Bottling homemade pasta sauce

[chickpea13]

I made some fresh tomato pasta sauce on Tuesday and bottled it whilst still hot in sterilized bottles and fixed with a hot sterilized screw lid. Then somethime later I read that you needed to submerge the bottles into boiling water to further sterilize them. Does anyone know if I can do this now or is it too late?
If too late how long do you think I can keep the sauce for?
Please help!

[Silver Ether]

I would think it would be fine ... putting the jars into boiling water help make the lids seal .. you know that depress button thing on the top... I would do it and keep an I on them ...

[StripyPixieSocks]

I also asked this question on another board (I think it was River Cottage) and the reply was something along the lines of "OH that's the Americans being hugely over cautious, as long as your <whatever you're putting in> is hot and your jars are properly sterilized you'll be fine"

I must admit, when my Gran used to bottle stuff I never saw her boiling it in the jars either so I don't know why people do it.

I poured hot vinegar over my beetroot when I pickled them then closed the lid... when they cooled a little the lids popped that little bit in the middle down and to be honest... a year and a half later it took us monstrous amounts of strength to un-seal the buggers

[chickpea13]

Thanks for both of your replies.
I don't want to be responsible for giving anyone food poisoning!

[Silver Ether]

Thanks for both of your replies.
I don't want to be responsible for giving anyone food poisoning!

nah a bit of mould is fine

[contadina]

I agree Americans are over-cautious when bottling tomato sauce - they suggest putting citric acid or lemon juice in it for goodness sake. Every Italian I have told this to has been absolutely horrified. I do, however think putting the jars into a water bath and boiling for 25 mins within 24 hours of making the sauce is essential to ensure you don't develop botchalism. Everyone jars their own sauce over here and everyone boils it in a waterbath and leaves the jars in the waterbath overnight before taking it out the next day. Then you will tell if you have a proper seal. If you don't you can either boil again or stick it in fridge for use that week.

[hedgewitch]

I always freeze my pasta sauce - never thought of bottling it before.
I'd be really interested to hear how long it keeps for.

[contadina]

A year.

[StripyPixieSocks]

Thanks for both of your replies.
I don't want to be responsible for giving anyone food poisoning!

Oh I understand that I'm always worried about things going off hence the asking on another forum about processing things and the question about Mint Jelly on here.

I think if you are very fastidious about sterilizing your equipment and get a nice tight seal on your jars you should be fine

I never thought about bottling pasta sauce either, I just throw it in the freezer in re-usable tubs but I might experiment at some point... and experiment with bottling things in general as I always fancied Brandied Cherries which is bottled!

[contadina]

Sorry guys but to preserve tomatoes safely you really do need to sterilise the filled jars by boiling them in a waterbath.

[pizzamomma]

My family in Italy cook the preserved tomatoes once they have been put into the jars. We would spend days in the kitchen just washing and cutting up the tomatoes to fit into 1 litre beer bottles, add some basil and pinch of sugar, put on new tops and then put into a large barrel fill with cold water, light fire underneath and boil for 20 mins, allow to cool and then they would be stored and used all over the winter in pasta sauces. If it was ready made sugo (no meat just the sauce) then if you put into the jar whilst still very hot and seal the lid, as the sauce cooled it would seal the lid. We done this and supplied all the extended family with tomatoes this way, no probs so far.!!!!!

[SarahJane]

Any chance of a recipe for pasta sauce that lasts a long time? Or even maybe a tomato sauce to put on pizzas?

I use a bog standard recipe of tomatoes, garlic and onions, lots of black pepper and reduce it until really thick, but its a recipe I make to use there and then, I wouldnt mind one that I could bottle.

[Big Al]

Thanks for both of your replies.
I don't want to be responsible for giving anyone food poisoning!

>>>>I might experiment at some point... and experiment with bottling things in general as I always fancied Brandied Cherries which is bottled!

What the brady or the cherries?????

[StripyPixieSocks]

Thanks for both of your replies.
I don't want to be responsible for giving anyone food poisoning!

>>>>I might experiment at some point... and experiment with bottling things in general as I always fancied Brandied Cherries which is bottled!

What the brady or the cherries?????

Haha... sorry I appear to be a bit befuddled at the moment... I have just had my antidepressants messed with and the dose upped and they are making me all confused (yes, more than usual )

Brandied Cherries
Serving Size : 16
Preparation Time : 30 minutes

3 pounds cherries,frozen or fresh
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
4 cups brandy

1) Place cherries in medium saucepan. Add the sugar and water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer until a syrup forms, about 15-20 minutes. Simmer longer for a thicker syrup, although be conscious that as the mixture cools, it will continue to thicken.
2) Remove from heat. Let cool at least 30 minutes.
3) Add brandy, stir thoroughly. Pour cherries and liquid into large container. Store in a cool dark place for 1 month before using cherries.
4) When ready, ladle cherries, with an appropriate amount of brandy, into smaller jars for giving.
5) The cherries will keep up to a year.

Serving Ideas : Serve over vanilla ice cream.

YUM! Another great Christmas gift idea methinks!

I want to preserve my own tomatoes too to use instead of ready canned tomatoes, I also want to get a dehydrator and dehydrate my tomatoes!

[Big Al]

[/quote]

I want to preserve my own tomatoes too to use instead of ready canned tomatoes, I also want to get a dehydrator and dehydrate my tomatoes![/quote]

http://www.thefarm.org/charities/i4at/surv/soldehyd.htm

diagram for a solar hydraytor.