Canning BBQ Sauce

[cfrazier77]

Question for the wealth of information here. I bought a gallon of Blues Hog sauce and want to break it up into smaller amounts for storage. I was thinking of using pint mason jars. What would be the best way to do this, break it down? And if in mason jars should I just do a boil or use the pressure cooker? I don't want to change the flavor but also want it to be shelf stable for up to 6 months.

Thanks!!!

[Joshw]

It really depends on the acidity of the sauce. Without knowing that, it is hard to say if cold packing is safe. Here is an old link where IamMadman said he cold packed it, and from reading his posts, I would trust him on food safety.

https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=189882

[Cook]

If "I" were to do this...

I would sterilize my jars by placing them upright in a pot, fill the pot with hot water until about an inch or so above the top of the jars. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes or more (this will depend on your altitude. Google is your friend here). Along with the jars, drop a pair of tongs, tong down, into the boiling water so they are sterilized also. Turn off the heat & carefully remove the jars with the tongs...it isn't easy emptying the hot water out of them with tongs so go very SLOW!!! Place empty jars upright on a sheet pan in a 200 degree oven (jars should be hot when the liquid is added). Once the jars are out of the pot, drop in the lids & rings. You do not want to boil these so be sure the water has cooled to below the boil. Let them sit in the water for 5-10 minutes.

While all this is happening you should have a pot on the range with your sauce. You probably don't want to boil it, but get it hot...very hot. If it bubbles, immediately reduce the heat, put a lid on it, and keep it HOT.

When the sauce is ready (hopefully it was ready as you were getting the jars sterilized), retrieve the lids & rings from the water pot, and gingerly remove the jars from the oven. Pour sauce into jars, place lids on top, and screw on rings. Let cool and you'll hear the lids pop as they vacuum themselves down.

You could pressure can, but really you don't have to. If everything is hot, they'll be fine...it's barbecue sauce which is typically a safe food anyway.

[BillN]

The quickest and fastest way would be to freeze the sauce in ice cube trays, then take out of freezer as needed and let defrost in refrigerator.

[chilidog]

I run my jars through the dishwasher with a cup or so of bleach then can them in a hot water bath- boiling water for 20 minutes.

[cfrazier77]

Thanks all, I am going to do a water bath.

[cowgirl]

I pressure can it. Not knowing the level of acid in the sauces I make, I go on the safe side. It depends on your ingredients. Peppers and onions can bring the acidity level down.... and I don't add extra vinegar to offset them.

[Hoss]

Freeze it.

[OSD]

I'm guessing from your question that you don't do a lot of canning or you would have a PH meter or strips to test the acidity of the sauce and know if you can water bath the sauce or you need to pressure can the sauce.

So, because it's a commercially made sauce and not homemade and the acidity is unknown, I would freeze it or pressure can it to be on the safe side.

JMHO-YMMV

[IamMadMan]

I agree with the above; Start with sterilized jars, lids and rings.

Keep in mind that it is a commercial sauce in a plastic jug without a hermetic seal, and it has a two year shelf life so it may have some type of preservative in it, even though it's not listed on the ingredients. At the very least it's pasteurized, put into a sterile jug, and then gently cooled in a water bath during the conveyor ride to the labeling/boxing area.

I worked in the spice/flavoring room for a large food processor, who also made bbq sauce, they added sodium salt of benzoic acid (sodium benzoate) in the "secret" spice blend so they didn't have to list it on the label. They did this to give the appearance of "no preservatives". Not saying if this is the case here, but large commercial producers desire maximum shelf life to maximize total product sales.

If it's in there, you will also be taking advantage of the preservative properties of the sauce. Personally, I do a hot water bath for any blended sauce I make that I plan using in the next six months. I also put the canned jars of sauce in the refrigerator in the garage (I know I don't need to). If I were planning to keep the sauce for much longer, I would probably pressure can the jars as Jeanie has recommended in her post. Sometimes if you have a small amount of jars, it's just easier to use the small pressure canner, than to deal with a big pot for the water bath.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.......

.

[cfrazier77]

Do you think that raising the temp of the sauce to pressure canning temps, 250, would change the flavor? I do have a pressure canner and and have used it a lot.

[IamMadMan]

Craig,

As I stated, I blend 3 different commercial sauces to make the flavor of sauce I like. In the fall I only make about 6 jars for the winter gatherings so it is easier to put them in the small pressure cooker. I have not noticed any flavor changes.

[thirdeye]

One more option.... use "straight sided" Mason jars and freeze your sauce in them. Jars with shoulders are not recommended for freezing. Most jars will have a freeze line on the jar but it's usually just below the lowest thread. This way, when you want a jar of sauce just defrost and now you have a container that can live in the fridge until you use it. HERE (https://www.gardenbetty.com/how-to-safely-freeze-liquids-in-mason-jars/) is a good article on freezing in canning jars. Oh, and buy a canning funnel, it has a stubby but wide outlet and is used for filling jars and reducing the mess factor.

[cfrazier77]

Craig,

As I stated, I blend 3 different commercial sauces to make the flavor of sauce I like. In the fall I only make about 6 jars for the winter gatherings so it is easier to put them in the small pressure cooker. I have not noticed any flavor changes.

If you cannot tell a difference then I know that I can't! Thanks!

[cfrazier77]

Thank you Bob and everyone, I pressure canned the sauce at 15 psi for 15 minutes. It worked and no change in flavor. It is a great way to save money by buying by the gallon. Thanks!

[IamMadMan]

Thank you Bob and everyone, I pressure canned the sauce at 15 psi for 15 minutes. It worked and no change in flavor. It is a great way to save money by buying by the gallon. Thanks!


Awesome......

Did you get the competition blend, or did you blend them yourself?

[cfrazier77]

Awesome......

Did you get the competition blend, or did you blend them yourself?

Sorry for the delay, been a little busy last couple of days. I canned just the original, it is my wife's favorite. She is not a fan of hot. I do like the Tennessee Red and blending it. I also use Maul's a lot and put some turbonado sugar under it when I glaze.

[IamMadMan]

Sorry for the delay, been a little busy last couple of days. I canned just the original, it is my wife's favorite. She is not a fan of hot. I do like the Tennessee Red and blending it. I also use Maul's a lot and put some turbonado sugar under it when I glaze.


You should get a small bottle of Champion's Blend for her to try. Sweet, yet mild, just a little thinner.

[cfrazier77]

You should get a small bottle of Champion's Blend for her to try. Sweet, yet mild, just a little thinner.

Definitely, it is on the list.