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tutorial Making Hot Sauce 101

matew90 said:
Guys ,,has anybody try to do sauce with the ime juice or some fruit in a way that we put it on a hot oil ??
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Can you explain more what you are asking about?
Sometimes people will use a bit of oil to cook/saute some vegetables used in the sauce. Sometimes people put dry chillis and other herbs in oil to make a spicy oil.
 
matew90 said:
Guys ,,has anybody try to do sauce with the ime juice or some fruit in a way that we put it on a hot oil ??
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are you asking about a --- HOT BOIL---?   I'm not sure of the question.  Lime juice is used quite often, and most hot sauces made using the methods talked about here bring the sauce up to boiling (gentle boil, simmer) before bottling.
 
I think he's looking for a time when we add fruit to the sauce during processing. If making a fruit based hot sauce. I Think ? If so i add fruit with all the ingredients then heat and hand blend to create a mash then after heating to break down the fruit and veg ie peppers. I run through a foodmill to remove seeds and skins back into pot bring to boil then into my blender for a final mix. Back into pot to boil and can. :)  Hope this is what you mean. This is just a method i use for fruit based sauce fresh style. Not Fermented.  Add fruit right away for fresh sauce :)  
 
Hello. I intend to make a low ph hot sauce soon and wanted to try to hot fill as the instructions ay to do. If I wanted to be extra safe and then refrigerate it *before* opening, how long would I wait from when ifilled it to when I stuck it in fridge? Also, can this idea of hot filling (flipping bottlefor 15 min) then refigerator actually be more beneficial safety wise than just letting sauce cool dowb to room temp, then filling woozies then putting in fridge? Thanks.
 
Wow that is a wealth of info, Ive just ordered my first PH tester on Amazon, thank you SalsaLady.
 
After trawling through the site, I don't think this question has been asked before, but apologies in advance if it has!
Ive been developing a fresh chilli sauce, the main base is canned artichoke with roasted red pepper, chilli, spices, olive oil, white spiced vinegar & sugar. I do not cook the sauce, just blitz the ingredients together and bottle (using a bottle sterilised in the oven). The sauce lasts approx 4 weeks unopened and approx 4 weeks opened in the fridge.
 
So how can I extend the shelf life of the sauce without cooking/ hot filling, pressure canning or hot water bath? Its a fresh chunky relish style sauce, really tasty as a dip, cold sauce or to marinate chicken and fish. If I cook it or add heat to it, the taste and texture will change. Do I have to accept its a 4 - 8 week refridgerated sauce, or is there another way of preserving it?
 
After reading this article I now have to look at the PH level of the sauce and will most probably have to increase the acid via more vinegar, salt, lemon juice or sugar. Will this alone extend the shelf life or do I still need to look at another process before / during bottling?
 
I would love to get your views.
 
 
 
:welcome: chakalaka!

From your posted ingredients, it sounds like the 4 weeks window is about right. Without pH testing or any kind of processing, the sauce should be kept refrigerated.

To extend that window without any cooking processes, using acids/vinegars to lower the pH is the only option. But!!! Within that option is using mild tasting vinegars such as rice wine vinegar or powdered ascorbic acid...which is Vitamin C...


There is the process of frementation which will lower the pH but will also alter the taste.
 
Salt and sugar do not effect pH levels. Salt is critical in making fermented products, and sugar does effect end heat levels as well as being a "food" for the Good Cultures during fermentation.

For preservation and pH levels, citrus juices and vinegars are whats needed.

Hope this helps. Good luck and have fun!!!
 
Thanks SalsaLady; Im waiting on my new PH tester and will start to experiment with the vinegar and ascorbic acid levels to see what results I get. I will give an update over the next few weeks!
 
 
It doesn't take a whole lot of vinegar to make a difference.   Even as little as 1 tablespoon per pint is enough to go from 1 week shelf life to 4 weeks shelf life (refrigerated).
 
One time, very early on in my making salsa venture, I forgot the vinegar.  The salsa went bad in about a week.  The salsa is all fresh vegetables, so yea, think about a tomato or green pepper in your fridge for a week, they start getting yucky.  Lost a whole batch of salsa, about 120 pints.  Needless to say, I've never made that mistake again!!! 
 
 
Looking forward to hearing how it goes for you. 
 
 
Interesting on the levels of vinegar, although we want to get the shelf life to at least 6 months outside the fridge!
 
 
Another question, Ive read that PH4 is around the right level to preserve the sauce and stop any nasties growing; but is there a max level, so should I aim for PH4 or is it ok have the sauce at PH2 or 3 when made? 
 
chakalaka said:
Interesting on the levels of vinegar, although we want to get the shelf life to at least 6 months outside the fridge!
 
 
Another question, Ive read that PH4 is around the right level to preserve the sauce and stop any nasties growing; but is there a max level, so should I aim for PH4 or is it ok have the sauce at PH2 or 3 when made? 
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I am no sauce guy but all the ones I make are in the mid to low 3's. That seems to be a very safe zone and standard by many. 
 
chakalaka said:
Interesting on the levels of vinegar, although we want to get the shelf life to at least 6 months outside the fridge!
 
 
Another question, Ive read that PH4 is around the right level to preserve the sauce and stop any nasties growing; but is there a max level, so should I aim for PH4 or is it ok have the sauce at PH2 or 3 when made? 
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The lower the better. 4 is the max you want as a high.
 
chakalaka said:
Interesting on the levels of vinegar, although we want to get the shelf life to at least 6 months outside the fridge!
 
 
Another question, Ive read that PH4 is around the right level to preserve the sauce and stop any nasties growing; but is there a max level, so should I aim for PH4 or is it ok have the sauce at PH2 or 3 when made? 
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pH 4.0 is the target for a sauce that is intended to be bottled...ie cooked. I dont know what an uncooked shelf stable would need to be. Im guessing less than 3.0, but that eould have to be answered by a food authority. In that range it is basically a pickled product. It definitey needs a process review, pH test and probably a shelf life test to be approved for sale.

Good luck with the project. Sounds interesting!

SL
 
Thanks for all the feedback, its been a busy holiday but we will start experimenting again next week! We are trying to get the product stable at home and will then send away for food analysis and shelf life testing. its unfortunate that most chilli sauces are cooked to extend shelf life as we really don't want to cook it and change the consistency and flavour. Im going to experiment with adding lemon juice and different amounts of rice vinegar to see what happens. :)
 
How do saucemakers add bacon flavour to their sauces? Just bits of bacon? Or do they use rendered bacon fat for sauteing the other ingredients? What would be the easiest and safest way?
 
Adding meat to hot sauces is extremely risky.  They are not safe to use the hot Fill/hold method of processing, most things that contain meat, even things like bouillon, have to be pressure canned. 
 
edit- bacon flavoring 
 
Rocketman posted a process on here somewhere of rendering down a bunch of bacon fat, then adding it to vodka.  Freeze it so the fat solidifies, then pour off the vodka....or something like that.  I'll see if I can find the post....
 
Bacon Infused Vodka
 
filter set up
 
Yes there are sauces with actual bits of bacon, even big chunks, in salsa.
 
The Hot Pepper said:
Yes there are sauces with actual bits of bacon, even big chunks, in salsa.
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....professionally packaged.....
 
Well if not keep it in the fridge. Lots of people make meat sauce, and bacon jam, nothing new there. Home use = fridge.
 
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