Preserving homemade pasta sauce

[chickpea13]

I have made some fresh tomato sauce for pasta and have bottled in whilst hot in hot sterilized bottles with a hot sterilized screw lid. I'd like to know how long I can keep this for, so if anyone can help i'd be very grateful.
Pretty please.

[rustylady]

I usually freeze mine. I'm a bit wary of bottling stuff that doesn't contain vinegar or sugar to preserve it.

[tootles]

I could be wrong - but I am sure I read somewhere something about botulism and bottling.......................

[coomber]

think anything bottled that dosn't contain some kind of preservative (vinagar or sugar) needs to be heat treated, this can be done in a proper canner, or a very large pan would work - not sure of the exact process though.

[Sue]

I shudder now but when I lived at home, used to bottle the excess tomatoes grown by my parents. I put them in sterilised bottles but didn't do anything else -still we didn't die any dreadful deaths, but wouldn't do it now. Put all mine in the freezer but although I've got three of them, have totally run out of space which is inhibiting the amount of produce I can preserve for the winter.
I was going to experiment with drying tomato sauce in the dehydrator to preserve it that way.
Sue

[pigletwillie]

Read this site very carefully if you wish to bottle (can) foods.

http://foodsafety.cas.psu.edu/canningguide.html

For pure tomato products a hot water bath is ok, for most other things including pasta sauces containing veg other than just tomatoes, a pressure canner is imperative.

We can lots of pasta sauces, veg, soups including chicken and oxtail using the canner and as a rule aim to eat it within 1 year. It certainly saves freezer space.

[Alison]

I freeze mine but am running out of space!

[pigletwillie]

We have 2 chest freezers rammed full which is why we now can stuff, especially soups and sauces. It works a treat.

[Alison]

Can see I'm going to end up buying a canner at some point but am trying to resist - at the moment it's on the same list as a dehyrator which I'd also quite like but can't justify or have anywhere to put!

[pigletwillie]

Both are easily justified Alison. Imagine home made sundried tomatoes (how much do they cost to buy), dried fruit for adding to yoghurt or cereal, homemade pasta sauce out of a jar, move over dolmio.

We have just canned (bottled)some french beans and baby carrots. The jars do look splendid and also leave room in the freezer for foods which have had "value" added to them by being processed into ready meals, for example chicken and leek pie and quiches.

The opportunities are endless.

[Alison]

Keep the reasons for splashing out coming Piglet, I like this type of logic, can just hear myself justifying it as a big saving to OH! Now you just need to help me find somewhere to keep all this extra kit!

[pigletwillie]

Ahh, where to keep them. Well, as they are only used during the summer/ autumn in the main, try the shed, the buggy hutch or even in the loft or under a bed.


Dried mushrooms - buy them cheap, dry them and put in a jar, soak in water and use as normal. Never be without a mushroom.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Presto-01781-2...d=p3286.c0.m14