TABASCO Plant Tour

(Betty’s RV Park, Abbeville, LA) Hi 77° F, Low 61° F

We went to the McIlhenny Tabasco factory on Avery Island, LA today.  They produce the many different Tabasco sauces that seem to be available everywhere. 

 

 

 

We took a tour of the factory and it was very interesting.

 

 

 

We also did some shopping at their Tabasco Country Store.

TABASCO® brand Original Red Sauce was created in the mid to late 1860s by Edmund McIlhenny and the company is family-owned. 

The peppers they grow and use are capsicum peppers.

They still grow the peppers on Avery Island but most of them are grown in South America because the growing season there is year-around.  They also want diversity in growing locations in case of disease, weather, or other problems hinder the growing and harvesting process. 

 

One of the fermenting barrels

The harvested peppers are mashed with Avery Island salt.  The mash is then put into used (but cleaned) whiskey, white oak barrels.  Then the tops of the barrels are covered with more Avery Island salt. 

 

A barrel with the salt "cake" on top

 

The salt hardens into “cake” to prevent anything from getting inside the barrels.  The salt “cake” consistency was amazingly hard.

The mash ferments and ages for three years.  Then it is mixed with high quality distilled vinegar and stirred for 28 straight days.  Then it is strained and put into bottles for shipping.  After that it is labeled in 22 different languages and distributed to over 165 countries.

The production line

If we remember correctly, the tour leader said the factory we were touring bottles approximately 700,000 bottles per day.  That's a lot of sauce!!

In the Country Store I sampled some jalepeno ice cream.  It was much better than it sounds.

Schucks Seafood Restaurant

After we left the island we went to Shuck’s Seafood Restaurant in Abbeville, LA.  Lisa ordered Shrimp Patties and I had Seafood Pasta.  Lisa said her food was just "OK" but I really liked mine.



Inside Shucks

 

 

 

 

 

After that we stopped at Walmart to pick up a few things.  One thing that blows our mind is that the Walmart in Abbeville sells beer, wine, and liquor.  Once again, we are seeing things we’ve never seen before.  Cool!

Today I was wearing a University Kentucky basketball t-shirt and hat.  Several times today people asked me about the Wildcats and the NCAA tournament.  People at the Tabasco factory tour, Walmart and the campground.  It was really interesting because folks from Louisiana and a guy from Texas all said they were rooting for Kentucky to win it all.  Nice folks!

Went we got back to the campground we put things away and Lisa gave me a haircut.  It’s been a pretty laid back evening.

Tomorrow the Distant Network Services (DNS) from DirecTV should be connected so we can pick up the local network channels on satellite.  We’ll see if it happens.  If not, they told me to call them and let them know, so I’ll check first thing in the morning.

Well, that's all we have for today.  I’ll write again soon.

Thanks for following along.