Classic Chili Sauce

Hands-on time: 1½ hours Total time: 25¾ hours Makes: about 6 cups Our retro version of this chili sauce, which first appeared in our November 1990 issue, called for canned tomatoes; here, we’ve used fresh instead for an intensified taste. To strike the perfect balance between sweet and spicy, you may want to add more sugar, depending on how sweet the tomatoes are.

8 cups chopped peeled tomatoes (about 1.5 kg) 1½ cups chopped onions 1½ cups chopped sweet red peppers 1½ cups white vinegar 1 cup chopped sweet green peppers 1 cup chopped celery ¾ cup granulated sugar (approx) 1 tbsp finely chopped red finger chili pepper 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp salt 1 tsp mustard seeds ½ tsp each celery seeds, ground cloves and cinnamon ¼ tsp each ground ginger and pepper pinch cayenne pepper (approx) In large heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine tomatoes, onions, red peppers, vinegar, green peppers, celery, sugar, chili pepper, garlic, salt, mustard seeds, celery seeds, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, pepper and cayenne pepper. Bring to boil, stirring often; reduce heat and simmer briskly, stirring often, until thickened, saucy and mixture is reduced to just over 6 cups, about 1 hour. Add up to ¼ cup more sugar and increase cayenne pepper to taste, if desired. Pack into 6 hot (sterilized) 1-cup (250 ml) canning jars with tight-fitting lids, leaving ½-inch (1 cm) headspace. Scrape down sides of jars with nonmetallic utensil to remove any air bubbles. Cover with lids. Screw on bands until resistance is met; increase to fingertip tight. Transfer to boiling water canner; boil for 10 minutes. Turn off heat. Uncover and let jars stand in canner for 5 minutes. Lift up rack. Using canning tongs, transfer jars to cooling rack; let cool for 24 hours.

PER TBSP: about 12 cal, trace pro, trace total fat (trace sat. fat), 3 g carb (trace dietary fibre, 2 g sugar), 0 mg chol, 26 mg sodium, 50 mg potassium. % RDI: 1% iron, 2% vit A, 12% vit C, 1% folate.