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I have bottles with plastic screw top lids (from supermarket bought hot sauce). Can I use these bottles for my homemade bbq/tomato sauce? I would sterilise the bottles as I usually do. I have previously reused bottles with metal lids and stored these on the shelf for months, successfully. I don’t plan to “can” the sauces in the bottles, I am using recipes that have enough vinegar to preserve without “canning”. The sauces are usually just poured hot into a sterilised jar and left on shelf.

Nic
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  • Thanks J. I’m not “canning” in this instance, have updated my original post. – Nic Aug 31 '20 at 07:00
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    Just pouring a sauce into a sterilised jar and leaving it at room temperature is not safe using any type of jar, unless it's acidic enough to be "pickled". – user141592 Aug 31 '20 at 07:42

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Reusing the bottles shouldn´t be a problem as long as they can be cleaned properly. But I wouldn`t use them for canning for two reasons:

  • Metal lids usually have a 'click' that ensures they keep the vacuum seal and allow you to check if it is still unbroken.
  • Some sorts of plastic are not meant to be heated and when cooking the bottles for canning there is a risk that some chemicals (e.g. BPA) diffuse to the food.
J. Mueller
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