Maybe someone else can help you on this one. I'm looking at the Sombrero Sauce recipe, but I'm not seeing any relationship between that one and what's posted here. They're so different it's impossible to extrapolate from the original and draw conclusions about this.

In addition, your recipe mixes volume and weight, which further complicates the issue.

I can say that you can add dried spices as you wish. Dried they are not an issue.

I'm sorry not to be more helpful.

Carol

Thanks for replying. Sorry to be so confusing. Let me try again. :)

Here's an updated one- with volume only (I did measure it).

The Sombrero recipe calls for 20 cups of chopped tomatoes. I always end up with 3 1/2 cups of tomato juice from 4 cups of chopped tomatoes, so I would need 17 1/2 cups of tomato juice.

To "equal" the Sombrero tomato volume, I used-
14 cups tomato juice
4 1/2 cups of tomato puree
1/2 cup of tomato paste
So I ended up with 1 cup more of tomatoes.

The Sombrero sauce calls for 2 cups celery, 2 cups chopped onions, 1 1/2 cups green peppers, and 2 jalepeno peppers. It also calls for 2 garlic cloves. I counted this as 5 1/2- 5 3/4 cups of low acid vegetables. To "equal" the 5 1/2- 5 3/4 cups of low acid vegetables volume, I used:
12 habaneros (1/2 cup finely chopped)
2 1/2 cups onions
3/4 cups carrots
1 cup parsley
1/2 c. tamarind paste (I think tamarind is a bit higher acid, but wasn't sure)
5 garlic cloves
2 T. fresh thyme
So I ended up with 5 1/4 cups of low acid vegetables plus the 1/2 cup of tamarind.

The Sombrero recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar. I actually had to double the sugar, so I was wondering how that would affect the acidity and if I would need to increase the amount of "acid." Here's what I used:
3 cups sugars- I used mostly brown sugar, with a little white sugar, and 1/4 cup corn syrup

The Sombrero recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups of white vinegar. For my "acid," I used:
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup lime juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
I used just a bit short of 2 1/2 cups, although I did keep adding a bit more lemon juice for taste, but I didn't measure it (no more than 1/2 cup).

The Sombrero sauce calls for 1 tsp pepper, 1 tbsp dry mustard, 1 tbsp paprika, 2 tsp hot pepper sauce, and 1 1/2 tsp salt. For my "dry" ingredients, I used:
4 T. ground allspice
2 T. ground ginger
2 t. ground nutmeg
4 T. freshly ground black pepper
2 t. salt (or to taste) (I used canning salt)
4 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. cloves

So I guess my main question is whether I used enough acid for the recipe. Also, whether my reasoning was correct in trying to balance out the tomatoes, low acid vegetables, and the acid. Taste wise I think I could add some more lemon or lime juice (I used the bottled kind), but it definitely wouldn't stand up to any more vinegar.

Any help would be appreciate. Thanks.

disneyaddict, no one can guarantee a recipe you've made yourself which hasn't been tested, but given your substitutions and the fact that lemon and lime juice are even more acidic than vinegar, I wouldn't have a problem with canning this.

Others may have different opinions, but I believe your level of acidity to low acid vegetables is within the range of the Sombrero sauce recipe.

Annie

You have clearly given this a great deal of thought and work! ;) But I discourage creating your own recipes for canning purposes as it is just too hazardous.

That said, while reading your first post the thing that struck me was 'not enough acid'. Your further explanation removed a bit of doubt but I still wouldn't be comfortable with canning it. However, there is no reason you can't make and freeze this.

You could also consider freezing the mixed tomato ingredients in one container and the "sauce" in another then mix when ready to use. Or, can the tomato ingredients (with 2 T per quart of the lemon juice, 1 T per pint) and freeze the sauce - then mix when ready to use. Either approach is time and money-saving for use and much safer.

Hope this helps. ;)

Dave

Your second explanation is definitely more clear. Thanks.

The amount of sugar is irrelevant to acidity. I know that seems counter-intuitive, but sugar doesn't affect pH here, so you can increase or decrease without fear.

I think I'll have to respectfully disagree with Annie on this one, mainly because so many ingredients have been changed the variables have increased exponentially. On the face of it your recipe seems OK, but who knows, really?

What particularly concerns me is the low-acid veggies and especially the carrots. They're all low-acid but there are other issues, density being foremost. You've got heat-penetration issues there as well as the penetration of the acidic brine.

So I'd take a pass on this one, not because it's unsafe but because it's unknown.

Carol