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

pH What's a good ratio of acid to other ingredients when you don't have a PH meter?

filmost

filmost

Thinking of whipping up a mango fatalii sauce this weekend and was wondering what a good safe ratio of acid (vinegar/lime/lemon etc) to other ingredients would be?
 
I don't have a PH meter or strips to work with, so hopefully you veterans might be able to chime in, or if you have a recipe I can adjust that would be even easier! ;-)
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
"Acid ratios- based on several of the approved recipes in the links above, most have an average of 1 cup white vinegar to 10 cups of veggies. However, I’m not a food scientist or process authority. This is just a suggestion based on approved recipes. Different ingredients will effect the finished pH of the sauce."
 
If in doubt, add a bit more.  Also, I would use rice vinegar, maybe a white wine vinegar or basic white vinegar with the fatalii sauce instead of apple cider vin.
 
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Thanks for the ideas SavinaRed and Salsalady! ;-) Now that I have an idea of the range I can work with, it's time to gather ingredients!
 
Salsalady, why do you recommend rice vinegar? I've always had a love hate relationship with rice vinegar. It's the norm over here in Japan and works well with the local cuisine, but the aroma is always off putting when I try to use it with other stuff, it's just not a "clean" aroma if you get what I mean.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
It was more suggesting a vinegar other than apple cider vinegar, which I think would be overpowering to a mango/fatalii sauce.  If the rice vinegars aren't appealing, maybe try a wine vinegar or champagne vinegar, or...ye old white vinegar.     
 
Have Fun!  Post pics~  :)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
salsalady said:
It was more suggesting a vinegar other than apple cider vinegar, which I think would be overpowering to a mango/fatalii sauce.  If the rice vinegars aren't appealing, maybe try a wine vinegar or champagne vinegar, or...ye old white vinegar.     
 
Have Fun!  Post pics~  :)
Click to expand...
 
Haha alrighty. ;-) Yeah I will post pics when I get to making some sauce this weekend!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Numbers! That's what I like to see. Thanks! ;-)
 
Also I should probably spin this off into another question, but if I were to make a fermented sauce would I add the vinegar in after the ferment? And what about fruits, do they go in during or after fermentation?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Add vinegar to make a sauce acidic for proper/safe shelf storage. Fermentation adds this acid via the good bacteria without the need for vinegar.

Add all ingredients before fermentation not after. Adding ingredients after will possibly alter the ph to an unsafe level for shelf storage.

I suggest you invest in a Ph meter. In the meantime make your sauces in small batches of 1-2 bottles and store in the fridge.

Read Hot sauce making 101 for all the details.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Shorerider said:
Add vinegar to make a sauce acidic for proper/safe shelf storage. Fermentation adds this acid via the good bacteria without the need for vinegar.

Add all ingredients before fermentation not after. Adding ingredients after will possibly alter the ph to an unsafe level for shelf storage.

I suggest you invest in a Ph meter. In the meantime make your sauces in small batches of 1-2 bottles and store in the fridge.

Read Hot sauce making 101 for all the details.
Click to expand...
 
Awesome, thanks shorerider!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top