I am finally taking the time to put up my follow up post about my hot dog sauce I made a while ago. Sorry for the delay but I have a lot I am trying to get done right now and it gets a bit over-whelming at times.
You may recall I made a huge batch of hot dog sauce and planned on canning what I did not use right of way. Well all total I got 10 half pint servings of sauce out of that batch. A half pint serving is just enough for a package of 8 or 10 hot dogs. By canning in the half pint jars I have no waste that way.
I truly like being frugal and saving money where I can,,, so I sat down and did the math. All the supplies cost me just under $10.00. I got 10 half pints out of the batch so that is averaging $1.00 a jar. In our local store, hot dog sauce comes in about a half pint can and it is $4.00. (They stopped carrying the brand I liked the best.) So anyway, I got $40.00 worth of sauce for $10.00. I don't really figure in my time because I am usually doing other things while the sauce is simmering or in the canner. I also don't count the cost of jars because I reuse them.
When properly canned and processed the foods will last indefinitely. However, after about 3 years they tend to start to lose the flavor. Always label your jars with the item and the date you canned it as you will want to use it within the 3 years if possible and replace your stock. I general will use my canned goods up within a year but occasionally something will sit a little longer.
I used to put the labels on the sides of the jars but then when I go to reuse the jars getting the sticky goo from the label off was a real pain in the behind so I started putting the labels on the lids which get thrown away anyway. Never reuse lids!! Lids will often get bent when opening the jar and if you reuse them you will not get a proper seal. Best to not risk it and start with new lids. You can reuse the rings so long as they have been taken care of and not gotten rusty. Lids are not very expensive and you can easily buy replacements. You can also get replacement rings if they should get rusty or bent up.
After you finish canning your food, let the jars cool in a draft free place over-night. Remove the rings and wash the jars. Check to make sure you have a proper seal. The lid should not bounce back when you press on the center of it. It should be tight with no give. Take a look at all the edges to make sure it is seated properly and there are no gaps. Once you are satisfied each is sealed properly, label and put them in your storage area. I recommend a cool dark place. I have a room in my basement that I use for storing canned goods.
If you have never canned and want to learn I recommend buying "The Ball Bluebook of Canning". It is a very inexpensive book, around $10.00 and will give you step by step instructions on canning as well as some basic recipes to get you started. In fact it is what I used to learn to can and I still refer to it today, some 30 + years later.
Below are a couple of pictures of my canned hot dog sauce ready to be put into storage.
Until next time,,,,,,,,Blessings!!
