AboutJ. Peter Clark Expertise How various processed foods are made; ways to improve manufacturing; how to make a new food product.
Experience Employment history: Research Engineer, U.S.Agricultural Research Service, Associate Professor Chemical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Director of Research, Continental Baking Company, President, Epstein Process Engineering, Inc., Vice Presdent Technology, Fluor Daniel, Inc., Consultant to the Process Industries
Organizations: American Institute of Chemical Engineers (Fellow) Institute of Food Technologists, American Association of Cereal Chemists, American Association of Candy Technologists, American Society of Agricultural Engineers,
Publications: Several Encyclopedias (Kirk and Othmer, Chemical Technology; Food Science, Food Technology and Nutrition; Wiley Encyclopedia of Food Science and Technology; Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems); five books, two book chapters; numerous journals.
Education: BSChE Notre Dame PhD University of California, Berkeley
Awards: AIChE Food, Pharmaceutical and Bioengineering Division Award 1998
Clients: Major food processing and pharamaceutical companies.
Question I've always been curious about how long jarred sauces are cooked. My mom cooked her sauce for several hours but I would think that would not be cost-effective for the makers of jarred sauce -- and it doesn't taste nearly as good as mom's!
Answer There are about as many recipes for pasta sauces as there are Moms, so some of the difference is the use of economic industrial ingredients instead of, often, fresh tomatoes and herbs. Another cause of difference is the need for commercial food products to appeal to a wide and diverse audience, while Mom's cooking need only appeal to a much smaller group whose taste preferences she knows. To answer your initial question, jarred sauces are cooked for as brief a time as possible, typically a few minutes in a kettle to dissolve and disperse ingredients, then it is filled hot, held in the jar for about 30 seconds (to sterilize the jar and lid), and then cooled. Jarred sauces are often based on tomato paste, the least expensive source of tomato solids, and use dried onion, dried garlic and dried herbs. Homemade sauces often start with canned or fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic and other ingredients, and they are cooked for hours to marry the flavors and to concentrate flavors by evaporating water. Marcella Hazen's ragu cooks for maybe 3 hours. As you point out, this would be impractical commercially. I often start with jarred sauce and add fresh onion, garlic, mushrooms, meat and more oregano. It tastes pretty good.
