So I typically make sauces with peppers, maybe carrots, onions and garlic, and vinegar. I always try to keep my ph below 4. Closer to 3.5 so they are shelf stable. So Im wanting to broaden my horizons maybe and start using some different ingredients. Some recipes Im reading are using fruit and herbs, as well as vegetable and spices. Some say "refrigerated will last for up to 6 weeks in the refrigerator". I usually strain out pulp and solids through a sieve for a smoother consistency. So I guess my question is what kind of advice can y'all give on using fruit, veg, herbs, etc.? Im wanting to experiment with some different things. Should I just go with the recipe and then keep adding vinegar to get a low ph? Advice please. Thanks guys!
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- Thread starter cayenneman
- Start date
cayenneman said:
Your pH is well below the 4.5-4.6 I've seen as recommended minimum. Besides vinegar you can use lemon juice to keep pH low.
As far as recipes go, the only site I know of dedicated to Chilies is>Pepper Fool. Please be advised this site is old and not maintained. There used to be a Recipe Home Page that had clickable links but I don't see that so you'll need to find them with the search function. There also used to be a disclaimer on that page that warned none of the recipes were not USDA tested or approved. One of the safe recipes is Easy Hot Sauce, as long as you follow the amounts of ingredients exactly.
Siv
Extreme Member
Good luck getting a definitive answer to this. I have searched and asked and have still not gotten a definitive answer. I think there is a relative unease in giving advice since the wrong advice can lead to illness and worst case, death.
Here's a USDA pamphlet on botulinum: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/a70a5447-9490-4855-af0d-e617ea6b5e46/Clostridium_botulinum.pdf?MOD=AJPERES
From the pamphlet: "C. botulinum cannot grow below a pH of 4.6". Given that our home pH testing equipment will not be as accurate as industrial or scientific gear, I aim for a pH below 4 just to be sure.
Now you would imagine that something like ketchup which has a pH below 4 should be shelf stable. But it still has "refrigerate after opening" on the label. So do dill pickles and other stuff which you would imagine are shelf stable even after opening. I think this is more of a CYA thing but if you have a pickle that's floating above the acidic pickling liquid, then it may no longer be acidic and could go off.
Another issue is that our home equipment may not be as sanitary as an industrial facility so we may be introducing bugs into our sauces from our pans, knives, blenders, bottles etc. So use a sanitizer after cleaning your equipment. It ensures you're keeping things as clean as possible.
My personal rules of thumb:
- Keep everything clean and sanitize
- Make sauces below pH 4 and water bath can (boil in the canning jar for 10 mins) sauce I want to keep unrefrigerated
- Pressure can stuff that's above pH 4 following the guidelines provided (e.g. for a pepper/onion mash it was something like 35 mins)
- Refrigerate <pH 4 sauces that I'm not canning
Here's a USDA pamphlet on botulinum: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/a70a5447-9490-4855-af0d-e617ea6b5e46/Clostridium_botulinum.pdf?MOD=AJPERES
From the pamphlet: "C. botulinum cannot grow below a pH of 4.6". Given that our home pH testing equipment will not be as accurate as industrial or scientific gear, I aim for a pH below 4 just to be sure.
Now you would imagine that something like ketchup which has a pH below 4 should be shelf stable. But it still has "refrigerate after opening" on the label. So do dill pickles and other stuff which you would imagine are shelf stable even after opening. I think this is more of a CYA thing but if you have a pickle that's floating above the acidic pickling liquid, then it may no longer be acidic and could go off.
Another issue is that our home equipment may not be as sanitary as an industrial facility so we may be introducing bugs into our sauces from our pans, knives, blenders, bottles etc. So use a sanitizer after cleaning your equipment. It ensures you're keeping things as clean as possible.
My personal rules of thumb:
- Keep everything clean and sanitize
- Make sauces below pH 4 and water bath can (boil in the canning jar for 10 mins) sauce I want to keep unrefrigerated
- Pressure can stuff that's above pH 4 following the guidelines provided (e.g. for a pepper/onion mash it was something like 35 mins)
- Refrigerate <pH 4 sauces that I'm not canning