sauces are generally thinner and contain more total solids than ketchups. Tomato, apple, papaya, walnut, soybean etc. are used for making sauces.
The FPO specifications of sauces are TSS – 25% and acidity – 1%.
Sauces are of two kinds
(i) thin sauces of low viscosity consistency mainly of vinegar extract of flavouring materials like herbs and spices and
(ii) thick sauces that are highly viscous.
Sauces / ketchups are prepared from more or less the same ingredients and in the same
manner as chutney, except that the fruit or vegetable pulp or juice used in sieved after cooking to remove the skin, seeds and stalks of fruits. Vegetables and spices and to give a smooth consistency to the final product. However, cooking takes longer because fine pulp (or) juice is used.
Some sauces develop a characteristic flavour and aroma on storing in wooden barrels.
Freshly prepared products often have a raw and harsh taste and have, therefore, to be matured by storage. High quality sauces, are prepared by maceration of spices herbs, fruits and vegetables in cold vinegar or by boiling them in vinegar.
Thickening agents are also added to the sauce to prevent sedimentation of solid particles. Apple pulp is commonly used for this purpose in India but starch from potato, maize, arrow root (cassava) and sago are also used.
A fruit sauce should be cooked to such a consistency that it can be freely poured without
the fruit tissues separating out in the bottle. The colour of the sauce should be bright. Sauces usually thicken slightly on cooling. By using a funnel hot ketchup is filled in bottles leaving a 2 cm head space at the top and the bottles are sealed or corked at once. The necks of the bottles when cold, are dipped in paraffin wax for airtight sealing.
Apple sauce
Recipe : Apple – 1.0 kg, sugar – 250 g, salt – 10 g, onion (chopped) – 200 g, ginger (chopped)
– 100 g, garlic (chopped) – 50 g, red chillipowder – 10 g, cloves – 5 Nos. cinnamon, cardamom
– 15 g (each), vinegar – 50 ml, sodium benzoate – 0.7 g/kg of finished product.
Process
Apples → Washing → Peeling → Removal of core and seeds → Making into fine pulp →
Straining of pulp → Cooking pulp with one third quantity of sugar → Putting spice bag in pulp
and processing occasionally → Cooking to one – third of original volume of pulp → Removal of
spice bag (after squeezing in pulp) →Adding remaining sugar and salt → Cooking to one – third
its original volume → Addition of vinegar and preservative → Filling hot into bottles → Crown
corking → Pasteurization at 85-90 oC for 30 min. → Cooling → Storage at ambient temperature.
