How long does it last?

[recone]

So, a couple of months ago I made my first sauce, which I call 'Helmut's Deadly Nightshade". It's a tomato and garlic based sauce with Habs, Jalapenos and some other peppers from my garden. There is salt in there but very little vinegar so I am wondering how long it will last in my fridge. It was cooked to reduce down and then poured into bottles, it's been in the fridge since.

Any info would be great.

Thanks,
Recone Helmut

[marcosauces]

I think it will be fine for a wile in the fridge, how long it will depend in how much vinegar you put in it...

[Cap'n Bones]

Welcome Aboard recone!!

[thehotpepper.com]

Welcome!

[recone]

I think it will be fine for a wile in the fridge, how long it will depend in how much vinegar you put in it...

Can you be any more specific if I told you that the vinigar is probably 5-7% of the volume. Also, I was wondering if I mailed some bottles to friends via 2nd day air, would it be okay when it got there? Or would the lack of refridgeration cause it to turn right away.

Sorry for the noob nature of these questions but I'm just getting started.

By the way, if anyone wants a 5oz bottle, I am open to trades.

It's very intesnse stuff with a flavor unlike anything I've ever had. It's pretty friggin' hot but it's so tasty that friends who normally dont like hotsauce have been eating it up. It's a very thick almost pastey suace when it's cold.

Thanks again,
Recone Helmut

[huvason]

Can you be any more specific if I told you that the vinigar is probably 5-7% of the volume. Also, I was wondering if I mailed some bottles to friends via 2nd day air, would it be okay when it got there? Or would the lack of refridgeration cause it to turn right away.

Sorry for the noob nature of these questions but I'm just getting started.

By the way, if anyone wants a 5oz bottle, I am open to trades.

It's very intesnse stuff with a flavor unlike anything I've ever had. It's pretty friggin' hot but it's so tasty that friends who normally dont like hotsauce have been eating it up. It's a very thick almost pastey suace when it's cold.

Thanks again,
Recone Helmut

You really need to test the PH of the sauce. Needs to be under 4.2, preferrably under 4. We try and get around 3.8-3.9 when we are creating. If you are going to be making this stuff, you can get a cheap PH meter to check the levels. You can also use pool\spa strips to see if you are in the right range - just make sure you get strips that can go down into the 4 range.

[recone]

Okay cool. I'll go grab some stips. If it's under 4, what does that tell me? It will last as long as its in the frigdge?

Thanks for your help

[marcosauces]

it will last longer but it will be ready for public to taste...lime, lemon juice, pineapple, orange juice, vinegar. This are the items that makes your acidity go closer to 3.8 - 4.0

[huvason]

it will last longer but it will be ready for public to taste...lime, lemon juice, pineapple, orange juice, vinegar. This are the items that makes your acidity go closer to 3.8 - 4.0

Agreed, Vinegar is not the only thing that will work.....

Check this link out - I should have given it earlier:
http://www.fiery-foods.com/Dave/safe_hotsauce.html

[DEFCON Creator]

And when purchasing a pH meter, DON'T forget the buffer fluids for recalibration, both 4.0 pH AND 7.0 pH.

[marcosauces]

very true, why those meters go out of calibration so fast ?

[DEFCON Creator]

My guess is just stuff in the air. Many people don't even recalibrate theirs, ever. Kinda scary. We did a litle experiment some time back. We put some #1 on the pH meter and let it sit out, it started off around 3.8, by morning it was 4.2.

[huvason]

My guess is just stuff in the air. Many people don't even recalibrate theirs, ever. Kinda scary. We did a litle experiment some time back. We put some #1 on the pH meter and let it sit out, it started off around 3.8, by morning it was 4.2.

I recalibrate before every use - just to be sure.

[dreamtheatervt]

My guess is just stuff in the air. Many people don't even recalibrate theirs, ever. Kinda scary. We did a litle experiment some time back. We put some #1 on the pH meter and let it sit out, it started off around 3.8, by morning it was 4.2.

SCE's (Standard Calomel Electrodes) rarely go out of calibration if used properly.

Also, it is not uncommon for pH to change, due to loss of evaporation. Losing water and acid species (usually acetic acid from vinegar) will definatly change the pH of the solution. In your case Jon, #1 is probably absorbing water from the air through osmosis since there is should be no water in the sauce out of the bottle.

[marcosauces]

well..there you go, possible i guess....

[DEFCON Creator]

SCE's (Standard Calomel Electrodes) rarely go out of calibration if used properly.

Also, it is not uncommon for pH to change, due to loss of evaporation. Losing water and acid species (usually acetic acid from vinegar) will definatly change the pH of the solution. In your case Jon, #1 is probably absorbing water from the air through osmosis since there is should be no water in the sauce out of the bottle.

Agreed. We did the same experiment by coating the sensor with #1, and putting it in a jar, and vacuum sealed it. No change. This, by process of elimination, led me to believe it was airborne particulates (including water vapor) that was the cause of the change.