i do not know but can i have some please...we make a pepper jelly that is super but yours sound better:)

Could I please have that recipe. It sounds good.

I don't use "non-refrigerated storage" for anything that I haven't canned, if that helps. With that ph I'd just waterbath it and not be too concerned but, of course, if it's your own recipe nothing can be guaranteed.

I agree, I'd like the recipe too. Although I'm a wimp, Elery loves the hot stuff.

Annie

Do I have to can this or can I just put it in bottles for non-refrigerated storage?

Sorry, nothing can be safely shelf-stored without some processing. BWB for 10 minutes as you would jam or jelly.

Dave

OK, here's the recipe. It is an approximation but very close.

12 orange habaneros - seeds removed
4 large ripe peaches - whole, pitted with skins on
1/3 large yellow onion
1/3 small bulb garlic (about 4-5 medium/large cloves)
2 limes - peeled
1 lemon - peeled (seeds removed)
1/2 - 3/4 cup of white 5% vinegar

All ingredients in vitamix until smooth.
(final ph was 3.1)

Any advice on the safety of canning this would be appreciated. This comes out with a bright orange color and fresh/hot/acidic taste that I think is a winner. Would canning it turn it brown (from cooking)?

Thanks and enjoy!

I don't think it would turn brown due to the limes and lemons (bottled juice would be safer to use) but processing time would just be a guess - basically just to insure a good seal if the pH is truly that low.

Maybe something along the line of the other sauce recipes - pints 15 minutes BWB. JMO

Dave

Oops, I forgot to mention the salt, I used about 2 tablespoons.
Would it be best to hot pack this recipe?
Thanks!

Wow that sounds really salty! I guess as long as you have tasted it you'd know if it was too much. ;)

As to the hot packing. Sure. Since you are working with an unapproved and untested recipe, anything you can do to make it safer could only be an improvement. Still, this is all just guess work and there is no way to assure the absolute safety of this for shelf storage. Please, don't plan to give it as a gift to anyone, ok?

Dave

Well, to be honest, I don't remember how much salt I threw in.
I didn't measure, I just went with the 'this should do it' attitude straight into the vitamix. But, this is a 'hot sauce' not a salsa, therefore, generally, less is eaten...ya know what I mean? Nevertheless, it doesn't taste salty at all. It tastes sweet, hot and vinegary.
I wasn't planning on giving it away but some close friends are already asking me for some....should I say 'no'?

Another thing...obviously I am new to canning...
Why is it recommended to use a 'plastic' spatula to remove bubbles? What is wrong with metal? After all, the food is cooked in a SS pot.
Also, in a sauce like this, there are many tiny bubbles trapped in the mixture because the sauce is kind of foamy in a way. Do I need to worry about these bubbles? It seems like it would be impossible to get rid of them as it is the consistency of the sauce.

playing_with_peaces - sorry to be blunt here but

-new to canning,
-playing with an untested and unapproved recipe,
-unmeasured ingredients,
-not heat processed in any way and too late to do it now anyway as it is more than 24 hours old,
-no processing instructions available because it is a fresh serve cooking recipe not a canning recipe,
-unfamiliar with the reasons behind some of the basics like processing, safe storage, food reacting to metal utensils,
-and now air bubbles trapped in it insulating any contained bacteria or contaminants so they wouldn't be killed even if it was heat processed?

My dear, I'm sorry but this is an accident waiting to happen. Are you familiar with botulism, salmonella, food poisoning, molds, mildews, bacteria, etc. Home food preservation is not something to be taken this lightly. Detailed rules exist for you and your family's safety. And this product should definitely NOT be shared with others.

Eat it at your own risk or better yet, pitch it as most of us would do. And please take the time to review the basic rules of home food preservation at the link provided below and then find a tested and approved recipe to use.

In all honesty, you are just taking way too many risks here.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: National Center for Home Food Preservation

Dave,
I have been doing extensive reading and I have done a little canning in the past. I say that I am new because I am not an experienced veteran. I am not speaking about canning the batch I made a few days ago, that has all been frozen. I am talking about making a new batch. This batch will be cooked, hot packed in half-pint jars and processed in a BWB for at least 10-15 minutes.
The bubbles I am speaking of are not sizable, they are part of the consistency of the mixture. There would be thousands of these in each half-pint jar if you know what I mean. And no, I do not understand why a metal utensil would be an issue if it is sterilized in the BWB with the jars...that is why I asked. Please explain this to me :)
I have spent many days and at least 10-12 hours or more trying to learn as much as I can. I am familiar with the issues that you questioned. This recipe has quite a bit of vinegar and a ph of 3.1. I have compared it to many other recipes out there and it seems like it should be safe. You even said earlier that you thought it should be good to go, but obviously, try at your own risk. I do appreciate the input and the honesty that you have given. Considering the updated information in this post, do you still feel the same? Sorry if I wasn't clear from the beginning.
Thanks again!

p.s. for what it is worth, I am highly considering freezing it :)

While the pH of it is comforting somewhat, pH testing of products is no longer held to be accurate. There are just too many variables that cannot be controlled and can lead to false readings.

Freezing should be safe - many cooking recipes can be made and frozen very safely., They just can't be canned and shelf stored safely.

I assumed from the info that we were still talking about that same original batch and other than freezing and fridge storage once thawed it is too late to save it any other way. I thought it would be good to go if it was hot processed while that was still possible but the time, as I said, was just a guess.

But now there are more variables added. And even without them there is always the caveat that unless you used an approved recipe, there is risk. We each choose the level we are comfortable with. Personally I am very conservative. it has let me and my family can 50+ years now and survive. ;) But few here will recommend sharing unapproved recipes with others unless it is frozen and dated for expiration and safe storage.

The bubbles should be able to be skimmed as one would in jam/jelly if it is cooked long and hard boiled enough. They will collect on the top and can be skimmed off for a clearer end product.

The metal utensils rule is because anything except quality stainless steel (most kitchen knives aren't as they have aluminum alloys in them) will react with the hot product causing discoloration and possible contamination. Thus the recommendation for plastic.

As to comparing with other recipes to determine safety. Even those who do this for a living (Linda Lou) will tell you that isn't safe. She consults with Dr. Elizabeth Andress at NCHFP on such issues. There are too many risks. Sure, highly experienced caners can eyeball a recipe and make some suggestions for making it safer (like using bottled lime and lemon juice instead of fresh) but no one here will guarantee safety and inexperienced caners just can't do that with any safely. Many try. We get lots of posts about "can I can this, it is soooo good?" that quickly get told, no, sorry. ;)

So since the BWB processing time is merely a guess, the best and safest way to go is make the sauce using measured ingredients, bottled juices, try to get as much air bubbles out of it as possible and forget canning it. Freeze it.

Best I can offer. ;)

Dave

Excuse me, but how and at what point in the process did you determine the pH?
Kay

Hello Kay,
The ph was measured using a digital ph meter.
It was measured the day after the puree was made in the vitamix. I haven't tried measuring the ph of a cooked batch as I haven't tried a second batch yet....still debating how I will store it. Thank you!

Dave, thank you for your opinion and explanations. I will absolutely contemplate these things....much appreciated.

There's something I recall from a thread that I can't find now. I decided not to buy a meter after reading it -- seems measuring the pH before cooking can give a false reading. I'd be interested to see a comparison of the same batch, before and after cooking.
Does anyone recall that thread??
kay