Can I reuse glass bottles with plastic lids for homemade sauces?

Question

I have bottles with plastic screw top lids (from supermarket bought hot sauce). Can I use these bottles for my homemade bbq/tomato sauce? I would sterilise the bottles as I usually do. I have previously reused bottles with metal lids and stored these on the shelf for months, successfully. I don’t plan to “can” the sauces in the bottles, I am using recipes that have enough vinegar to preserve without “canning”. The sauces are usually just poured hot into a sterilised jar and left on shelf.

J. Mueller · Answer

Reusing the bottles shouldn´t be a problem as long as they can be cleaned properly.
But I wouldn`t use them for canning for two reasons:

Metal lids usually have a 'click' that ensures they keep the vacuum seal and allow you to check if it is still unbroken.
Some sorts of plastic are not meant to be heated and when cooking the bottles for canning there is a risk that some chemicals (e.g. BPA) diffuse to the food.

Can I reuse glass bottles with plastic lids for homemade sauces?

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