Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
bart1_gw

Can I can this Jalapeno Sauce?

bart1
11 years ago

I found this recipe for Jalapeno Sauce. It doesn't mention anything about canning, but I was wondering what you folks thought. It says it will last for 6 months in the 'fridge, but it's unlikely I'll be able to go through it all in 6 months (I ended up with 8 pint jars of it!)

Here's the recipe:

Jalapeno Hot Sauce

Ingredients

��2 teaspoons vegetable oil

��50 fresh jalapeno peppers, sliced

��6 cloves garlic, minced

��1 cup minced onion

��1 1/2 teaspoons salt

��4 cups water

��2 cups distilled white vinegar

Directions

1.In a medium glass or enamel lined sauce pan over high heat, combine oil, peppers, garlic, onion and salt; saute for 4 minutes. Add the water and cook for 20 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool to room temperature.

2.Transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth. With the processor running, slowly add the vinegar.

3.Pour into a sterilized jar with a tight lid. This sauce will keep for 6 months when stored in the refrigerator.

Can I pressure can it?

Thanks!

Bart

Comments (7)

  • digdirt2
    11 years ago

    Sorry but you'll need to fix the ingredients list above so that it can be read first.

    No vegetable oil and you need to have a MINIMUM of as much vinegar and there is water. More vinegar than water is better and straight undiluted vinegar is best.

    Dave

  • bart1
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Sorry about that. It didn't look like that in the preview screen.

    Let's try this:

    Ingredients
    2 teaspoons vegetable oil
    50 fresh jalapeno peppers, sliced
    6 cloves garlic, minced
    1 cup minced onion
    1 1/2 teaspoons salt
    4 cups water
    2 cups distilled white vinegar

    I started with 4 cups of water, but after cooking, it looked like there was about half as much, so that puts it close to 2C water per 2C vinegar. But maybe not close enough?

  • digdirt2
    11 years ago

    The issue with the oil Bart is that it insulates any bacteria in the food, bonds with the surface molecules to insulate the bacteria or fungus from the heat penetration. It takes higher heat for a longer time to penetrate oil coated bacteria and fungus.

    There are a couple of tested and approved canning recipes that include some small amounts of oil but they are with more acidic food than peppers. If you cut the water or better yet upped the vinegar to 4 cups then the recipe would meet the minimum requirements for safe storage.

    So this sauce, if not canned and just kept in the fridge (and with more vinegar) would be ok but canned in a vacuum jar (an anaerobic environment) wouldn't be considered potentially unsafe and there would be no way to insure all the bacteria/fungus had been killed so toxins could develop.

    And with such a weak vinegar solution you would also lose some of the acid protection even if stored in the fridge. In anything less than a 1:1 ratio of vinegar to water listeria can grow within 3 weeks even in the fridge.

    The recipe has another potential issue or 2 in that it is 1) pureed low-acid vegetables which normally require pressure canning and 2) isn't bottled hot. It is allowed to sit at room temp till cooled allowing for further air contamination and bacterial growth.

    So to use this recipe and make it as safe as possible I'd recommend reduce the oil in half, then blot and drain the sauted vegetables well. Add them back to 2-4 cups of water and cook for 20 mins. Cool, covered, just until cool enough to puree and add 2-4 cups (duplicate the measurement used for water to get desired consistency) of vinegar to the puree. Then reheat the pureed vegetable and vinegar mixture to just below boiling. Then jar in sterilized jar and store in the fridge for up to 3 months. Do not can it.

    Would that work for you?

    Dave

  • readinglady
    11 years ago

    The NCHFP offers a marinated pepper recipe which has been tested for safety and is suitable for boiling water bath.

    Don't substitute all vinegar for the lemon juice-vinegar combination. Lemon juice is higher acidity.

    Carol

    Here is a link that might be useful: Marinated Peppers

  • bart1
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks Dave!! Great info as usual.

    Since I already made it last night, my options are very limited!! There's no issues with freezing most of the containers and using as needed is there? Assuming I don't use the glass jars!

  • digdirt2
    11 years ago

    You can freeze it with no problems.

    Dave