> Re: Wow.... I'm surprised. I would have thought that this group, > more than > any, would insist on sterilization of hot sauces (vs. trusting a > guess of > the sauce's pH and well-sanitized bottles---I sanitize mine with > Iodophor, btw---to do the job). Ummm.... it ain't a 'guess' as to the pH. We check, and recheck. And yes- most *everyone* in this group depends on the combination of pH and hot fill to do the sterilization. It's been effective for a hundred years or so and for several thousand manufacturers ;-) With a pH of 3.1 and a bottling temp in excess of 185F, there isn't anything that's going to go wrong. At WORST (as opposed to wurst ;-) you're likely to have some stray fermentation. That's immediately known when you go to open the bottle & get 'champagne'. Anybody out there know of a single case of someone poisoned by hot sauce? Anyone? Anyone? -Jim C http://www.StepUpforCharity.org