Hello! I will get straight to it, I like to roast the fruits and veggies before blending into my final hot sauce. I have done it this way for some time and never had any issues. I have had very good shelf life with my sauces and never once has anybody who tried one of my sauces gotten sick. That said, somebody just told me adamantly that cooking the vegetables before making the sauce significantly increases the chances of food borne toxins. I never use oil in cooking the veggies, I sterilize everything, maintain a PH well under 4.0, and use the hot fill technique. With these precautions in mind, I thought that roasting the ingredients ahead of time would be harmless? Have I just been mistaken for this long?? Thanks for any insight!