The Chili Sauce Recipe - cooking recipe

Ingredients

6 quarts ripe tomatoes
3 large onions, minced
1/2 cup coarse pickling salt
3 cups diced celery
2 large red bell peppers, seeded and diced
1/3 cup whole mixed pickling spice (tied in cheesecloth bag)
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
4 cups brown sugar

Preparation

Peel and slice tomatoes into very large bowl; add onions and salt and stir gently.
Cover bowl and let stand for a minimum of 8 hours; overnight is best.
Drain thoroughly and place in a large, heavy saucepan with a lid.
Stir in celery, red peppers, pickling spice bundle, red pepper flakes and vinegar, then cover; over medium heat, bring this to a boil.
Once boiling, uncover and simmer over low heat until thickened, at least two hours; stir often to prevent sticking.
Add brown sugar and stir well; taste for sweetness (if your tomatoes are very tart or acidic, you may need a little more brown sugar).
Simmer mixture until thickened again, about 25 minutes.
Remove spice bundle in cheesecloth bag and discard.
Ladle mixture into hot sterilized 2-cup jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace; seal jars.
Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Let cool at room temperature before refrigerating, or storing in a cool dark place for up to one year.