the history of TABASCO^®

According to family tradition, TABASCO^® Brand Pepper Sauce was created in the mid-to-late 1860s by Edmund McIlhenny, a banker from New Orleans, when he was given seeds of Capsicum frutescens peppers that had come from Mexico or Central America. He planted them on Avery Island, Louisiana and was delighted by their spicy flavour. Since that time, each year during the pepper harvest a member of the McIlhenny family personally selects the best plants in the field. Today, just as then, when the peppers reach the perfect shade of deep red and are at their juiciest, they are carefully picked by hand. When in doubt, pickers can gauge the colour by comparing it to a small wooden dowel, “le petit bâton rouge,” painted the preferred hue of TABASCO^® red.

In keeping with McIlhenny tradition, all peppers must be processed within hours of being picked. The same day the peppers are picked, they are loaded on trucks and transported to the Avery Island grinding station. There, they are mixed with a small amount of Avery Island salt, and placed in white oak wooden barrels. The barrels are marked, logged and sent to the Avery Island mash warehouse.

The mash is then allowed to ferment and age for up to 3 years, to bring out this distinctive and consistent flavour that has made TABASCO^® the leading hot pepper sauce since 1868. During early ageing, fermentation is active, therefore a small hole is made on the lids of the barrels and the top is then covered with Avery Island salt. The fermentation gases and juices escape through these holes, while the salt cap prevents any outside air or impurities from seeping into the mash.

After 3 long years, when deemed ready by a member of the McIhenny family, the approved, fully aged mash is then blended with all-natural, high grain vinegar and stirred for roughly 30 days. Later, the pepper skins and seeds are strained out. Provided the sauce passes all the quality checks, it's bottled and labelled with the trademark TABASCO^® logo.

For the full history of TABASCO^® Brand Pepper Sauce please click here.