resident chefs: reducing large amounts of sauces

[petek]

So a couple of days ago I decided to make a relish type sauce from a secret recipe I have once used by a popular local drive-in. The recipe was for a gallon or more and rather than do the math and perhaps screw it up I figure what the hell I'll make it all just to be sure.

So once I've done all the prep work and have my largest heavy duty stock pot on the stove top to simmer until it becomes "very thick" as per the instrx. I'm left waiting and stirring, waiting and stirring occasionally for 11 hours and it's reduced to about 1/2 or 3/4.. I didn't want to turn the simmer up any higher in case I wasn't quick enough to get back to stirring and it burned..

Anyways, I got to thinking after. Maybe I should have just put it in a large roasting pan uncovered and that would have been faster.. more surface area and all.

Any thoughts ?

As to the sauce,, actually a relish.. once I completed it and refrigerated it overnight I must say it is like the real thing. I have enough now to feed an army..

 

[launderess]

Have never reduced...

Our family always makes up smaller container portions and freezes all sorts of sauces.

 

[mattl]

Care to give a bit more detail?  When I think of relish I think of the kind on hot dogs, chopped up pickles and such.  I take it hat is not what you are talking about.

 

[petek]

Matt.. actually it is a relish for burgers and dogs. It starts with a base made of peeled tomatoes or canned peeled whole tomatoes, onions etc.. but no liquids which you chop in the food processor which then creates quite a bit of liquid. I used the canned plum tomatoes which although the label doesn't show any water, there is quite a lot of tomato liquid in the cans. Once it's reduced to a thicker state they used it for a sort of tomato chili.. or made it into a relish by taking one cup of the "chili" and adding a bunch of other things like green pickle etc.

 

[petek]

Had I used fresh plum tomatoes there probably wouldn't have been quite as much liquid and it might have not taken so long in the big stock pot on the stove but it got me thinking there must be a faster way.

and then too I don't think the large burner on my stove is all that great for simmering, it was hard to find a happy point.. I eventually moved the pot over to the next smaller burner and it was a bit better.

 

[alr2903]

.. After you got it all going and the flavors mingled, you might of halved it between 2 pots @ simmer.  The roaster was a good idea but after all that work you don't want a scorch in the middle.

 

[toploader55]

Reducing is evaporating liquid while concentrating at the same time.

In the restaurant, 40 lbs of veal bones, 10 lbs of cut Marrow Bones, Mirepoix, I used to split up between two stock pots.After simmering for about 10-12 hours is strained to yield about toughly 8-10 gallons of stock.

Then it is placed in a stock pot and on a low slow rolling boil is reduced down to about a gallon or so until its's Demi Glace. This can take up to 6 or more hours depending on the flame or heat setting. Reducing further is Glace de Viande.

So to answer your question from a more scientific stand point the more area exposed the faster the reducing. Your theory on the Roasting Pan will work but through constant attention and stirring. Broth is one thing but what you are making a large Braising pan would have made it a bit faster but through constant attention.

Attached is video on reducucing. Hope this helps to give you an idea.



I don't know if this makes any sense to you but I hope this helps [this post was last edited: 2/16/2017-10:04]

 

[vacerator]

Reuction sauces

take time. Do them in smaller batches. Evaporation concentrates flavor, and you don't want them to scorch either from too high of heat. Anything with any proteins or sugars will carmelize, but when they burn they either taste burned or bitter, like garlic.

 

[mattl]

Pete, I get the idea now.  I have a salsa recipe much like that, you cook it down for hours.  The last few times I've made it it invariably burns, so I quit making it - too much trouble for what I ended up with.

 

Sounds like you have a good supply for a while, enjoy..

 

[kb0nes]

More surface area will slightly aid evaporation. Stock pots are intentionally made undersquare (taller then the diameter) to limit evaporation. This is part of the reason that reducing water from maple sap is done in flat trays when making syrup.

Ultimately the difference between your stock pot and roaster probably won't make a huge difference. I have done a similar reduction making a large batch of Bacon Jam and did that in a slow cooker.

 

[dermacie]

my grandmother always made her Sunday Italian sauce in a Guardian Service roaster on a burner on the stove and it thickened nicely.

 

[vacerator]

My grandma cooked

her Italian sauce all day. A reduction is more like a stock, or demi glace', or a gastrique'. They often have wine, cogniac, or brandy in them.
Sugo may have wine, and does thicken as it cooks, but it doesn't reduce by say a third in volume.

 

[petek]

I guess reading all this it's pretty normal to take as long as it did and I probably should have split it into 2 or 3 pots. Since it was mainly tomatoes and there was quite a bit (unfortunately but necessary) sugar added it really needs attention. And as mentioned above somewhere,, once you get even the slightest little burn the whole pot is essentially ruined.

Next time, if there is one I'm going to quarter the recipe.. One thing I learned though is that my KA glass top isn't the best at low heat simmering.

Glad I'm not a cook in a restaurant that's for sure.. good for everyone else a well.

 

[mattl]

This is what you need...  With the stirrer attachment.  But it's very pricey.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/04/the-multi-talented-kitchenaid-multi-cooker/index.htm