What would be good preservatives for chili to give it a longer shelf life?
Everyone says we make a great chili and I was thinking about selling it at Chili festivals etc... and was wondering does anyone have any ideas of what preservatives would make the shelf life stretch out, keep the color bright and not build a fungus?
I would prefer to use natural preservatives and not change the taste of our recipe very much. Any help in this would be greatly appreciated.
Best Answer
The only way that I know to put up chili for storage other than freezing is pressure canning.
The National Center for Home Food Preservation has a recipe for pressure canning, in which they process it for 75 minutes (which doesn't include the ramp up & pressure release times), so you're looking at close to 2 hrs per batch, when you include the time to set all of the cans in the pot, remove 'em, etc.
I've never tried it, so I have no idea what pressure canning ends up doing to the texture and flavor of the chili. I also don't do pressure canning, so I have no idea what all of the issues are (eg, if acid levels are as significant as with normal canning) and thus how much you can vary a recipe without risking problems.
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How do you extend the shelf life of chili?
Put the plate inside a freezer and allow it to freeze for 6-7 hours. Once this is done, bring it out and store the frozen chillies in an air-tight container. Place it inside a refrigerator. This way, the green chillies will stay fresh for upto 2 months.How do you make a long shelf life of chilli sauce?
Vinegar and sugar make good preservatives. Provided you use sterilised containers - place them in boiling water for twenty minutes, add the sauce, seal, then boil again for ten minutes - you should be fine. Store the bottles/jars in a cool place out of direct sunlight.What preservatives are used in chilli sauce?
According to the agency, benzoic acid or sodium benzoate are accepted preservatives in chilli sauces, but the maximum amount is capped at 1,000mg per kilogram of the product, according to two circulars by the health ministry issued in 2012 and 2015, which fall in line with Codex's regulations.How long can homemade preservatives last?
The National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends only preserving enough food to last one year. So that your home-canned foods taste great and are nutritious when you decide to eat them.3 Ways To Increase Shelf Life For Food and Beverage NATURALLY with Packaging
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Answer 2
Pressure canning is probably the best way to raise the durability of food without the need to add any preservatives and without the need of maintaining a specific temperature to the goods (as it applies to freezing). As most microorganisms are killed by temperature after the can is sealed nothing can go back in there until the lid is opened again. In the industry if it contains water and is durable outside the fridge and does not contain any (artificial) preservatives it is most likely pressure canned.
Answer 3
If you have access to a commercial chamber vacuum sealer you could look into retort canning. This process is the same as the military MRE packages and the same thing they use to package those bags of tuna on the shelves of the supermarket.
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