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