Chili Sauce

Ingredients

• 8 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 cups cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

Method

1. 1

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then blanch tomatoes in batches for 30 to 45 seconds until skins loosen. Transfer to an ice bath, peel, core, and chop.

   0:30 · Blanch tomatoes
2. 2

   In a 6-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the chopped tomatoes, onion, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper.

3. 3

   Stir in the cider vinegar, sugar, salt, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, celery seed, cayenne, and minced garlic.

4. 4

   Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar.

   10:00 · Bring to a boil
5. 5

   Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced by about half, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

   2:30:00 · Simmer chili sauce
6. 6

   Stir more frequently during the last 30 minutes to prevent scorching, scraping the bottom of the pan as the sauce thickens.

   30:00 · Final simmer
7. 7

   Check consistency by spooning a small amount onto a plate; it should hold its shape without pooling excess liquid. Continue simmering if needed.

8. 8

   Ladle the hot chili sauce into clean jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace, and seal. Process in a water bath canner for 15 minutes, or cool and refrigerate for immediate use.

   15:00 · Water bath process
9. 9

   Let jars cool completely on a towel-lined counter before checking seals and storing in a cool, dark place.