Are you thinking about making your own homemade hot sauce to sell or to share with family members and friends? If this is the first time you’re making a large batch of hot sauce at home, you may be wondering what the best way is to store and bottle all of it. So, what types of bottles are best to use for homemade hot sauce?
The classic choice for bottling hot sauce is a woozy bottle. For a homemade look, you can go with mason jars or choose a swing-top glass bottle for top quality and unique style. Plastic squeeze bottles can help cut costs, but they are not entirely safe for storing hot sauce.
In this article, we will explore the various bottles available and help you choose the perfect one for your homemade hot sauce.
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1. Woozy Bottle
Woozy bottles, also known as dasher bottles, are a classic choice for any type of hot sauce. They’re so common in hot sauce packaging that even without a label, you’ll know what’s inside. Woozy bottles are ideal for creating an immediately recognizable and trusted brand image.
Glass vs. Plastic Woozy Bottles
Woozy bottles come in both glass and plastic options.
The main advantage of plastic woozy bottles is that they are significantly cheaper. If you’re just starting out or are unsure about your choice of bottle type for your homemade hot sauce, go with plastic for a test batch. Another bonus is that plastic won’t shatter if the bottle is accidentally dropped.
Plastic, on the other hand, is not the best material for holding hot sauce. It runs the danger of contaminating your product and there is a chance that the hot sauce could dissolve the plastic. The risks are greatly lowered by manufacturers using various chemicals but are still too high for homemakers.
We recommend only using plastic bottles for test batches or if you’re just starting out and are unsure whether you want to make substantial investments in packaging right away.
Alternatively, if you’re serious about making homemade hot sauce, whether as a hobby or a business, it may be worth investing in glass bottles for your packaging.
10 Ounce (296 ml) Woozy Bottle
A 10-ounce woozy bottle is the industry standard for hot sauces. If you are considering producing homemade hot sauce as a business and are looking for the optimum packaging option that showcases what you’re selling, this size would be a great choice.
5 Ounce (148 ml) Woozy Bottle
The smaller 5-ounce woozy is perfect for those who are new to hot sauce making. If you’re just starting out, getting 5-ounce bottles for your first batches is ideal for experimenting and learning about all the nuances of the process.
A smaller size means you will be able to make more bottles out of smaller batches at first, which lets you gradually make your way into the business. They are also cheaper, so you can save on packaging costs at the beginning of your hot sauce-making journey.
5-ounce woozy bottles are also great for trying out new recipes and creating new products. If you’d like to test some new ideas, getting smaller-sized bottles for your hot sauce samples is a good idea.
Finally, a small woozy bottle is really cute-looking and is a great idea for trying out a new product or creating a flight of hot sauces for your customers. They are also the ideal size for giving as gifts. You may want to consider this choice for its appearance and convenience.
If you’re interesting in the classic 5 ounce woozy bottle option, this is a popular option on Amazon.com
Wide-Mouth Woozy Bottle
As the name suggest, a wide-mouth woozy bottle is similar to the regular woozy bottle, except that it has a wider mouth. If you’d like to spice up the classic look a little, you can get wide-mouth woozy bottles instead of regular ones to still achieve the easily recognizable look but with a little more uniqueness.
There is also a practical side to it: a wide-mouth woozy bottle works better if your sauce is thick.
2. Squeeze Bottle
Plastic squeeze bottles have numerous advantages. First of all, they are very cheap, which means you won’t have to invest a lot of money upfront. It is also easy to find big bundles of them at discounted prices almost anywhere.
Another bonus is they are extremely easy to use. That is, of course, if your hot sauce isn’t too thick, as squeezing dense liquid can be challenging and very inconvenient. However, when it comes to a hot sauce with a thinner consistency, a plastic squeeze bottle may be your best bet.
A great benefit is that, unlike glass, plastic doesn’t break as easily. This means these bottles are easier to store and transport without any worries.
However, since these bottles are made from plastic, the risks we mentioned earlier still hold true. Plastics may introduce contaminants, and depending on your hot sauce, plastic bottles may not hold up.
So, while plastic squeeze bottles are convenient to use, we still recommend using glass for the sake of product safety.
If you want to use squeeze bottles, it’s important to find BPA free and food safe options. I found these 8-ounce squeeze bottles on Amazon.com that are both BPA free and food safe.
3. Boston Round
Boston round is great for those who are beginning to learn hot sauce making or those who wish to experiment and are looking for the perfect bottle size for test samples.
This bottle type has a number of benefits. To begin with, it screams style when you look at it. Boston round comes in various colors, most typically amber, but clear ones can also be found if that’s what you prefer.
Their name perfectly explains their shape: it is round and doesn’t really have a neck, which can be a problem for the thin sauce as it is easy to pour out too much of it all at once. However, the Boston round shape works great for thick and chunky hot sauces.
Its round shape also makes Boston round a strong bottle that’s not as easy to break by accident. That’s another great advantage for many, as the risk of bottle shattering is one of the main concerns about glass packaging.
Boston rounds are typically 2 ounces (59 ml) but can sometimes be found in 4 ounces (118.3 ml). Its small size makes it perfect for small samples, as well as presents for family and friends.
4. Stout Round
Stout round is similar to Boston round but has more neck and comes in bigger sizes. You can find 8-ounce (237 ml), 12-ounce (355 ml), and 16-ounce (473 ml) Stout rounds, so if you like the shape of Boston round but need larger-sized bottles for your hot sauce, this is just the thing for you.
As mentioned above, the round shape makes these bottles strong, while a more prominent neck gives more convenience for pouring thin hot sauces. If these qualities are what you’re looking for in your ideal packaging, then here’s your perfect choice.
North Mountain Supply sells highly rated Stout Round Sauce Bottles on Amazon.com.
5. Flip Cap Plastic Bottle
Similar to squeeze bottles, these are made of plastic and are very convenient to use. However, they typically come in smaller sizes, so if you’re looking for inexpensive compact bottles for your homemade hot sauce, consider trying out flip-cap plastic bottles.
The flip cap is what makes this bottle type stand out. Unlike the squeeze bottles, these are less likely to leak and easier to control when pouring your sauce out. This type of cap is also more reliable in terms of storage, which is an important factor.
Flip-cap bottles will work better for thicker sauces than squeeze bottles. However, if your sauce is particularly dense, it is still best to go for glass, wide-mouth bottles to allow for easier flow of the hot sauce.
Another great advantage is how inexpensive these bottles are. Again, if you’d like to cut costs on the packaging, plastic is the best option available. The small size also contributes to the cheaper price, and you will likely have no issues finding these bottles online or in a local store.
Still, keep in mind that plastic allows for contamination and can dissolve into your hot sauce under high temperatures. If you go with this option, make sure you follow all necessary precautions to reduce possible risks.
6. Mason Jar
A mason jar is an excellent choice for homemade hot sauce meant for you, your family, or your friends.
Mason jars are especially useful if you’re making large batches of hot sauce, instead of occasionally preparing smaller portions. They can fit a lot of the product all at once and are a great way to safely store your sauce.
Mason jars can be found in a great variety of sizes, so with them, you can find one that works best for you. It’s also a good idea to purchase different-sized jars to ensure you can store all your hot sauce and maybe have some selection in sizes.
Because mason jars are made of glass, they are completely safe for your sauce after the easy sanitation process. They are also easily reusable, which is great if you’re making hot sauce for personal use.
Of course, you can also use them for selling your hot sauce too. If you’d like your brand to emphasize that the sauce is homemade and carefully prepared with your own hands, there is nothing better than a mason jar to indicate that.
Unlike the other bottle types we’ve discussed, mason jars are not as convenient when it comes to actually adding the sauce to your food. It doesn’t allow you to squeeze the liquid out or easily pour it as you risk going overboard.
With a mason jar you need to use a spoon, which is not as handy. Apart from that, there are no significant drawbacks to this option.
My favorite type of mason jars are Ball brand mason jars, they are sturdy and robust. I like these 16-ounce wide mouth varieties ,found on Amazon.com, for big batches of hot sauce.
7. Swing Top Glass Bottle
The fanciest of all is the swing-top glass bottle. This is a reliable and good-looking choice for your homemade hot sauce packaging.
As mentioned, glass is the best material for bottling hot sauce. However, even among the other options we’ve discussed, this bottle type stands out as a handy choice.
Its main advantage is, of course, the cap. It has a rubber stopper that allows you to easily and safely seal your hot sauce once it’s opened. This method is arguably the best for keeping the product fresh and preserving its flavor.
Swing top bottles come in a wide selection of sizes, which makes this option convenient. You can also find them in various shapes, from classic woozy to something more intriguing and unique.
Going with swing-top glass bottles allows you to create hot sauce packaging that will easily stand out among others. While mason jars stress the homemade nature of your sauce, these bottles scream professionalism and grab the attention of your customers or gift receivers.
Still, these bottles are pretty costly. But, they are definitely worth the investment, as they are the top-quality choice and are also easily reusable.
A popular option are Estilo Swing Top Glass Bottles found on Amazon.com.
8. Glass Flask
Using a glass flask for bottling homemade hot sauce may not be an obvious choice. Still, it’s unique shape may offer you some variety and a possible branding opportunity.
A glass flask is a reliable alternative used by several manufacturers. In terms of quality, there is nothing to complain about. And in addition to that, you get a unique and stylish look that will spark people’s interest.
Flasks, however, are far from cheap. Consider other options first and only go with flasks if it makes sense for your budget.
If you’re looking for a comprehensive guide on how to bottle your hot sauce after you procure your bottles, check out my post How to Bottle Hot Sauce – Step-by-Step Guide.