Please Help Me Prepare Chilli Paste for Pressure Canner

13 years ago

Hello,
I am new to the forum and would like to start canning (with a pressure canner) but am afraid of botulism. I would like to can Harissa (Tunisian Chile Paste) and if successful, possibly sell it at my local farmers market. The main ingredients are
re hydrated dried chile, garlic, olive oil, 2 tablespoons of water and some spices. I live in New Mexico.
i see that canning pressure should go up to 250ÃÂ° but home pressure canners only go up to 240ÃÂ°. also, i do not wish to add tomatoes or vinegar or lemon juice which will alter the taste tremendously. Can citric acid be used? if so, in what proportions? i have not seen a pure chile paste canning recipe especially for canning at this altitude and any advice would help. thank you.

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Comments (4)

readinglady
13 years ago
Unfortunately, the only way to determine an appropriate processing time for your recipe would be to work with a company or university which offers a testing service for those wishing to market food products.

Your best bet would be to check with your nearest university for a small business program. They should be able to direct you to some local options.

But as far as this forum is concerned, we would not be able to provide directions on canning an oil-based product such as you describe.

Carol
eircsmith
13 years ago
Welcome "pinkscarf80" to GardenWeb Forum. Thanks for thread and reply, it seems to be informative.
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Siobhan101
13 years ago
Hey Pinkscarf!! I live in DC now but my parents are in NM. We lived in Tunisia when I was little, so my family has been making harissa for pretty much all my life. I have given this a lot of thought, and sadly, I don't think it's a recipe that's safe to can, because of all the oil. However, it lasts a really really long time in the refrigerator if you make sure to always keep a very thick layer of olive oil over the top. The oil will solidify in the fridge so you can just push it aside to get your harissa and at the end you have great harissa olive oil to cook with. I probably make it once everyone one to two months, and I usually don't have problems with spoilage.

Plus, if you want to give it as a gift, it's fine at room temperature for a limited amount of time. My parents used to mail it to me when I was in college and I had minimal spoilage issues.
2ajsmama
13 years ago
Ball Complete book has a recipe for Harissa Sauce, BWB not pressure canned, but it does include tomatoes (says you can use drained canned (commercially) tomatoes). Recommends stirring in some olive oil before serving. This is the only approved recipe I know of.

Also, check with your state on what is allowed and not allowed to be sold at farmer's markets. Some don't allow acidified foods (or there might be pH testing requirements), another thing may be you need a commercial kitchen, or have to grow all the ingredients (except for things like sugar, spices and vinegar, in this case that would mean the peppers, the tomatoes, the onions, and possibly the garlic and coriander too).