Cajeta Question
 

My friend wants me to make cajeta to sell at farmer's markets. I have no idea of what a shelf life is on it!! And is it possible to "can" it like vegetables so that it will last? Right now I keep it in the fridge when I make it.

With the sugar content I would bet that it would last darn near forever.

I've been selling cajeta at our farmer's market for a while, and it sells well. However, I just found out last week that I've been doing it illegally. In NC, you have to have canned goods like jams, jellies, candies and sauces tested for shelf stability and then have a kitchen inspection. For things like pickles, krauts, and high acid foods, and veggies that need pressure canned, you have to take a class that costs over $450 to take. I do water bath can mine, just for that extra measure of safety. You may want to check with USDA regulations for selling at markets in your state. I'll be sending my samples to NC State later this week for testing.

the man I buy mine from says unopened it will last a year on the shelf.

Hmmm, ok, thanks. We'll be selling it as "pet food", so it doesn't have a lot of restrictions.

That's what I've been saying we should sell ours as instead of jumping through silly bureaucratic hoops, but DW (LearningLife) can sometimes be a stickler for rules. :)
I had a bottle of cajeta at work for samples and left it sitting out when I left for the weekend, and then forgot I had it there. It sat on the counter for about a week when I remembered it (we ran out of sugar for coffee which spurred my memory). Sniffed it, tasted it, it was perfectly fine. So I don't know about a legitimate shelf life, but My experience is that it will last at least a week on the counter. I agree with Tink and Cannon_Farms. It should last a while.

Copied from grouprecipes.com
"1 tsp baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) -- this is needed for a complete browning-- it lowers the pH and prevents milk proteins from coagulating (bunching up). The browning is not caramelization -- it is a Maillard reaction which requires the addition of a base. If you do not add baking soda the sauce will still thicken and taste wonderful, but the full potential of the sauce will be lost."
Evidently, cajeta became popular in Mexico during the war for independence due to its long shelf life and ease of storage. That was in 1810. Take all of this with a grain of salt of course, I mean... They can't put anything on the internet if it isn't true... Right? :)

Baking soda does not add to browning, the sugar does. Baking soda adjusts the ph so you do not get cheese clumps in it.

Pet food in fl requires a feed master permit. I always refrigerate my cajeta. It molded in my pantry the first time.

We have the feed master permit already. I keep mine in the fridge too, but I am hoping that canning it works.

Cajeta as pet food? Come on. :( You can get by selling milk that way, but cajeta?

I wouldn't do it.

Learninglife, when you hot water bath your cajeta have you kept any in the pantry that way for a length of time to see how long it stays good for?
I think I may try canning some & was just curious. I'll be sure & keep 1 jar back in the pantry when I can it & see how it is a year from now.

We have kept it in the pantry, but not for longer than a couple of weeks. It never lasts that long. The jars that have been in the pantry have been just as good as freshly canned cajeta.

I would pressure can it to be safe. I'm not saying it isn't safe the way it is but all it takes is someone eating some bad mayo and blaming you. It would afford you some protection because you followed proper canning guidelines. If the state inspectors ever came knocking on your door you have a much smaller chance of it testing negative for bacteria then simple water bath canning. The state health depts are not known for their honesty and fairness after all.
I also would NOT lable it for pet food. No one is going to believe that. Not to mention would you honestly buy something for your coffee or ice cream that was labeled dog food? I would question the handling procedures of something sold at a farmers market labeled pet food.

Have you checked to see if there are cottage kitchen laws in your state? You *really* need to be informed about what legal position you are putting yourself in before you made the decision.

What if someone sees this labeled as pet food and actually feeds this to their dog?

It's just home made caramel.

They will have a really happy dog!

Before kidney failure set in. :(

OK, sell it as nutritional supplement for bees.......

(do bees have kidneys?) :nana:

Hopefully nobodys pet is diabetic unknowingly. They will be dead shortly.

Actually - anyone in the US should be able to sell it - can't imagine how they could argue with it: "cajeta. A thick, dark syrup or paste made from caramelized sugar and milk (goat’s or
cow’s milk) that is used primarily as a dessert or topping for ice cream or fruit in
Mexico and some South American countries. Although milk is an ingredient, the
product is classified as a confectionery and is unrestricted." http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_exp...f/glossary.pdf

I'm making a batch this weekend, and I'm going to try something that we used to do when I was a child. (Yes, it was a VERY long time ago!) When we made any kind of preserves or jams we just put it into sterilized jars, then poured melted wax on top. You put one layer on, let it cool, then put another layer on. It keeps preserves from spoiling for a long long time.

In Ohio, the Ohio Department of Ag says that they don't make a big deal about fudge because of the temperatures required to make it. I wonder if the same attitude would apply to cajeta??? I believe that each state has their own rules. Ohio just passed some 'cottage laws' about a year ago.....I have not checked out the specifics...since I was not planning to sell any "cottage foods"

My cajeta always seems to start crystalizing after a month or two.

That USDA import/export definition gives me hope!

I really wanted to start canning and selling it here in MD, so I could earn more money from the goats. BUT, in our state, there are really strict rules about using raw milk for anything. Yes, they consider it raw even though it's cooked when made, and heated at high temps when canned.

For me to sell it, I'd have to pasteurize the milk, and have an approved dairy facility (and hand milking is not allowed). Then I'd have to have a commercial kitchen to make it AND store it before it's sold. If I didn't have a pasteurizer, I'd have to transport the milk to a facility that would let me use theirs, and then my vehicle would have to have refrigeration and it would also have to be inspected.

WAAAAAAY to many hoops to jump through, and it's a bit over the top, IMO.

The restrictions aren't nearly as tight for jams and jellies though.

Yes, state regs need to be examined.