bottles-jars Question for home bottlers..

chuk hell

chuk hell

Like Marv and ChefEx

How do you home bottle in those little 5 ounce bottles ( what do ya call 'em...."woozies", did I see that somewhere? )

I mean I just learned how to can in mason jars so I'm wondering how you get the seal on those things and if you put them in a boiling bath too.

Curious.
 
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Ok, This works for me:

I asssemble all ingriendents in a 316 stainless pot and maintain about 200F until done (cooking times vary depending on which sauce I'm making). When the sauce is cooked I blend with an immersion blender to desired consistancy. I check PH and temp with a combo probe and adjust if needed. If it looses heat during blending (usually does) I return it to the burner until back to 200F (my formulas have been adjusted to acount for evaporation). After 200F again I pour it all into a food grade drum which has a FDA approved pump (double action so it pumps on the down stroke, it's hard to fill when pumping on the upstroke. I fill the 5oz woozies, cap (lined cap) and flip upside down. Let them cool. Hand apply labels and put on heat shrink. Use a heat gun (hairdryer works but takes too long) to shrink it. I contuine filling checking the temp every five bottles. When the bulk sauce cools to 180F it goes back to the burner until 200F again. Lather, rinse, repeat.

This gets me a decent pop when opening. This is also labor intensive. The immersion blender, PH/temp probe, drum and pump saved me a bunch of time. The old way involved a Hamilton Beach, funnel, bamboo slivers, and a car battery.
 
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Chuk... I don't know what ingredients you are using and I really don't feel like reading Dave's article, for obvious reasons, but in case he doesn't say so...

Certain acids, like lemon juice, will break down over time. So if your ph is good today, it might not be so six months down the line.

Also, if there are CHUNKS in your sauce, they could desolidify over time, diluting your sauce, affecting the ph balance again.

You also want to be aware that heat treating your sauces can also give you a back-up protection.

Your safest bet is to go with the higher ph levels, ie, the lower numbers and time test your product so you know if it is breaking down.

T
 
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OK lower numbers mean HIGHER pH. It's all coming back now.

I don't like to heat my fresh sauces and salsas but I'm planning on heating anything I can or bottle and bring the pH up with either lime juice or vinegar or a combo of both. I don't want to poison anyone!
 
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chuk hell said:
OK lower numbers mean HIGHER pH. It's all coming back now.

I don't like to heat my fresh sauces and salsas but I'm planning on heating anything I can or bottle and bring the pH up with either lime juice or vinegar or a combo of both. I don't want to poison anyone!
Click to expand...

Two words... Vitamin C.

In hot sauce maker vernacular: Ascorbic Acid... raises PH and has a great shelf life... look into it.

T
 
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I have another couple of questions about canning/bottling.
I plan on using 1/2 pint jelly jars for my own sauces. I don't have a canning setup,(I could probably get one if need be) Anyway, I was wondering....
Can I just keep the temp up on the final product and pour it into jars, turn them upside down to cool, and have them seal?
Regarding the PH issue...I know Ascorbic acid, citric acid, vinegar, etc.... help put the PH in the low 4 range. I am a homebrewer and frequently use phosphoric acid to lower the ph of my mash, and I was wondering if I could use that to lower the ph of my sauces? Anyone know?
Thanks for any help you can offer.
Allen
 
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Ratdz said:
I have another couple of questions about canning/bottling.
I plan on using 1/2 pint jelly jars for my own sauces. I don't have a canning setup,(I could probably get one if need be) Anyway, I was wondering....
Can I just keep the temp up on the final product and pour it into jars, turn them upside down to cool, and have them seal?
Regarding the PH issue...I know Ascorbic acid, citric acid, vinegar, etc.... help put the PH in the low 4 range. I am a homebrewer and frequently use phosphoric acid to lower the ph of my mash, and I was wondering if I could use that to lower the ph of my sauces? Anyone know?
Thanks for any help you can offer.
Allen
Click to expand...

The canning setup isn't such a big deal... you simply need a wide based pot deep enough to submerge your bottles.

I don't know much about phosphoric acid or the differences between ascorbic and citric acid or even vinegar, so I looked them up... It seems they can all be used in one manner or another anyway.

Maybe one of our resident chemists can explain it...

Citric Acid: C6H8O7
Ascorbic Acid: C6H8O6
Vinegar: a dilute version of acetic acid: CH3COOH
Phosphoric Acid: H3PO4

I think one of the things that really needs to be considered when choosing your acid, is how it tastes; it really will either add to or take away from your sauce.

T
 
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Tina Brooks said:
I think one of the things that really needs to be considered when choosing your acid, is how it tastes; it really will either add to or take away from your sauce.

T
Click to expand...

I'm not to particular on how the acid taste. I think that the way acid makes you feel should be the main focus. I also like mine absorbed into little pieces of paper with pics of mickey mouse on them. Caution: Huge endorphin rushes can be expected when using to much acid.
Opps! sorry, wrong blog. :)
 
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Cap'n Bones said:
I'm not to particular on how the acid taste. I think that the way acid makes you feel should be the main focus. I also like mine absorbed into little pieces of paper with pics of mickey mouse on them. Caution: Huge endorphin rushes can be expected when using to much acid.
Opps! sorry, wrong blog. :)
Click to expand...
Bwahahahahaha! Mickey Mouse tabs! ROFLMAO

I bet Disney didn't approve that product placement.
 
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Well, I have done some research and have found that there are several sauces which use phosphoric acid to lower the ph of their sauce. I am going to try it in some of mine that I am goin to make in a few weeks. I have a ph meter, and plan on adding the acid one drop at a time, untill I get to the proper ph I am after.
By the way, what is a good ph to shoot for? I have heard in the low 4's.
This should keep the sauce good for awhile, right?
Thanks again
Allen
 
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The most stable sauces I make have only chiles, vinegar, and salt in them (no chunks) with PH range of 3.6-3.8. White vinegar is harsh tasting, but mellows out in the mix after 6-8 months. (most won't notice the vinegar in a red savina, choc. hab. or francesca sauce anyway!) Apple cider vinegar is tastier, as are several others, such as rice wine. But always check your final mix for ph because vinegars all differ in their acidity/concentration. I don't have a "sauce pump", just a funnel with a small neck that fits into the 5 oz. bottles. Oh, and the lowest percentage of vinegar I can safely get in a pure chile sauce is 8%, which gives off almost no vinegar taste at all. brookthecook
 
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What's the best way to get rid of chunks. Do you strain or use higher tech emusifiers. When straining, whats the best way to get the most out of your peppers. I use my fresh peppers in a very small kitchen setup using a food processor and a kitchen sieve but would like to find a cheap easier way. What about bottling chunky salsas, lots of acid I assume.
 
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