I’ve been making my own habanero mash for years, and it’s one of my favorite condiments to add to food. You can use it as a hot sauce or salsa, but I prefer to make something like habanero mayonnaise or aioli.
The flavor is just so good. But there’s one thing I’ve always wondered about: what are those black dots floating around in there? Are they extra pepper seeds? What gives them their unique taste? If you’re curious about these tiny specks of flavor too, read on for some answers.
Blackened seeds inside of black pepper indicate that the pepper is spoiled. The blackening can be caused by either the death of the seeds or the failure to develop. But the mash is safe for consumption once you have removed these seeds. Dump out any moldy peppers, and throw away any peppers with obvious signs of rot.
Can You Eat Habanero Mash With Black Spot Inside?
Yes, some people like to eat it with the black spot inside as well. If you do this, you need to make sure that the spot doesn’t have any mold on it so that you don’t get sick.
You can eat habanero mash with a black spot inside. In fact, it will not affect the flavor or texture of your dish at all. The black spots are actually seeds from the pepper that have been roasted until they turn black. They still maintain their crunchy texture even after roasting and are a good source of fiber and protein.
To be safe, if you have a confusing black spot inside your habanero mash, it is probably best to avoid eating it. The black spot is most likely mold, and consuming mold can cause serious health problems.
If you are unsure whether or not the black spot is mold, it is best to err on the side of caution and throw it away.
How to Tell when Habanero Mash Is Not Suitable to Eat
If you have some leftover habanero mash, you need to know how to tell if it is still good for consumption. Here are some tips on how to tell when habanero mash is not suitable to eat:
1. Visual Inspection
First, you should visually inspect the habaneros to see if they have any signs of rot or mold on them. You will be able to see this easily because they will turn brown and black spots may start appearing on their surface.
If you see any signs of mold, discard the peppers immediately because they may be contaminated with harmful bacteria that can cause food poisoning symptoms in humans.
2. Smell Test
When you want to check whether your habanero mash is still good, smell it first. If there is no smell at all, then you should not use the mash for cooking.
This means that it has gone bad, and you will have to throw it away. On the other hand, if it has a strong smell but does not have any mold on it, then you can still use it for cooking purposes as long as you will not consume a lot of it at once.
3. Taste Test
The taste test can also give you an idea of whether your habanero mash has gone bad. You can do this by putting some of the mash in your mouth and chewing on it slowly so that you can taste it better.
If the result is that there are no signs of burning or irritation in your mouth after 15 minutes, then this means that your mash has gone bad and needs to be thrown away immediately.
4. The Texture of Habanero Mash
The texture of Habanero Mash is a good way to tell if it is fresh enough to eat. If it’s very soft and mushy, it doesn’t have much crunch left. That means that it has been sitting around too long, and there is an increased risk of bacterial growth in your mash.
If the mash is still very firm, that’s a good sign that it hasn’t been sitting around too long. But if it starts to get mushy or soft, then you need to be careful about eating it.
5. Color
If you’re using natural food coloring, you’ll want to make sure that the product is not turning a greenish color. The color of your mash should be a vibrant orange-red color.
If it’s turning green, this is an indication that something is wrong with your mash, and it isn’t safe for consumption.
How Long Does Habanero Mash Last?
The good news is that this type of product has an incredibly long shelf life of up to many months as long as it’s stored properly.
You should store the habanero mash in an airtight container in your refrigerator after you make it. If you want to keep it longer than this, you should freeze it in an airtight container.
If you are storing your habanero mash in a refrigerator, it will last up to months. However, there are some things that can shorten this length of time:
If you store your habanero mash in an area where it’s too hot or too cold, its shelf life will be shortened (while it will still last longer than if you stored it at room temperature).
- If you keep your container partially full, its shelf life will also be shortened because water can get into the container and cause mold to grow.
- If you scrape off any of the surfaces of the habanero mash before storing it, it could go bad sooner than usual because this exposes more surface area for bacteria to grow on.
Conclusion
There is a common misconception that black specks in habanero mash are a sign of spoilage. While true, those black dots are actually the seeds of the pepper, and the pepper should be fine to consume, just as if they weren’t there.
There’s a fair chance that many people reading this article are worried that their precious habanero mash is riddled with mold.
If you’re one of those individuals, don’t worry: there are two main reasons black dots appear on top of your habanero mash. So if you’ve ever wondered what they may be, the answer is already up there.
