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Thread: Hot Sauce Business?

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    Hot Sauce Business?

    I started growing my own hot peppers a few years ago, and have been tinkering around with hot sauce ever since. This year I came up with a very very good hot sauce recipe.
    I've given several bottles of it away to friends and co-workers. Everybody that has tried my latest recipe has said that it was the best hot sauce they have ever had. One of my co-workers drank 3/4 of a bottle of my hot sauce in an 8 hour shift at work.
    A lot of them have said that I could sell it because it is such a good hot sauce.
    So now I'm kicking around the idea of actually trying to make a profit off of my recipe. It will have to wait until next years growing season before I can start marketing it.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master


    foesgth's Avatar
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    If there is one in your area, a Farmer's Market is a good place to start. Check with your local health dept. first. Some of them require you to produce your product in a certified kitchen. Some are OK with home kitchen. I'll take some when you decide to start shipping!!!
    Remember the Law of Probability - The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.

  3. #3
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    JonB_in_Glencoe's Avatar
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    One possible problem...as least for us in MN.
    Depending on where you live and how consistent you climate is, Growing hot peppers can be challenging...they need a fairly long hot season. Some years, we in southern MN can produce Hot peppers, some years they grow but don't develop much of the heat.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy
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    That's the plan. I'm also going to see if I can get my hot sauce into some Mexican restaurants in the area.

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy
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    Currently I live in southern Illinois and we don't have any problems growing hot peppers here.
    My wife and I are planning on moving to the south western part of the states as soon as she finds work. That should provide me with a longer growing season, and hopefully more potential customers.

  6. #6
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    JonB_in_Glencoe's Avatar
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    Well, I wish you the best!

    FYI, I recently seen a documentary on Tabasco and Avery Island
    There is secrecy and security (to say the least) involved with name brand hot sauces.

    https://www.tabasco.com/visit-avery-island/
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    “If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
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  7. #7
    Boolit Master


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    ThomR I also wish you the best. I am not an expert on hot sauce, but I do like it. I too would be willing to give a bottle a try if and when you get it going. I don't know how you will go about selling it here since it is not a gun related item, but I do notice that folks here are pretty good cooks evidently from some of the posts I see. Let us know how it goes.
    Mark 5:34 And He said to her (Jesus speaking), "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed of your affliction."

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy LaPoint's Avatar
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    A former co-worker did the same thing with salsa. He retired early and went full time at it. He started selling it at the local farmer's market then went to the farmer's markets in Minneapolis and St. Paul. He is sells it through a couple smaller chain/family markets in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. I would think that if you are successful with your hot sauce you won't be able to grow enough peppers at home and will need to use commercially sourced peppers. I love hot sauce. Best of luck with your venture!

  9. #9
    Boolit Master



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    I am in for buying a your hot sauce if you get it going. Good luck!

  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy
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    Most of the people I've given a bottle of hot sauce to run out in a week or two. Mind you that these are five ounce bottles.
    I'm not trying to put the Tabasco company out of business, but I think it's good enough to earn a decent income.

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by JonB_in_Glencoe View Post
    One possible problem...as least for us in MN.
    Depending on where you live and how consistent you climate is, Growing hot peppers can be challenging...they need a fairly long hot season. Some years, we in southern MN can produce Hot peppers, some years they grow but don't develop much of the heat.
    Central Minnesota here. Never a problem getting a nice pepper crop. I make/eat a lot of salsa, Tabasco, and my fav.... Sausage stuffed, bacon wrapped, jalapenos. Have no problem growing pablanos, habeneros, and others, either.

    Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    Will you be up for trading lead for hot sauce?

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by jsizemore View Post
    Will you be up for trading lead for hot sauce?
    Maybe.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    Im in too, love hot sauce!!! There is lots of potencial on the i-net as well. Keep us posted, mailorder ????
    “You don’t practice until you get it right. You practice until you can’t get it wrong.” Jason Elam, All-Pro kicker, Denver Broncos

  15. #15
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    buckwheatpaul's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ThomR View Post
    I started growing my own hot peppers a few years ago, and have been tinkering around with hot sauce ever since. This year I came up with a very very good hot sauce recipe.
    I've given several bottles of it away to friends and co-workers. Everybody that has tried my latest recipe has said that it was the best hot sauce they have ever had. One of my co-workers drank 3/4 of a bottle of my hot sauce in an 8 hour shift at work.
    A lot of them have said that I could sell it because it is such a good hot sauce.
    So now I'm kicking around the idea of actually trying to make a profit off of my recipe. It will have to wait until next years growing season before I can start marketing it.
    Tempt us with your post without pictures; cost per bottle; or the recipe!
    When guns are outlawed only criminals and the government will have them and at that time I will see very little difference in either!

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  16. #16
    Boolit Buddy
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    I'll end up setting up a website to sell online.
    As far as the recipe goes, I'll just say that it has 8 ingredients.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master dbosman's Avatar
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    Check in with the county or state ag extension office. Some states offer help setting up small scale commercial businesses.
    Hot sauce is one of the current hot commodities for starting a small business. Even just a state wide success can provide a fair living. If you do a web search for "start a hot sauce business" you will turn up a lot of links. Ignore any and all that offer to sell you anything. You'll know when you have to find a commercial bottling facility as your family and friends will be exhausted before that need arises.

    Commercial bottling is a known product for any commercial bottling or canning facility. All, after they find out you're serious, will work with you to best deal with that aspect.
    Your state university will have some business incubator type help in the business college. Generally that is free to cheap. If your product gets accepted to a business class product you'll get lots of free help in writing a business plan and how to proceed. Some of that help is worth the cost. Some of that help would be worth paying for, but you won't have to.

    Michigan State University has those types of things and they've been featured in the campus news for some of their successes.
    Good luck and hang in there.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master


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    For several years I made a sold hot sauces under the "death wish" label. Financially is was a disaster. First is the upfront cost of designing and producing labels. When you get the product manufactured in accordance with your state's laws and labeled, you need distribution. Breaking into retail distribution is a challenge. You can try farmer's markets and local sources but will likely not sell enough through these channels to pay for your labels. Major distribution is very expensive. Slotting fees for Food Lion were $60,000 per year. If the products do not sell well enough, they pull the product and bill you for returns.

    Get the costs for a couple of thousand bottles and labels. Go see an accountant and he will tell you how many thousand units you need to sell to break even.

    I owned a high volume restaurant that featured and sold the sauces. It was very good publicity and stroked my vanity, but I lost $40,000 in five years.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master

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    There are a couple of hot sauce only boutique stores in Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge Tennessee that would be worth looking into. Get your hot sauce on their shelves and you have an opening to sell to the world. Lots and lots of US and international tourists pass through there year around. GOOD LUCK with your project, and I'm in for at least one bottle!

  20. #20
    Boolit Buddy
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    Look into start up kitchens. I know in Asheville there are kitchens you can use to get a business up and running until you get your kitchen good to go.
    CF
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