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Q: Dr. BBQ,
I would like to bottle my BBQ sauce, mostly for friends and family. I have found information on canning but no information on bottling. I understand there has to be a certain Ph value for shelf life or citric acid may need to be added. Can the sauce be bottled in sterile containers without a canning process? Most of the sauces I see in the stores are in plastic containers and contain little or no preservatives. Any insight would prove helpful.
—Jon
A: Hello Jon:
Bottling and canning are the same process. Foods are heated to kill bacteria and then packed in sterile containers. Some manufacturers add acidity to retard bacterial growth after the product is opened. The full canning/bottling process is covered in Joy of
Cooking, which should be fine for home use.
—Dr. BBQ
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