Amateur Sauce Maker NEEDS EXPERT ADVICE!
Hi all,
I just signed up here- what a great site! I just grew my first patch of peppers this year, and have a bunch of fresh and frozen habeneros that I've been picking all summer. If anyone can help me get started- here's what I'm trying to do: I bought a gallon of Red Habanero Mash, and I'd like to use this, some fresh orange habaneros, some frozen as well if possible,some dry ingredients etc, and make a sauce that can sit in dry storage for a while without going bad. I've got food-grade PH strips and I think I understand the 4.4 PH rule, but other than this, I'm not sure where to begin. I'd love to make something sweet and hot, or a hot jerk type sauce, but am willing to do whatever I need to to get something decent into bottles and give them as Christmas gifts without worrying about refrigeration. Should I use a preservative? Lots of vinegar? Any help will be much appreciated.
I just signed up here- what a great site! I just grew my first patch of peppers this year, and have a bunch of fresh and frozen habeneros that I've been picking all summer. If anyone can help me get started- here's what I'm trying to do: I bought a gallon of Red Habanero Mash, and I'd like to use this, some fresh orange habaneros, some frozen as well if possible,some dry ingredients etc, and make a sauce that can sit in dry storage for a while without going bad. I've got food-grade PH strips and I think I understand the 4.4 PH rule, but other than this, I'm not sure where to begin. I'd love to make something sweet and hot, or a hot jerk type sauce, but am willing to do whatever I need to to get something decent into bottles and give them as Christmas gifts without worrying about refrigeration. Should I use a preservative? Lots of vinegar? Any help will be much appreciated.
Tags: PH, bottling, dry, gardening, hot, making, preservatives, recipes, refrigeration, sauce, More…
Views: 46
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Dave Mennenoh on -
First, I'd suggest reading some articles on canning and preserving foods, that'll give you good insight into what you need to do.
You don't need a preservative, that's what the canning part is. You want to boil your sauce for at least 10 minutes then bottle it while it's hot. Affix the caps and invert - the hot sauce will sterilize the caps. The low pH, prevents botulism from growing.
As for your recipe, there are plenty of recipes you can look up online and improvise them to make them your own - they will give you the approximate ratios of vinegar to pepper/mash to start with anyway. You can do whatever you like. That's the fun part... long as you hot bottle and your pH is in line you should be fine.
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Permalink Reply by Gary Gannon on -
Dave said it all. pH and hot packing is key. Adequate vinegar and citrus will provide all the pH you'll need. Good luck and have fun!
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Permalink Reply by Colonel Angus on -
Thanks Gary and Dave. I'm on my way to the kitchen with some rubber gloves, a mask and eye protection. Maybe soon I'll have a nice bottle of fire to share, and the first batch will go to everyone that's helped me so far!
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Permalink Reply by Sam on -
This is the way we all start out. When you perfect your recipe, test it out on enough victims, and are sure you have a winner, enter it in a few contests (not cheap). Then if and when you are ready to go commercial, you have two routes. A commercial kitchen with an acidified foods specialist BPC (Better Process Control) license or a co-packer. Good luck.
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Permalink Reply by Gary Gannon on
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Oh no...just run. Run the other way and run as far away from any ideas you may have of getting into this business.
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Permalink Reply by Colonel Angus on
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Haha! I don't think I have any ambitions for mass production. I just want to make a few bottles each year to give as unique gifts. Thanks again everyone.
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Permalink Reply by Jay on -
Can anybody recommend any copackers in Canada?
I have a few spice rubs I am trying to get to market.
--Jay
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Permalink Reply by Tina Brooks on
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Jay... I personally recommend Brooks Pepperfire Foods Inc. out of Rigaud Quebec. You can find us at http://www.pepperfire.ca -- Shameless self-promotion... but you did ask.
Back on topic...
Colonel Angus... We don't use vinegar in many of the Peppermaster products, so don't let anyone tell you that it is a requirement for your hot sauce. Of course, the canning process is an extra step of work beyond hot-filling, but it's worth it... especially if you have any State, Provincial or International borders you intend to cross.
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Permalink Reply by Colonel Angus on
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Thanks again everyone for the suggestions. I've now made over 50 bottles of my newly dubbed 'GardenFire' sauce. It's habanero and mango mainly, and everyone loves it so far.
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