So folks, don’t get this sauce near bleach for fear of toxic fumes and remember when you’re done, you can use the rest as a cleaning solution.
Looking at the bottle I can finally say that this one is the first sauce of their line who’s color more closely matches most sauces out there. It’s a nice dark brown/dark red color, very appealing.
Very acidic tasting though so definitely pair it with foods that this will complement (tomato soup was tried by this reviewer….very pleasant results ensued). Right off the bat the sugar hits first then you get a one-two combination of the vinegar and the lime juice with the salt rounding the corner. Then the tomato hits and it hits hard! The flavor is surprisingly fresh tasting (blame that on the artificial preservatives….).
All the acidic tastes in this kind of bury the taste of the peppers and the horseradish. I’m actually extremely familiar with the taste of Cayennes and can spot them anywhere, but with this sauce I find myself struggling to detect them. Don’t get me wrong, the tongue bite of their heat is there, but not the flavor. Oh yes, the heat, I almost forgot. Of all the three sauces we’ve reviewed so far, this is the hottest. It’s an interesting sauce, but it definitely beats you over the head with the intensity of flavors….not sure if that’s a good thing though.
Taste: 3.1, Heat: 2.6
Popularity: 15% [?]
» Taste The Fear’s turn to review the All American Hot Sauces
» Passow Meets Death, Eats It
» All American Hot Sauce: the hot sauce review project
» Original Full Bodied All American Hot Sauce review by the Hot Zone Online
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I can detect the horseradish right from the get go, and that is probably why I liked this sauce the best of the 4. Besides I am a REAL Northeasterner. Cleveland, Northeast? NEVER!
Comment fired by Buddah — July 15, 2008- 3:46 pm
Passow.
You are hard to please……
If you can’t taste the horseradish right away your taste buds are tainted.
I can handle a negative review but please…. Let’s taste the sauce.
Preservatives are in the Gold’s kosher horseradish in the sauce and the Rolands vinegar used as a base. Don’t believe the fear.
Join the 99% of the country that sells our ingredients over the counter with no fear….
Comment fired by Josh — July 15, 2008- 4:09 pm
I was reluctant to reply to your comments, Josh, because I was a little insulted by it and I try not to write things when I still feel insulted. In particular the line “I can handle a negative review but please…. Let’s taste the sauce.”. I spend alot of time and effort “tasting” the sauce. I do this for free, I do not get compensated (save for a free sauce here and there) for the amount of work I put into these reviews. I can assure you, I did extensive work “tasting”.
As for saying what I did about the horseradish, I stand by my words. Remember, taste varies greatly.
You ingredients list reads that you put the preservitative into the sauce. If you did not, then you word the list differently, (ie: Ingredients, Rice Wine Vinegar[Vinegar, Sodium Bisulfate], chilies, tomatoe paste…etc etc).
I am not believing the “fear”. I am believing cold hard data and common sense. If a product’s main use is as a household cleaning product, common sense generally comes in and say, “Do you think you should be putting that in your body?”
Millions of people believe that artificial sweeteners are good for you, happly consuming them even though it is proven that it’s a neurotoxin.
Just because someone says it’s good for you, doesn’t actually mean it is. Don’t believe the mindless masses.
Comment fired by Jonathan Passow — July 15, 2008- 4:27 pm
Now Josh remember, the above comment came from someone who cosumes large amounts of booze daily, which I believe is not good for you either, but he continues to do it……..
Everything can kill you in large amounts even a simple thing as water!!!!
Comment fired by BLANE — July 15, 2008- 5:45 pm
Wow, really? You’re going to criticize an honest review?
Mr. Passow is correct in his assertion that you need to list the ingredients differently. That is unless you would like to be subject to an FDA recall.
I would never want someone to review one of our products if I didn’t think they were going to tell me HONESTLY what they thought. The purpose of having reviews is to receive the input of the reviewer(s). Sometimes this helps the manufacturer to make needed changes (such as ingredient lists). It is not free advertising. Remember that reviews are subjective.
In the collective hot sauce community Mr. Passow’s opinion is held in high regard.
Hopefully the reviews were helpfull to you and your company.
Comment fired by Sam — July 15, 2008- 5:48 pm
Sodium bisulfite is used in almost all commercial wines, to prevent oxidation and preserve flavor. In fruit canning, sodium bisulfite is used to prevent browning (caused by oxidation) and to kill microbes.[9]
In the case of wine making, Sodium bisulfite releases sulfur dioxide gas when added to water or products containing water. The sulfur dioxide kills yeasts, fungi, and bacteria in the grape juice before fermentation. When the sulfur dioxide levels have subsided (about 24 hours), fresh yeast is added for fermentation.
It is later added to bottled wine to prevent oxidation (which makes vinegar), and to protect the color of the wine from oxidation, which causes browning. The sulfur dioxide displaces oxygen in the bottle and dissolved in the wine. Oxidized wine can turn orange or brown, and taste like raisins or cough syrup.
Sodium bisulfite is also added to leafy green vegetables in salad bars and elsewhere, to preserve apparent freshness, under names like LeafGreen®. The concentration is sometimes high enough to cause serious allergic reactions.
Oh Oh!!! I don’t think people realize a large amount of Wine ane Vinegar are made this way.
Comment fired by BLANE — July 15, 2008- 6:17 pm
My main complant was, and has been that he was adding the artificial (big stress on the word artificial here) preservative directly into his sauce (this was based on his ingredients list). Not that it was used as a sub-sub ingredient. The negative effects are not as bad in this case.
And yes, I do consume alot of beer. If my liver shuts down and I die of it, I will be happy in the fact that I didn’t die of a brain tumor caused by consuming artificial sweeteners, or cancer from using cell phones, or get hit by a bus (just threw that in there for fun folks), but from something that’s actually considered a meal. I don’t drink swill like MGD or PBR. I drink good, quality beer and the differance is very large. It’s not like I’m drinking a gallon of vodka a day. I’m not at all worried about the negative effects of beer.
I am more worried about artificial crap that will reduce the quality of your life faster than you can say, “Klatu, barata niktu”, and some people can say that very fast.
Comment fired by Jonathan Passow — July 15, 2008- 6:31 pm
Passow, please forgive. My comment was meant like a friend says “what are you nuts” not “kiss my nuts”.
Just that sauce has so much horseradish in it it’s only missing the horse.
Please try this in a Bloody Mary or an Oyster then tell your tale.
Any substance if consumed enough is bad. Natural oxidation, in the pursuit of flavor is safe and pleasurable.
Comment fired by Josh — July 15, 2008- 7:43 pm
Sam…
A fair review is just that it’s fair.
Alot of time was spent trying to get the label to meet all the standards set forth by your Uncle of the same name, Sam.
“Subject to a recall from the FDA”– How to respond to the fear?
Litigious and threatening. You must be from NY. We should get together
I respect Passow and his review. We just covered his labeling suggestions in his past reviews of my sauce. I did not think the same comment would be the continued main focus of future reviews.
In all honesty he is only the third person in thousands to comment on the positioning of the ingredients on the label.
Since every voice should be heard. We will print it different next time.
Small issue for such a bold sauce….
Comment fired by Josh — July 15, 2008- 8:22 pm
Josh, As one manufacturer who has faced a FDA recall on several of my products, I can tell you there was absolutely nothing wrong with anything…EXCEPT the ingredient declaration. I was ordered to write a press release to send to the National AP office. I did and submitted it for the Regional Office of the FDA in Cincinnati to approve. They felt it was not strong enough and re-wrote it and asked me to send it to the AP. It was sent out and the calls began immediately. It was not only a black eye to our reputation, but a very expensive proposition to fulfill all the recall mandates.
The problem: my ingredients declaration did not include the proper listing of the ingredients of my ingredients “paranthetically”. Since the ingredient in question contained two of the “Big 8″ allergens, their press release talked about it “potentially causing death” in certain individuals. The ingredient, Worcestershire Sauce. It is not something I want to face again, and you should seek qualified assistance in re-writing your dec. The products were BBQ sauces.
Sam is from the great Pacific Northwest, I suppose they can be litigious, but certainly not threatening. He is much smaller than Sasquatch!
Comment fired by CaJohn — July 15, 2008- 10:18 pm
All I know is I want to try this sauce, preservatives or not!
Give me some oysters, shrimp, this sauce, and a six pack of PBR and I’ll be good to go! Yes, I said PBR. I ain’t no beer snob. PBR meets all the requirements of a true beer drinker, cold, wet, and always on the shelf!
Give me food with hot sauce on it, and a glass that’s got beer in it and I’m happy.
And Josh, I love what you guys do with the donations from the sales of the sauce. Makes it so much more than about whether the sauce has a preservative in it or not.
Also, I’m starting to get to that point with my age that I could use all the preserving I can get!
Comment fired by DK — July 15, 2008- 10:27 pm
DK-
send an email to theallamericanhotsauce@yahoo.com
to my attention with your address and I will make sure you get some.
Comment fired by Josh — July 15, 2008- 10:36 pm
CaJohn,
I respect your input. The label will be corrected in the next printing.
Thanks
Comment fired by Josh — July 15, 2008- 10:38 pm
Josh,
Email sent.
Comment fired by DK — July 15, 2008- 10:53 pm
DK, I’d be most happy to share some All American PBR and this sauce with you my short bus riding brother! A great sauce deserves a great beer! Have No Fear!!
Josh this is my favorite of your products.
PASSOW! Man I’n not sure how to respond to you ill will towards my beloved PBR. I mean, why must you be so harsh? Swill?Tell ya what. I’ll be at JJ’s and I’ll treat ya to a free PBR or 2 or 3. Come on brother, live a little! Taste The Fear!
Comment fired by Cape Fear Pepper Company — July 16, 2008- 6:23 am
Well, if it’s free…then that’s a different story, lol
Comment fired by Jonathan Passow — July 16, 2008- 9:02 am
Lots of good comments - I must say I gotta agree with Jon here. There’s absolutely no need for those preservatives. I did a quick Google search and it’s pretty easy to find prepared horseradish, and vinegar, without those preservatives in them. Just because people consume mass quantities of diet soda laden with synthetic sweeteners doesn’t mean the sweeteners are healthy. Cigarettes come to mind as well - don’t believe the fear… uh huh.
Oh, and while PBR is certainly not _good_ beer, it’s not swill. Budweiser is swill.
Comment fired by Dave Mennenoh — July 16, 2008- 9:49 am
Once you try good beer, it’s hard to like anything but. Good beer would be, Dogfish Head Palo Santo Moran or World Wide Stout, Anything by Stone Brewery (just had their Anniversery Ale for this year, tasty!), Bells Oberon, Fantome, Tommyknocker Blaco Powder Stout, and many many more!
Comment fired by Jonathan Passow — July 16, 2008- 9:53 am
PBR = Not good beer = PBR is GREAT beer.
GREAT beer = always on the shelf, reasonable cost, cold, wet, fits in my fridge, easy opening lid.
Sorry, but I’ve all kinds of crazy name micro-brew stuff and it all tastes like beer to me.
As for the preservative issue, if the prepared ingredient is changed, then it could possibly change the outcome of the sauce recipe’s flavor. Quite possibly in a negative way. If the ingredient being used achieves the desired outcome, and it happens to contain a presrevative that is widely used and deemed to be safe in food, then there’s no issue as far as I’m concerned.
Buuuuuuuurp. Mmmm, PBR, even better the second time around.
Comment fired by DK — July 16, 2008- 10:47 am
Go to Snopes and search Aspertame. There was a scare email that went around that’s contributed to a lot of false information about the artificial sweetener.
The way I see it with the reports of salmonella (sp?) in tomatoes, peppers, whatever and so forth, it sems that every time I eat something I’m risking my life, so I don’t worry too much about it.
Comment fired by DK — July 16, 2008- 10:59 am
You guys set around drinking fancy beer in Foil hats don’t you……
Comment fired by BLANE — July 16, 2008- 11:26 am
You should read The Crazy Makers, DK. MSG, Aspartame and _many_ other things that are ‘approved’ by the FDA are f’ing bad for you. Not sure why you’d want to defend that… And I really doubt using a prepared horseradish without preservative would alter the flavor at all. It might alter the cost however.
Comment fired by Dave Mennenoh — July 16, 2008- 1:07 pm
>>Sorry, but I’ve all kinds of crazy name micro-brew stuff and it all tastes like beer to me.
Well… that is just silly to say. Have you no palette? Does all hot sauce taste the same? Do Gorton’s fish sticks taste like fresh salmon to you? A fine steak the same as meatloaf? Ya think Boone’s Farm is akin to good wine?
>>always on the shelf, reasonable cost, cold, wet, fits in my fridge, easy opening lid.
That could be water. Go get yourself some good beer and enjoy it. It’s hot out.
Comment fired by Dave Mennenoh — July 16, 2008- 1:15 pm
“GREAT beer = always on the shelf, reasonable cost, cold, wet, fits in my fridge, easy opening lid.”
Great beer=Variable Temperature based on style+Quality Ingredients+Not Mass Produced(ie: Micro not Macrobrewed)+Glass Bottle
Based on said equation, PBR does not fit in to good beer. But taste is variable, as stated before
If I feel like rehydrating myself, I’ll drink PBR or MGD. If I want a meal and to get feeling good, I will drink quality beer like Stone IPA.
“Go to Snopes and search Aspertame”
Ugh, I really hate snopes. So much misinformation. All these links saying that artificial sweeteners are “good for you” are based on bias government funded research. There was only one government funded research that just come out stating the negative side effects of the sweeteners (I would give the link but the Obama Bloggers hacked the main site, rense.com, so I can’t find the main details for it). EVER single independent study has conslusively shown that they are extremely bad for you (the sweeteners, not the Obama bloggers….well, they’re dangerous too, but not health wise).
Even the Air Force knows of the dangers. They forbid the use of artificial sweeteners in the diets of their pilots due to the fact that it causes brain fog. The FDA has over 89 regestured side effects of using it and some of those include loss of memory and cancer. I can go on and on, but I won’t.
“You guys set around drinking fancy beer in Foil hats don’t you……”
Nope, tin foil hats get to hot after a while. Besides, I left mine in LA.
Comment fired by Jonathan Passow — July 16, 2008- 1:57 pm
Aspertame safety a government cover-up. LOL!
Ok, you got me.
First, the only thing I’m defending here is that the use of a preservative in the sauce in this review is nothing that’s going to kill anyone. Hell, it won’t even cauce you to lose your beer pallette. Heaven forbid THAT should ever happen.
Secondly, there’s nothing wrong with PBR or any other mass produced beer. I personally don’t like Budweiser or Coors, but that doesn’t make it swill.
As for my outlook on hot sauce, hell I like it all. Some better than others, sure. To me the notion that Tabasco is a botom of the barrel hot sauce that a lot of people make fun of is ludicrous. Hell, I like Tabasco. I grew up on it, Texas Pete, Crystal, Louisiana Brand, all that stuff. I keep a bottle ofech in my fridge at all times. I’m a Hot Sauce lover, not a Hot Sauce snob. I’m a beer drinker, not a beer snob. Beer is beer. Some tastes different than others, but it’s all still beer. PBR meets my tastes, so I drink it. It’s good beer.
No we don’t blend with that white collar crowd
We’re a little too rowdy, and a little too loud
But there’s no place that I’d rather be than right here
With my red neck, white socks, and Blue Ribbon beer.
-McDill-Holyfield-Neese
Buuurp, burp, buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurp!
Man you guys sure are a fun crowd today.
Comment fired by DK — July 16, 2008- 2:32 pm
WHooooooooa to much diet coke, brain fog….. Nope false alarm I just sh!t my pants.
Comment fired by BLANE — July 16, 2008- 2:57 pm
Maybe we will do a taste test at JJ’s on beer!!! And see who truly wins…
And besides your beer does not come in the fancy 40 oz bottle like PBR.
Comment fired by BLANE — July 16, 2008- 3:07 pm
“Man you guys sure are a fun crowd today.”
We’ve not no where else to go! Actually that’s not entierly true, I just got back from the Electronics store…gunna build myself a passive mixer!
“Maybe we will do a taste test at JJ’s on beer!!! And see who truly wins…”
There’s a really good brewery named BJ’s really close to the show.
“And besides your beer does not come in the fancy 40 oz bottle like PBR.”
Nope, ours come in bombers and growlers and growlers are well over 40 ounces
Comment fired by Jonathan Passow — July 16, 2008- 3:24 pm
Jon, you’re baitin’ me, right? LOL!!
So you buying at BJ’s? Only thing better than PBR is :FREEBEER:!
Comment fired by DK — July 16, 2008- 3:59 pm
“So you buying at BJ’s? Only thing better than PBR is :FREEBEER:!”
Wish I could. I’m barely going to have money to get there and have a few pints myself.
Comment fired by Jonathan Passow — July 16, 2008- 4:23 pm
Hey Jon, send me your email via “admin” at my website (southernfriedg8r.com), I’ve got a picture to send to ya that you might enjoy.
Comment fired by DK — July 16, 2008- 4:38 pm
Email sent!
Comment fired by Jonathan Passow — July 16, 2008- 4:43 pm
“There’s a really good brewery named BJ’s really close to the show.”
If it has holes in the walls, count me out.
I will sit back and enjoy a delicious foo-foo drink at some Mexican joint.
Comment fired by Buddah — July 16, 2008- 9:07 pm
“If it has holes in the walls, count me out.”
No holes in the wall. It’s actually a great mircobrew chain. They have foo-foo drinks there too
Comment fired by Jonathan Passow — July 16, 2008- 9:19 pm
Anyone hear the Pabst is now the largest solely American owned brewery? Miller is partially owned by a South African company, and Budweiser is owned wholly by a Dutch company.
Comment fired by Dave Mennenoh — July 17, 2008- 3:39 pm
Dave will you be making the trip to JJ’s?
Comment fired by Cape Fear Pepper Company — July 17, 2008- 6:11 pm
>>Dave will you be making the trip to JJ’s?
I _really_ wish I could. I had a plan and everything… but alas, it did not come to fruition. My wife is pregnant, due in November, and we are in the middle of purchasing our first house. So, we have like no extra money right now. Next year for sure though!
Comment fired by Dave Mennenoh — July 18, 2008- 10:46 am
Dave can’t you save money by taking your mountain bike and living in DK & Leroy’s trailer in the Jungle Jim’s parking lot?
Comment fired by Buddah — July 18, 2008- 5:59 pm
“Dave can’t you save money by taking your mountain bike and living in DK & Leroy’s trailer in the Jungle Jim’s parking lot? ”
Whoa whoa whoa… Trailer? Can it fit one more person? I need a place to sleep…,.
Comment fired by Jonathan Passow — July 18, 2008- 9:10 pm