This was another new addition to my canning list this year, and I am very excited about it! I came across a recipe that was described as something one particular woman’s grandmother used to make every year, that sounded very much like the chili sauce that was a staple in our pantry at home. My father disliked ketchup, but went through bottle after bottle of Heinz Chili Sauce. He put it on burgers, hot dogs, fried bologna (yes, we ate fried bologna), hash brown potatoes, ham sandwiches, and my mother put it on top of her meatloaf during the end of the baking time, — something that I do myself!
I read the list of the ingredients (tomato puree, distilled white vinegar, high fructose corn syrup, salt, corn syrup, dehydrated onions, spice, garlic powder, and “natural flavoring”, — whatever that is), and knew I had to try this grandmother’s recipe! I have made a few adjustments, to allow for personal taste (and to use what I had on hand), but kept the ratios the same, for canning safety.
My recipe:
- 20-30 medium tomatoes, a variety, to fill my largest baking tray
- 3 medium onions
- 2 large green bell peppers
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbl celery seeds
- 1 Tbl mustard seeds
- 2 Tbl salt
- 1 tsp allspice
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Cut tomatoes in half and remove core. Blacken under the broiler to remove the skins.
Combine tomatoes, onions, bell pepper, vinegar, sugar, garlic, celery seed, mustard seed, salt, and pepper in a large saucepan. Use a potato masher or an immersion blender to remove any large pieces of tomato. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce begins to thicken, about 1-1/2 hours.
Add allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Continue to simmer, gently stirring, until it reaches the desired consistency, about 30 minutes. The sauce should be thickened and begin to mound on a spoon.
Ladle the hot chili sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
Process the jars in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes.