How to know if a recipe is acidic enough for storage/bottling? I've made some hot sauce that consists of:


Whole large white onion
Jalapenos (about 5, seeds and veins)
Poblanos (about 3, seeds and veins)
Sweet Peppers (about 6, seeds and veins, unknown name, small and bright colored)
Can of roasted tomatoes with garlic
1 Tbsp Kosher Salt
1 Cup of White Vinegar


I blended all of the hard ingredients together until it was a fine puree, then added the vinegar, and blended some more. Then I simmered on the stove in a covered pot for about 20 minutes, until reduced, then blended again before using a wire mesh strainer and plastic funnel to put into cleaned squeeze bottles (most solids removed).

Similar questions such as How to determine if canning is safe? seem to indicate it's all about the acid content.

As does: http://foodinjars.com/2010/08/canning-101-why-you-cant-can-your-familys-tomato-sauce/

My concern is if I don't have enough acid content, or if the tomatoes have caused there to be a risk.

I would ideally like to store my sauce in the fridge for a few weeks (or longer, if conducive to proper home bottling) so that I don't have to think up 101 dishes that use hot sauce all before it spoils.

I've read that a pH of 4.6 is "good"... should I get pool water testing strips and test it against that?

How do I determine if my recipe has enough acid content to safely store longer than a couple of days in the fridge?
Excellent question! I understand wanting to experiment with your own recipe. I hate following recipes and would much rather develop my own. 

Virginia Tech has a PDF file that I consider invaluable to download at Boiling Water Bath Canning. In the downloaded file it says 


  Only high-acid food with a pH of 4.6 or less can be processed using the boiling water bath method. This is because only high-acid foods  prevent the growth of spores of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum which can't be killed by boiling. Foods with a pH more than 4.6 allow the spores to grow. 


Everything that a home canner would need to learn and know how to successfully can using a boiling water bath method is included in this 15 page file. It even includes jam and jellies and some information on fermenting foods with advice about possible problems.