I've been bottling and selling hot sauce locally for several years. Some of my most popular sauces have been fruit-based sauces, using things like pineapple and mango. The problem is, the fruit in these sauces tends to ferment in the bottle and has caused 1 or 2 explosions when the bottles are opened, and drastically changed the flavor as well. I'm all about fermenting peppers, but the flavor of fermented fruit hasn't been as popular. I make sure to label my fruit-based sauces "keep refrigerated" at this point, but how can I make them shelf-stable?
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fermenting Fruit, hot sauce, and unwanted fermentation
- Thread starter jesseo715
- Start date
Sounds like you want to go through the canning process and make sure you have a low enough pH. I have read 4.6 is low enough for boiled water canning.
The explosions and fermentation you describe both point to bacterial contamination. We ferment peppers by lowering PH to allow lactobacillus to grow, while inhibiting other types of bacteria, canning will kill off the lactobacillus and leave you with a 'sterile' product.
The explosions and fermentation you describe both point to bacterial contamination. We ferment peppers by lowering PH to allow lactobacillus to grow, while inhibiting other types of bacteria, canning will kill off the lactobacillus and leave you with a 'sterile' product.
Ferment the peppers. Add the fruit after. Then pasteurize to keep the whole thing from fermenting.
The fruit should not be fermenting. Even if you have fermented the peppers. That's why bringing it up to temp is important. It kills the bacteria to keep it from fermenting even more and exploding.
But you'd have to make sure the pH is low enough after adding the fruit. That way it's shelf stable. If it's not then get the pH down below 4.2 (most home Brewers of sauce shoot for below 4 though) and then bring it up to temp kill the bacteria to keep it from continuing fermentation then hotfill or cool to tweak the sauce more.
The fruit should not be fermenting. Even if you have fermented the peppers. That's why bringing it up to temp is important. It kills the bacteria to keep it from fermenting even more and exploding.
But you'd have to make sure the pH is low enough after adding the fruit. That way it's shelf stable. If it's not then get the pH down below 4.2 (most home Brewers of sauce shoot for below 4 though) and then bring it up to temp kill the bacteria to keep it from continuing fermentation then hotfill or cool to tweak the sauce more.
man.... if you're having fermentation in your bottles that you're SELLING to people.... that's a huge problem. You need to stop what you're doing and learn how to properly can sauces before you literally kill someone.
And this is the reason I'm always hesitant buying "homemade" bottled/canned anything.
And this is the reason I'm always hesitant buying "homemade" bottled/canned anything.
Doelman said:
I can see how that would be worrisome, but none of that particular sauce reached buyers. They were in storage and hadn't sold yet. I check pH (4.6 or below) on all of my sauces and use sanitized equipment, to comply with my state's law on selling home-bottled goods. The issue happened with one batch of one flavor, and I immediately put that flavor on hold when it happened.
I'll whip up a new batch and get it as hot as I can for hot fill hold, then wait on it and see what happens. If that still doesn't work, I'll look for some woozy caps that will work for hot bath canning.
Thanks for your help, everyone.
salsalady
Business Member
What and where are you selling your sauces? Generally, hot sauces are not allowed under Cottage Industry rules. Usually, each and every sauce recipe is subject to approval by the licensing authority/AHJ...(authority having jurisdiction)... and once that recipe is approved, it cannot be altered.
Having a batch tank and explode sends up red flags. Have any of the recipes been approved for sale by a local/state/fed health authority?
4.6pH is the threshold for manufacturers with high quality equipment that can be controlled down to the 'nth' degree. Generally, for small batch independent sauce makers, they shoot for below 4.0pH to allow for a minimal margin of error. And that's for a Process Authority approved and health inspector approved recipe and processing facility.
SL
Having a batch tank and explode sends up red flags. Have any of the recipes been approved for sale by a local/state/fed health authority?
4.6pH is the threshold for manufacturers with high quality equipment that can be controlled down to the 'nth' degree. Generally, for small batch independent sauce makers, they shoot for below 4.0pH to allow for a minimal margin of error. And that's for a Process Authority approved and health inspector approved recipe and processing facility.
SL
Sauces that are clearly fruit or vegetable products (no meat, eggs, or dairy) and are at or below 4.6 pH are legal to sell in my state as long as they are properly labeled, sold only at community events and farmers' markets, and sales do not exceed $5,000 per year. No licensing is necessary as long as these requirements are met.salsalady said:
I've never sold a sauce that tests at 4.6, and with my little inexpensive handheld tester, I always want to have that margin of error anyway.
I really do appreciate that you all defend hot sauce making so strongly. Please rest assured that in my current situation, I do have my I's dotted and my T's crossed. I always have more to learn and if I do approach that $5,000 limit (a real possibility), I will have a lot MORE to learn about licensure and retail. I'm grateful to be part of this community.
It sounds to me as if that one particular batch of sauce might not have been brought up to proper temp for the proper amount of time, thereby leaving enough lacto intact enough to begin fermenting after it had been bottled. Most every hobby and small time sauce maker has had such issues, and learned from them.
I would advise you make sure to reach a good simmer during cook down, and that you hold that simmer for at least 5 minutes in order to cook off any lacto that might be present on your ingredients. The batch in question needs be dumped unfortunately, but those bottles can be reused once they've been sanitized. (not the caps though)
I would advise you make sure to reach a good simmer during cook down, and that you hold that simmer for at least 5 minutes in order to cook off any lacto that might be present on your ingredients. The batch in question needs be dumped unfortunately, but those bottles can be reused once they've been sanitized. (not the caps though)
salsalady
Business Member
Thanks for that information. We...as a community...are always supportive of new entrepreneurs. Rules and regs vary from state-to-state and from all different situations. Thanks for posting.
Again, I'd shoot for 4.0pH or less and use a GOOD quality ph meter. For $125 for a good pH meter, that's your main basis for processing. Keep records of every batch and make sure to do the 'finished equilibrium' pH also.
SnF's comments are right on for time/temp stuff.
Again, I'd shoot for 4.0pH or less and use a GOOD quality ph meter. For $125 for a good pH meter, that's your main basis for processing. Keep records of every batch and make sure to do the 'finished equilibrium' pH also.
SnF's comments are right on for time/temp stuff.
Thank you! I've used a chart I found online as a general guideline for temperature and cooking time, but I think you might be on the right track. The batch in question is long since dumped (in fall 2018), but I thought I would ask here before completely abandoning the recipe.SmokenFire said: