Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: Bernardin
Safety reviewed: 09/18/2026
Processing details
Altitude adjustment: Use the exact altitude-adjusted schedule in the tested recipe card.
Source & provenance
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Safety classification
Tested recipe. Documented by Bernardin.
Processing details
- Method: Boiling-water
canning ; hot pack - Jar size: 250 or 236 ml jars
- Headspace: 1/2 inch (1 cm)
- Processing: 20 minutes at altitudes up to 1,000 ft (305 m); follow Bernardin’s guidance above that elevation.
Tested/documented source
Bernardin: Picante Sauce — Bernardin. The source and WPRM card remain authoritative.
Preparation timeline
- Prepare canner, jars, lids, and measured ingredients.
- Complete every preparation and cooking stage in the card.
- Hot-pack, process for jar size and elevation, wait 5 minutes, and cool upright for 24 hours.
Equipment
- Boiling-water canner with rack
- 250 or 236 ml jars with lids and bands
- Large nonreactive preserving pot
- Jar lifter, funnel, and bubble/headspace tool
Visual method guide
- Prepare ingredients as documented.
- Cook to the source’s stated stage.
- Hot-pack and maintain 1/2 inch (1 cm).
- Process under at least 1 inch of boiling water.
Safety essentials
Do not reduce the malt vinegar or increase the tested tomato, onion, green pepper, jalapeño, garlic, or tomato-paste quantities.
Do not enlarge jar size or shorten processing time. Refrigerate any unsealed jar.
About this recipe
Picante Sauce — Bernardin is a tested Bernardin preserve.
Before you begin
Read the complete recipe card and source, measure every ingredient, and confirm your elevation.
Altitude-adjusted processing
20 minutes at altitudes up to 1,000 ft (305 m); use Bernardin’s documented adjustment above that elevation.
Picante Sauce — Bernardin
Ingredients
- 7 cups (1750 ml) coarsely chopped tomatoes, about 5 lbs (2.25 kg), 20 medium
- 1- 1/2 cups (375 ml) coarsely chopped Spanish onion, 1 medium
- 1- 1/2 cups (375 ml) coarsely chopped green pepper, 1 medium
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) finely chopped jalapeño peppers, about 4 large
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup (250 ml) malt vinegar
- 1 can (5 1/2 oz/156 ml) tomato paste
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) pickling salt
- 1 tsp (5 ml) red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) coriander
- 1 tsp (5 ml) cumin
Equipment
- 1 Boiling-water bath canner with rack
- 1 Large stainless or enamel preserving pot
- 1 Canning jars with two-piece lids
- 1 Headspace and bubble tool
Directions
- Place 8 clean 250 or 236 ml mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner. Cover jars with water and heat to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside. Keep jars hot until ready to use. Preheating Bernardin® lids is not advised.
- The sealing compound used for our home canning lids performs better at room temperature than it does pre-heated in simmering water (180°F). Simply wash lids in hot, soapy water, dry, and set aside until needed.
- Preheating can lead to less vacuum being achieved during water bath canning, and to buckle failures during pressure canning. Blanch, peel, seed and coarsely chop tomatoes; measure 7 cups (1750 ml) into a large stainless steel saucepan.
- Add prepared onion, green pepper, jalapeño peppers, garlic, vinegar, tomato paste, pickling salt and red pepper flakes; mix well. For enchilada sauce: Purée entire mixture in a food processor, in small batches. Return purée to saucepan.
- Stirring occasionally, bring mixture to a boil over medium heat; boil gently, uncovered, 45 minutes. Add coriander and cumin; continue to boil until desired consistency is reached, about 15 minutes for picante sauce or 30 minutes for enchilada sauce. Remove from heat.
- Ladle sauce into a hot jar to within 1/2 inch (1 cm) of top of jar (headspace). Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if required, by adding more sauce. Wipe jar rim removing any food residue. Centre sealing disc on clean jar rim.
- Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner. Repeat for remaining sauce. When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least one inch (2.5 cm) of water.
- Cover canner and bring water to full rolling boil before starting to count processing time.
- At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process -boil filled jars - 20 minutes.* When processing time is complete, remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars without tilting and place them upright on a protected work surface. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands.
- After cooling check jar seals. Sealed discs curve downward and do not move when pressed. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store jars in a cool, dark place.
- For best quality, use home canned foods within one year.
- Processing: At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process -boil filled jars - 20 minutes - 20 minutes.
- Altitude-adjusted processing table: At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process -boil filled jars - 20 minutes
Recipe Notes
Private Notes
Questions or results?
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Share your results how it turned out.Serving suggestions
Serve or use according to the preserve’s fruit, sauce, syrup, or condiment profile.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a larger jar?
No. Use only the documented jar sizes and matching times.
Can I change the formula?
Do not alter the tested formulation for shelf-stable storage.
Recipe context
This tested preserve is not interchangeable with an unprocessed refrigerator preparation.
Troubleshooting
Seal failure: Refrigerate the jar. Discard spoiled food without tasting.
Source and provenance
Primary source: Bernardin. Editorial organization changes only.