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On Wednesday, we made our way into the Bayou State. Our first stop was Avery Island, Louisiana and the Tabasco pepper sauce factory. Our tourguide was a local resident who had worked there for three years. She had just recently been diagnosed with -- and we're not kidding, here -- an allergy to the peppers! She was taking it all in stride, however, as she coughed and wheezed her way through the presentation.
It was interesting to learn the history of the spicy condiment and to see some of the details in how it is made. For instance, after the peppers are hand-picked, they are crushed and mixed with salt that is harvested on Avery Island. The mash is then placed into barrels to ferment and age for three years -- and not just any barrels will do. Only used aging barrels from the Jack Daniel's distillery are utilized. See, you knew there was more kick to Tabasco than from just the peppers! The aged mash is then mixed with vinegar and stirred for a month before being strained and bottled.
In Baton Rouge, we visited with Cindy's sister Teresa, her husband, Tom and their three children (now young adults), James, Marie and Thomas. It was good to get to visit with them at a quieter time before we return for the graduation in May. On our last night we all went out to dinner along with James' and Thomas' girl friends.
From left: Tabitha, Thomas, Mike, Cindy, Teresa, Tom, Elsa, James and Marie
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