I’ve been using a water bath to can my marinara sauce recently and the bottom seems to be clear. Is the olive oil from the sauce settling at the bottom or is water getting in? It’s seems something is settling at the bottom and I’d like to know if I’m messing up.
( I have no pictures rn but can get them when I’m home if needed.)
by iamacaterpiller
4 Comments
What’s your recipe? I’m not aware of any safe tested water-bath marinara recipes that include olive oil.
Honestly it sounds like your tomato products separated! That’s very normal. However we need to know that your recipe and processing method matches guidance before we can tell you if you have an issue with your sauce or not. Please reply to the bot with the recipe you used.
What recipe are you using? Because that sounds like unsafe canning, and in that case you have bigger issues that tomato separating…
Olive oil wouldn’t settle to the bottom in any water based liquid as it’s lighter than water, You may just have water separation in the tomato base.
Tomato juice separates into layers because of the action of pectinesterase, aka pectin methylesterase. This is a naturally occurring enzyme that breaks down pectin, a starch in fruits and vegetables that separates the juice into solid and liquid parts. See the watery solution at the bottom of your tomato juice or sauce? That is often also pectinesterase at work.