# Storing Homemade BBQ Sauce



## OldSmoke (Aug 16, 2021)

I understand that homemade sauces are good for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. I often have extra sauce with just the two of us. Would it be safe to pour the extra sauce into a vacuum bag, vacuum seal it, then freeze it?


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## SecondHandSmoker (Aug 16, 2021)

Sure, you can freeze the sauce.   
Two ways to do it.
Add the sauce to the vacuum bag or bags, try to stand the bag or bags up in the freezer.  
When the sauce is frozen, vacuum seal the bag or bags. 
Or you could pour the sauce in ziplock bags, remove as much are as possible before sealing closed then place the sealed ziplock bag into the vac bag for sealing. 

Frozen sauce will last in the freezer about 3-4 months.


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## pushok2018 (Aug 16, 2021)

SecondHandSmoker said:


> Frozen sauce will last in the freezer about 3-4 months.


Hmmm.... By whatever reason I was under impression that BBQ souse packed in vacuum bag and frozen could be kept in freezer for at least one year... Wondering why it can't...


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## forktender (Aug 17, 2021)

pushok2018 said:


> Hmmm.... By whatever reason I was under impression that BBQ souse packed in vacuum bag and frozen could be kept in freezer for at least one year... Wondering why it can't...


It can, and much longer than that.
Personally, I'd pour it into a cheap zippy bag and flatten it in the freezer. Then once froze poke a few holes in the zippy and vacuum seal it, that way they will all lay flat for more room in the freezer.


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## DRKsmoking (Aug 17, 2021)

forktender said:


> It can, and much longer than that.
> Personally, I'd pour it into a cheap zippy bag and flatten it in the freezer. Then once froze poke a few holes in the zippy and vacuum seal it, that way they will all lay flat for more room in the freezer.



^^^^^^^ Great idea for making space in freezer. ^^^^^^
Yes it will keep for a very long time , best flavor probably up to 6 months , than things start to change a little, just my thoughts, with things I have frozen

David


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## SmokinGame (Aug 17, 2021)

Depending upon how much you make, another option is to can it, just like salsa, tomatoes, etc. Little more effort, but if you are making a very large batch may be an option to think about.  Shelf life probably in 12 months range.


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## thirdeye (Aug 17, 2021)

Do you happen to have a water bath canner?  Or know someone who is a home canner?  You could make a shelf stable product that is good for 18 months.









						Canning Bbq Sauce - What You Need to Know
					

Follow our instructions to making your very own bbq sauce, and then canning it for later use. Check out our step by step guide.




					pressurecanners.com


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## castiron (Aug 17, 2021)

I have also put it in empty water bottles to freeze it.


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## HalfSmoked (Aug 17, 2021)

Some great ideas here both by freezing and home canning. The main thing either way is to keep safety first in mind.

Warren


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## HalfSmoked (Aug 17, 2021)

Thanks smokerjim for the like it is appreciated.

For sure always be safe.

Warren


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## pushok2018 (Aug 17, 2021)

forktender said:


> It can, and much longer than that.


Thank you, forktender. This is what I though.


DRKsmoking said:


> best flavor probably up to 6 months , than things start to change a little, just my thoughts, with things I have frozen


Agreed.  I noticed (with different vac sealed and  frozen food) that taste change a bit depending how long you keep it frozen...


thirdeye said:


> You could make a shelf stable product that is good for 18 months.


This is interesting - I never knew that I can can BBQ Sause. Only one problem - you have to make a whole bunch of Sause to fill your canner and run it efficiently....


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## TNJAKE (Aug 17, 2021)

pushok2018 said:


> Thank you, forktender. This is what I though.
> 
> Agreed.  I noticed (with different vac sealed and  frozen food) that taste change a bit depending how long you keep it frozen...
> 
> This is interesting - I never knew that I can can BBQ Sause. Only one problem - you have to make a whole bunch of Sause to fill your canner and run it efficiently....


You can just use jars of water to fill up the rest of your water bath if you don't want to make a big batch of sauce


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## thirdeye (Aug 17, 2021)

pushok2018 said:


> This is interesting - I never knew that I can can BBQ Sause. Only one problem - you have to make a whole bunch of Sause to fill your canner and run it efficiently....



If you use a recipe designed for a water bath canner, no.  If you use a recipe designed for pressure canning, one of the many reliable sources says.... yes. About 5 years ago 'Ball' included a statement in it canning book 'The Ball Blue Book' that read:  To ensure proper pressure and temperature is achieved for safe processing, you must process at least 2 quart or 4 pint jars in the* pressure canner* at one time.  The logic has to do with proper heating and cooling during the process.  The easy way to comply is to can more food at once, OR put a few jars of water in the canner with used lids to make up the difference.

Another idea is to mix and match.  I make pizza sauce, but I could make jars of pizza sauce and BBQ sauce in the same load.   Or two kinds of BBQ sauce.


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## DRKsmoking (Aug 17, 2021)

pushok2018 said:


> Agreed. I noticed (with different vac sealed and frozen food) that taste change a bit depending how long you keep it frozen.




Thanks pushok2018, I only mentioned the freezing and not the water bath process is that oldsmoke mentioned about freezing. I do a lot of canning and that is how I would save , just make it in larger batches. 

David


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## rc4u (Aug 17, 2021)

so what does store bought sauce have in it that it lasts so long, {not canned in pressure cooker}and remember the date is best used by not kill ya next month..


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## rc4u (Aug 17, 2021)

just checked my fridge the sweet baby raes has no best used by date that i could find or the bottle of back rib sauce..


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## SecondHandSmoker (Aug 17, 2021)

pushok2018 said:


> Hmmm.... By whatever reason I was under impression that BBQ souse packed in vacuum bag and frozen could be kept in freezer for at least one year... Wondering why it can't...



That was based on personal experience.   After 6 mos in the freezer, the sauce just didn't taste the same.   Was it the sauce or the taster, who knows?


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## DRKsmoking (Aug 17, 2021)

rc4u said:


> just checked my fridge the sweet baby raes has no best used by date that i could find or the bottle of back rib sauce..


 

My SBRays has the best before on the white label on the neck of the bottle. And like said by others thats just the BB date... not the you will die date , lol

David


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## thirdeye (Aug 17, 2021)

rc4u said:


> so what does store bought sauce have in it that it lasts so long, {not canned in pressure cooker}and remember the date is best used by not kill ya next month..


There might be added preservative ingredients, but most sauces contain vinegar, so that's a good start.  Store bought sauce has been processed with heat/pressure and then sealed.  Even the sauces in plastic bottles and that's why it's shelf stable for a period of time which the manufacturer establishes and prints on the bottle.  

Once opened it has a short life if it's not refrigerated, or like many Q joints.... it's on the table during the day, and refrigerated at night (hopefully).  The 6 or 8 months it is still good in your fridge might be  recommended from the manufacturer, but it's up to you to make the final call.    Bottom line, don't buy too big of a container.


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## DRKsmoking (Aug 17, 2021)

thirdeye said:


> Bottom line, don't buy too big of a container.




  Ha Ha thats a lot of sauce. Must be going to a competition somewhere , I need directions

David


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## HalfSmoked (Aug 17, 2021)

SecondHandSmoker thanks for the like it is appreciated.

Yup can never be to careful.

Warren


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## thirdeye (Aug 17, 2021)

DRKsmoking said:


> Ha Ha thats a lot of sauce. Must be going to a competition somewhere , I need directions
> 
> David


Restaurant depot, they are like Sam's Club on steroids.   

 SBR's and KC Masterpiece are  popular and they sell. But I wonder how many restaurants or food trucks start with a popular name brand sauce, and jazz it up a hair to make it appear it's made in-house?


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## DRKsmoking (Aug 17, 2021)

thirdeye said:


> how many restaurants or food trucks start with a popular name brand sauce, and jazz it up a hair to make it appear it's made in-house?



  Of coarse they do, go with a good base and add on . Look at our sauce, tastes good right.

Worked in a few restaurants in my earlier jobs before I started swinging hammers. There is a lot of that. 

David


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## HalfSmoked (Aug 17, 2021)

More than you might like to know thirdeye. 

What's that about paten protection?

Warren


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## 801driver (Aug 17, 2021)

Half Head Country Hot and half KC Masterpiece is one of my go to sauces for my taste buds.  My second one is a home made something a little similar to Sweet Baby Rays with a little more kick and smoke flavor.  I typically have a 64oz catsup bottle of each in the frig I do not worry about going bad till I make up the next batch.  I have made Jeff's Sauce which is good but a little too time consuming for me to do on a regular basis.  Experimenting making scratch sauces is time consuming but interesting to find what your taste buds like for that particular day.  Thanks for everyone sharing their storage suggestions.


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## 1MoreFord (Aug 17, 2021)

thirdeye said:


> SBR's and KC Masterpiece are  popular and they sell. But I wonder how many restaurants or food trucks start with a popular name brand sauce, and jazz it up a hair to make it appear it's made in-house?



Cattleman's Sauces used to be restaurant supply only sauces years ago and a great many BBQ joints used them openly or disguised and/or tweaked as their special secret sauces.  There is a mustard sauce joint in town that I suspect uses Cattleman's Carolina Gold as their secret sauce.


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