Makes About 8 pints

• 12 pounds of tomatoes
• 1 cups chopped celery1 cups chopped onions
• 3/4 cup chopped seeded green bell peppers
• 2 jalapeno (for hotter use serrano or tobasco) peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 t. black pepper – fresh ground is better
• 1 1/4 cups apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher or pickling salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preparation:

• Prepare 8 pint (or 16-1/2 pint) jars, lids, and rings
• Sterilize the jars and keep them in the hot water till time for processing
• Make sure to fill a water bath canner and get the water to a simmer
• Core the tomatoes  and strain the pulp through a fine mesh strainer
• Cut all the vegetables and measure out spices
• Set aside

Cooking:

• In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine tomatoes, celery, onions, green peppers and hot peppers
• Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently
• Reduce heat, cover and boil gently until vegetables soften, about 30 minutes
• Working in batches, transfer mixture to a blender or food processor fitted with a metal blade and puree until smooth
• Return pot to heat and low boil, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces by half, about 45 minutes
• Add vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, and spices to the tomatoes
• Increase heat to medium and boil gently, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes
• Using the process before in batches you will again blend till smooth, return to the heat until its the consistancy of a commercial barbecue sauce, about 1 hour

Filling the jars:

• On a dish towel place your hot jars and using a funnel fill each jar
• Leave 1/2” headspace
• Remove air bubbles and refill to the 1/2″ headspace if needed
• Taking a clean papertowel and wipe the rims
• Extract the lids from the hot water and place them on jar rims using tongs
• Add the rings to each of the jars and finger tighten

Processing:

• Make sure a rack is on the bottom of the canner and place the jars in the water bath
• Make sure the water covers the jars by an inch or two
• Cover the pot and turn up the heat under the canner and wait for the water to start boiling
• Once the water has come to a boil start a timer for 35 minutes
• When the 35 minutes are up, remove the jars and place them back on the dishtowel in a place that they will sit overnight to cool