• If you have a question about commercial production or the hot sauce business, please post in Startup Help.

Has my sauce gone bad?

C

CCTjohn

Greetings all. I am very new at making hot sauce and am enjoying it but I have concerns about my first batch and want to run it by you pros and see.

I will list my recipe first so you all know what I'm dealing with then will explain my concerns.

1.5 cups chopped carrots
1 Onion
1.5 cup lime juice
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp. salt
15 - 20 Habs. (I used 20)

I like the standard canning process and according to the recipe I was to process in a water bath. I brought the water to a boil then boiled the full jars for a full 15 min.

My concern is that I am just shy of about 3 weeks of the sauce in the pantry. I opened and used one jar right away, then opened one that had sat about a week and a half, it was fine. The last two jars... I took out to give a friend a jar and I noticed that the color was about 4 shades darker than when I started. The Sauce has no seperate areas that are dark, and there isn't any mold growing. Just an overall darkening of the color.

My question is... Is it normal for sauce to darken as it ages and how can I tell if the sauce is going bad? Any advice here would be of great help.
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
It can be normal, it usually darkens in thinner areas, like in the neck, but it can overall, however I am not saying it is not spoiled, you will have to judge this for yourself.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
These are in short Mason jars... 3oz I think they were.

My first thought was just to dump them but my wife, who has some canning experience, says it could be normal and wait and see. I still have them, just digging for more info.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You are correct that lime juice will substitute for vinegar and with 1.5 cups in your sauce I'd feel safe in saying that your ph is probably below 4. Also you said that you used Mason jars and a water bath so, so long as the lid had not popped up you again should be fine. There are a couple if take aways here it you want to make hot sauce in batches big enough to give you several months worth of sauce.

First, got something to measure the ph of your sauce. You want the ph to be below 4 to have a shelf stable sauce. You can use ph test strips or you can get a digital meter on eBay for under $20.00.

Second, sanitize everything that is going to touch the final sauce. Ladles, jars. lids, funnels ec...

Third, bring your sauce to 195 degrees F for 15 minutes before putting it into your bottles or jars a d don't let it get below 185. If it does reheat it to 195. This will kill any nasties that are in it.

Forth, make sure your following the correct guidelines for canning for the bottles or jars your using.

Lastly, have fun doing it.

Cheers,
RM
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top