Canning Homemade BBQ Sauce

bbqbull · Aug 29, 2006

Brothers, been Googling hard, looking for ways to can my Q sauce. Ive found different recipes ect. Ive found out about doing the water bath thing. Ive got a couple of pressure cookers. I was planning after loading up the jars w/my homemade brew and pressure cooking it. Any thoughts and or ideas would be muchly appreciated.

Im planning on bringing some of this to the Fall Bash, the rest Im planning on giving away butts and sauce for Christmas Presents this year.

Gutsy plan on my end I guess. Then again what the hell do I know?

Thanks

Mike

Doorbusters · Aug 29, 2006

Check with Curt (CMCADAMS) The stoff he sent me looked as though it was done professionally.

jgh1204 · Aug 29, 2006

My family canned a whole bunch growing up but Mom and Dad did all the work. Can be very dangerous. Hot, hot water!

Everything must be very clean and sterilized.

Here is a site on home canning.

http://www.homecanning.com/usa/ALBasics.asp

cmcadams · Aug 29, 2006

Mike,

My wife does canning... works pretty well. You just get a canning pot, jars and lids with threaded bands. Then you fill the pot with enough water to cover the jars (hot water), then boil it. Put the jars in the hot water for 10 minutes. Put the lids in a pan of water on simmer to make sure they're hot. Take them out and don't touch the insides. Put hot bbq sauce in them with a canning funnel, filling them up as far to the top as you can. Make sure the jar lips are cleaned off, and put the lids on them. Screw on the threaded bands, then put the jars back in the boiling water for 10 more minutes, then take out and put on the counter to cool. The lids should pop so they're depressed; if they don't pop, just put that in the fridge. I just check them the next morning.

That's about it! Meijer has canning stuff... or Wally World. Then I just printed labels and used doublesided tape to put the labels on (I need to just buy some vinyl labels to print).

ApronGuy · Aug 29, 2006

Yeah, just be careful of the hot bbq sauce. with so much sugar, you're looking at a potentially molten experience, should you get any on you hands or arms.

Rockaway BeachBQ · Aug 29, 2006

cmcadams said:
Mike,

Put hot bbq sauce in them with a canning funnel, filling them up as far to the top as you can. Make sure the jar lips are cleaned off, and put the lids on them. Screw on the threaded bands, then put the jars back in the boiling water for 10 more minutes, then take out and put on the counter to cool. The lids should pop so they're depressed; if they don't pop, just put that in the fridge. I just check them the next morning.

There are fill lines on canning jars and you should not go past it. This is so there is sufficient air in the headspace to create a vacuum. If the lid is not vacuum tight out of the pot then it is not properly sealed, and must be kept refrigerated.

I have canned some hot peppers in the past. I think a BBQ sauce should be sufficiently acid enough for canning. But you may want to get some ph strips to test out your recipe.

jgh1204 · Aug 29, 2006

If you are adding vinegar to your sauce, you will probably be ok with water bath canning.

That canning site has a good discussion on head room. Cannot have too little and you cannot have too much.

Doorbusters · Aug 29, 2006

Thanks Curt, I knew you would chime in.

jpw23 · Aug 29, 2006

bbqbull said:
Brothers, been Googling hard, looking for ways to can my Q sauce. Ive found different recipes ect. Ive found out about doing the water bath thing. Ive got a couple of pressure cookers. I was planning after loading up the jars w/my homemade brew and pressure cooking it. Any thoughts and or ideas would be muchly appreciated.

Im planning on bringing some of this to the Fall Bash, the rest Im planning on giving away butts and sauce for Christmas Presents this year.

Gutsy plan on my end I guess. Then again what the hell do I know?

Thanks

Mike

I do it all the time....even sell a few jars here and there.....if your acid content is high enough, you can get by with the waterbath!

NorthernQ · Aug 29, 2006

You can also add .20% sodium benzoate for good measure. Really a safe preservative at recommended concentration - effective, too.

spicewine · Aug 30, 2006

If your Ph is 4.5 or lower, you don't have to can it. It will be shelf stable. I have a Ph tester if you would like me to test it for you , you can send me a small sample and I will put the meter on it. All of my sauces are shelf stable and do not need to be refrigerated after opening.

bbqbull · Aug 30, 2006

Sodium Benzoate? Aint gotta clue what that is or where I could obtain some.
Thanks for all the advice and the links. Ive made this sauce before and seems to keep fine in da fridge. I just want to can some in jars and I want to do it saftely or I just flat wont do it. I will try and find some of them PH test strips.........Are they the same ones that they use in swimming pools/hottubs?
Again thanks for the advice.

Kevin · Aug 30, 2006

bbqbull said:
I will try and find some of them PH test strips.........Are they the same ones that they use in swimming pools/hottubs?
Again thanks for the advice.

I would think not. The pool strips use color for a determination. Your sauce has color to it I must presume. Jay has made a more than generous offer. Take him up on it. The man is good for his word.

qman · Aug 30, 2006

Yeah, test strips will NOT work. You have to have a pH meter to read the exact pH. They used to be quite expensive, and I assume they still are.
Kevin is right, Jay has made a very generous offer. I would ship him a sample.

jpw23 · Aug 30, 2006

spicewine said:
If your Ph is 4.5 or lower, you don't have to can it. It will be shelf stable. I have a Ph tester if you would like me to test it for you , you can send me a small sample and I will put the meter on it. All of my sauces are shelf stable and do not need to be refrigerated after opening.

hey Spice......could I send you a sample too?

brdbbq · Aug 31, 2006

bbqbull said:
I will try and find some of them PH test strips.........Are they the same ones that they use in swimming pools/hottubs?

Not Hardly or Hell No

spicewine · Aug 31, 2006

The Ph meters are very expensive but that's just part of the Sauce Business. I would be more than happy to test samples for any of you Future Sauce Barons.

Spice

NorthernQ · Aug 31, 2006

bbqbull said:
Sodium Benzoate? Aint gotta clue what that is or where I could obtain some.
Thanks for all the advice and the links. Ive made this sauce before and seems to keep fine in da fridge. I just want to can some in jars and I want to do it saftely or I just flat wont do it. I will try and find some of them PH test strips.........Are they the same ones that they use in swimming pools/hottubs?
Again thanks for the advice.

I have been able to get sodium benzoate very easily from my spice wholesaler. Its very commonly used in packaged product but, as Spice says, probably isn't needed in most BBQ sauce. Its just a precaution for me.

bbqbull · Aug 31, 2006

Thanks again for the advice. I will ship a sample to Jay. Just need to get to the store and pick up a few things. Jay can I send the sample to your shop address?

spicewine · Aug 31, 2006

Yes , that would be best.

Spice

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