If I wanted to make a shelf stable hot sauce, would I need to ferment it or are there other ways to do this?
Thanks for the help,
GrowTheHeat
Thanks for the help,
GrowTheHeat
-
If you have a question about commercial production or the hot sauce business, please post in Startup Help.
Hot Sauce Stability?
- Thread starter GrowTheHeat
- Start date
Most of the time fermenting will get you down to a safe PH to get shelf stable, but it isn't a guarantee, you will need to check the PH. You can also use an established recipe that you know has been tested and is safe. You can get a cheap, functional PH tester on Amazon, it is worth the investment.
how you process will determine "shelf stablity" not how you make it.
see here...
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/29501-making-hot-sauce-101/
see here...
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/29501-making-hot-sauce-101/
Ok, essentially there are 2 ways to get a shelf stable sauce.
1. Get the Ph down to 4.6 or below and use proper hot pack methods (for woozies) or a boiling water bath for mason jars.*
2. If the Ph is above 4.6 your going to have to use pressure caning methods and mason jars to kill any nasties that might be in the sauce.
* Do not try to water bath your woozies. You'll just end up with a big mess to clean up and no sauce to enjoy. (Yes, there is a reason I mention this
)
1. Get the Ph down to 4.6 or below and use proper hot pack methods (for woozies) or a boiling water bath for mason jars.*
2. If the Ph is above 4.6 your going to have to use pressure caning methods and mason jars to kill any nasties that might be in the sauce.
* Do not try to water bath your woozies. You'll just end up with a big mess to clean up and no sauce to enjoy. (Yes, there is a reason I mention this
)
What about hot packing in 4oz jam/jelly jars?RocketMan said:Ok, essentially there are 2 ways to get a shelf stable sauce.
1. Get the Ph down to 4.6 or below and use proper hot pack methods (for woozies) or a boiling water bath for mason jars.*
2. If the Ph is above 4.6 your going to have to use pressure caning methods and mason jars to kill any nasties that might be in the sauce.
* Do not try to water bath your woozies. You'll just end up with a big mess to clean up and no sauce to enjoy. (Yes, there is a reason I mention this
salsalady
eXtreme Business
Hot Pack in 4 oz jelly jars should still get a BWB to properly seal.
The different lids dictate how it should be processed. Most of the information is in the thread linked above, but just to be clear-
If the pH is above 4.6 it must be pressure canned in typical mason jars with metal lids and rings.
if the pH is about 4.0, it should be pressure canned unless you know absolutely for certain the pH is 4.0 or below. Around 4.0 is still marginal to BWB or Hot Fill/Hold because if the inaccuracies of cheap pH meters, the different ingredients in different sauces.... there's too many variables and possibilities to get into the danger zone, so I recommend canning everything 4.0pH or above.
Below 4.0 pH, it's OK to Hot Fill/Hold in woozy bottles or hot fill any size mason/jelly jars with metal lids and rings and then boiling water bath the recommended time depending on the size of the jars.
The Hot Fill/Hold process and the Boiling Water Bath process are both discussed in the link.
Back to your original question- you do not have to ferment it. Follow the processes described in the link. Have Fun!
PS- I see you're in WA state. Have you seen the link for our chileheads campout coming up in September in Seattle? Love to have you join us if you can.
The different lids dictate how it should be processed. Most of the information is in the thread linked above, but just to be clear-
If the pH is above 4.6 it must be pressure canned in typical mason jars with metal lids and rings.
if the pH is about 4.0, it should be pressure canned unless you know absolutely for certain the pH is 4.0 or below. Around 4.0 is still marginal to BWB or Hot Fill/Hold because if the inaccuracies of cheap pH meters, the different ingredients in different sauces.... there's too many variables and possibilities to get into the danger zone, so I recommend canning everything 4.0pH or above.
Below 4.0 pH, it's OK to Hot Fill/Hold in woozy bottles or hot fill any size mason/jelly jars with metal lids and rings and then boiling water bath the recommended time depending on the size of the jars.
The Hot Fill/Hold process and the Boiling Water Bath process are both discussed in the link.
Back to your original question- you do not have to ferment it. Follow the processes described in the link. Have Fun!
PS- I see you're in WA state. Have you seen the link for our chileheads campout coming up in September in Seattle? Love to have you join us if you can.