Edmund McIlhenny first produced Tabasco sauce in 1868 on Avery Island, Louisiana. The sauce is still produced in the same location as it was in the 1800s. Additionally, the process remains pretty much the same, of course, the facilities have undergone modernization throughout the years. The makers of Tabasco sauce would never stoop to ordinary store-bought salt! No, the occupants of Avery Island extract the salt needed to age the mashed-up chili peppers from mines located directly beneath the island itself—talk about vertical integration. 6. The name “Tabasco” is of Mexican origin, though anything beyond that is uncertain. The Original Red ranges from about 2500 to 5000 units on the Scoville scale, which measures the apparent heat of a substance. The habanero sauce throws hotter peppers into the mix, while the remaining varieties—chipotle, garlic, jalapeño, “sweet and spicy”—are all varying levels of mild. 10. Army rations wouldn’t be the same without it.

Theriot explains:“While we do have strong brand recognition, you need to stay in front of consumers in so many different markets, which is why marketing is extremely important to Tabasco. This petite 2 oz. bottle is great for portion control in the front of the house. Customers can simply remove the cap, add a few dashes to their dishes, and experience the unmistakable TABASCO® flavor they love! The bottom line is: if you’re going to finish the Tabasco bottle within a couple of months of opening, leaving the condiment at room temperature is fine. But if you expect it to sit around for longer than that, it’s better to keep it in the refrigerator. Tabasco Storage Dos and Dont’s That said, Tabasco gradually darkens to dark red or even brownish, especially if you don’t refrigerate it. It makes some people worried about the safety of the sauce, but it’s nothing to worry about. Fermented chili peppers ( tabasco peppers are a variety of chili peppers) darken over time. That’s a natural reaction to oxidation and doesn’t make the sauce unsafe (I talk about it more in my article on hot sauce). Moreover, darkening has little impact on taste – you probably won’t notice any difference.

Sold in more than 185 countries and labelled in 22 languages, the hot pepper sauce hasn’t changed much since it was first produced in 1868 — it’s still run by the same family, uses the original recipe and has the same manufacturing base on Avery Island in Louisiana.

We are working right now to boost our ecommerce section. Ecommerce is a totally different way of doing business and consumers are using it more,” she says. Working with distributor partners Next, keep the bottle’s cap clean. Like is the case for most condiments, that area is where a gross layer of crust tends to form over time. To remove it, use a damp paper towel and then wipe the area dry. Growing crops is inherently unpredictable, so the McIlhenny Co. is understandably wary of putting all its eggs in one basket. Once the best plants from a season’s harvest have been selected as the source of the next year’s seeds, the dried pepper seeds are stored in two locations—one of them a local bank vault—to ensure that even in case of, say, weather-related disaster, there will still be plenty of peppers to go around. 5. Even the salt is proprietary.

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The sauce is made from peppers and vinegar, which means it has a long shelf life. This makes it a great choice for any gathering or restaurant-going crowd. Can you have too much Tabasco?