Preserving Sauces

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1bagger35

Assistant Cook
Joined
Jul 8, 2008
Messages
2
I am looking for some help from some people who know something about home preservation of sauces. I am not a chef and have never sold anything, but I make some really good mustard and japanese sauces that I'm interested in bottling and selling at a food market. The problem is that my sauces do not last for longer than a week without preservatives, and there is no market for that... even at a farmers market. I looked into some preservatives such as potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate, which I don't know if A.) that's what I should be using or B.) if it is, what quantities to use. My Japanese sauce has soy sauce as an ingredient which already has potassium sorbate in it... should I just add more? I've heard that using whey preserves mustard up to 3 months, is that true? The help would be greatly appreciated, thank you very much.
 
Before you sell anything to the public you need to do a lot of homework.

Yes, you need to make sure you are adding the proper preservatives in proper quantities -- and for that I would highly suggest turing to reliable, professional sources and not to food boards. There are lots of knowledgeable people here, but there are certainly better sources for this kind of information.

Moreover, you will need to research your state and local laws regarding commercial food preparation. You may need to have a permit or license or rent space in a licensed commercial kitchen (many locales do not allow you to prepare food for sale from your home).

Selling food to the public exposes you to very significant legal liability should anything go wrong. You will need special liability insurance to protect your personal assets. Consulting a lawyer before you proceed is a good idea.
 
I absolutely agree with Jennyema. You have a LOT of homework and will need to get professional assistance. And think about the ongoing tomato recall on what happens if/when you don't do something exactly right just once. It's a serious business.
 
Thank you for your assistance, as a graduate student that's too much to undertake right now... so I suppose I will just continue to prepare it as I do without preservatives and just have friends enjoy it at parties and such :). Darn, I guess I'll have just have to wait to culture the US on some fantastic Japanese sauces we are missing here in the states. Thanks again!
 
If you are still close your your university, I would check to see if they have a food preserving/canning extension. Many of them do. They are usually a friendly group and have the knowledge and skills to help you learn the topic and perhaps even check your recipes to see if they are capable of being home canned.
 
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