Canning a BBQ sauce


 
J

JSMcdowell

TVWBB All-Star
People in my family have come to love my sauce, so I'd lake to make a large batch and can it and give it to them when they need it.

However, after reading online, if you aren't following an approved recipe, everyone says it's dangerous.

I have read on here a little about freezing them, but it's not practical for handing out. For my stash, that's the way I will go.

Anyone have experience in canning their own? I am thinking with so much vinegar, I should be fine with a warm bath.

Here are my ratios:

2# Ketchup
1# Apple Cider
1# Water
6oz syrup
1oz b sugar

The rest is spices.

Thanks!
 
Gee, I thought you could can just about anything as long as you followed the proper canning process.
 
I talked to my Mom, who used to can in large numbers (she learned from her mother, who grew up in the Great Depression), and still cans in small numbers today. She said just about anything is able to be canned as long as you follow the canning procedure correctly.

Good luck, and let us know the results! I'm interested since I may do the same this summer for my own BBQ sauce...

Barret
 
My family is from Oklahoma & Texas, and have always canned fruits, jellys and jams so I didn't think it would be a big deal. There is a lot of vinegar in my sauce, so hopefully that will help. When I have made larger batches, they have be fine in the frig for a few weeks, although they never last too long before they are gone.

Googling "canning bbq sauce" did scare me though.
 
Well my mom always put the warm jams/jellys hot in a jar then some plastic foil ontop and get the lid on asap.

It will create a vacuum inside and the contet will last for a loong time.
 
To be sure do a simple test of pH.

I don't can sauces. I dislike the overcooked flavors they develop - like commercial sauces. I vac-bag them and freeze for long term storage, if that's needed. Sauces with high acidity will have a long shelf life before and even after thawing. I don't find it impractical for handing out at all. YMMV, but with high acidity you don't really need to freeze or can.
 
Thanks everyone.

So of course now I have more questions.

With the high acidity could I just put them in (clean) mason jars and tell everyone to refrigerate?

I've accidently overboiled my sauce before and it really did not like the flavor. Much more careful now.

I usually cook/simmer the sauce for about 20 minutes before cooling, could I take advantage of the time in the boiling bath for this stage?

The only reason I find it impractical is that if I were to can, I would send a box of jars to each side of the family for them to distribute. It would just seem like it's a pain for them to keep frozen throughout that process.

Also, I have never vac sealed liquids w/ my foodsaver, it's the smaller version that I got free from a friend. Not sure how well it would work, probably need to get a better/bigger one.
 
To your first question, yes. Like for prepared mustard, ketchup, etc., refrigeration is not necessary for safety. But quality suffers over time so refrigeration is recommended.

To your second, sure. Pasteurization occurs at temps below a simmer. Heating to 80C (176F) for 4 minutes will inactivate the highly unlikely presence of C. Botulinum toxin.

On the freezing-liquid-in-bags issue: I used a low-end FoodSaver for years. No problem. Two methods, either of which work: The easiest: Pour your liquid into the bags leaving generous headroom. Freeze upright in the freezer. Remove and wipe the opening dry, inside and out, if necessary. Vac the bag and return to the freezer. The second: Be generous with the bag size. Fill, leaving generous headroom. Move the FoodSaver to the counter's edge. Hold the bag so the sauce remains below the counter level. (Support the bag wither by enlisting the help of someone else or by holding it on your knee, leg lifted at 90?, knee against the cupboard immediately below the counter - often what i do since I work alone most of the time.) Place the bag opening in the machine, start the vac process, then quickly end the vac and seal the bag before the liquid is drawn up.

Side note: Hybrid tomatoes are not as acidic as heirloom varieties, some of the acidity having been bred out of them. (Citric acid is often added to tomato preparations to increase acidity.) Ketchup, however, is acidic from tomatoes and vinegar - and any acidifiers that might be added.
 
Don't know what I would do without this forum!

I will probably just make a large batch and put in quart mason jars for the family to refrigerate. With them, it's not going to last a month regardless.

For me, I think I will make large batches and feeze. Although it only takes 1/2 hour to make now that I weighed all my ingredients, it's still a pain having to make a batch everytime I do ribs, pork or chicken. I'd buy store bought, but it's so cheap to make yourself and everyone prefers mine.

Kevin,

I can just see the look on my wife's face when I try the knee thing. White cabinents / ketchup based sauce...
icon_smile.gif
Maybe she will learn to help!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">For me, I think I will make large batches and feeze. Although it only takes 1/2 hour to make now that I weighed all my ingredients, it's still a pain having to make a batch everytime I do ribs, pork or chicken. I'd buy store bought, but it's so cheap to make yourself and everyone prefers mine.Kevin,I can just see the look on my wife's face when I try the knee thing. White cabinents / ketchup based sauce... Maybe she will learn to help! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Maybe she will. I've never dropped a bag but...

Yes, I always make my own. I don't buy commercial sauces but a few times a year I get one in the mail someone would like me to clone for them. Never had one I particularly liked.

For food safety and more effective freezing: After your sauce is done, move the pot to the sink (put the drain plug in first). Fill the sink around the pot with cold water. (If you want to speed cooling add a bunch of ice.) Periodically stir the sauce to release heat and even out the cooling. Change the water and/or ice after a bit so that you've got cold again. When no more than tepid, bag the sauce. Again, you can place the bags upright in the freezer to freeze (the don't need to be solid, just somewhat firm) or you can do the knee thing - or get the wife's help.
 
JS,

I started canning my sauce and actually brought it all the way to a commercial product.(See my avatar).
The fact that you're using ketchup and adding vinegar and sugar the pH will be in the shelf stable range.
All you need to do is get some Ball jars with the lids and bands...and put them all in boiling water for 1 minute, remove to a clean work surface(I layed down paper towels)and allow them to dry.
Then ladle the HOT sauce into the jars leaving 1/4 inch of headspace, put on lid and screw on band finger tight. After they cool completely, tighten the lid some more. That's it...no need to refridgerate unless opened.
Get a simple Ball canning kit, very useful.
Al
 
I always assumed that if ketchup was shelf stable and I was adding vinegar to it, I'd be safe. I've eaten sauce from half consumed jars that were in the fridge for many months and I lived to tell this tale.
 
No idea. I was wondering the same thing. Not something I've heard before... . Nor 4.1 being the threshold (it's 4.2 - minor quibble). And there isn't a need to boil...
 
If doing on an 'at home level', I would recommend the 4.1 or lower and a minimum cook and hold to 195 deg F for 5 minutes. 4.2 is the food industry standard for a product that cooked and immediately filled, but they are also relying upon more accurate testing equipment and methods.

Kethcup is shelf-stable and adding vinegar to it will make it even more so (if that is possible). There is also a fair amount of water being added to this sauce which both raises the pH (makes it closer to 7) and lowers the % acidity, which both promote microbial growth. I doubt it would be to the point where it could cause a problem, but you never know without testing either.
 
Just a note/tip if you are planning to zip lock liquids before freezing. Take a suitable sized can or plastic container. Insert the bag and leave about an inch or so above the top roll that out around the top to fill to the level required and put the whole thing in the freezer.

This will keep things vertical easier and keep liquid off the seal edge.

I've used the vacuum gadgets for the ball jars with mixed results. Sometimes they seal sometimes they don't you have to fuss a bit.

I've also bought a set of the plastic rectangular vac containers from foodsaver. Again mixed results. I found that they really don't hold vacuum over time.

I have vac marinated large/wide cuts in vac bags with good results. But I have a sealer that's 15" wide, it accommodates cuts like this easier than the smaller units.

Now that I have a jaccard, I'll have to try combining that in the technique.
 
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