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Dave,
For the past year I have been experimenting with two recipes: 1) dried chiles, dried herbs, salt, water, very small amounts of vinegar and 2) same ingredients, but including fresh, roasted chiles. I have been receiving requests (and cash orders!) from family and friends for my hot sauces, but I am afraid that they may not eat the sauce as quickly as I do. How can I increase the shelf life of my sauces? Is sodium benzoate an option, and how much would I use? What is the average shelf life of "fresh salsas"? What do I need to do to make my sauce, commercially acceptable in regard to shelf life? I live in San Diego, and we have a plethora of "taco shops", but most seem unwilling to unveil their recipes. Do have a recipe for southern cali "red sauce"? Sincerely,
Brandon
Hello Brandon:
To answer your questions, there are two ways to increase shelf-life: add a preservative like sodium benzoate, or use natural preservatives like vinegar, citrus juices and print "Refrigerate After Opening" on the label. I am not a food packer, so I don’t know how much sodium benzotate to use. Consult a contract packer. The average shelf life of fresh salas is about 2-3 weeks. I don’t understand your question about "commercially acceptable." Finally, do a Google search for such a recipe.
Dave
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