Mom's Chili Sauce
Submitted by peshka
Old-fashioned homemade chili sauce simmered for hours from fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, brown sugar, and warm spices including cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. A classic American canned condiment recipe.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
READY
This is the chili sauce that lined pantry shelves in American farmhouses for a century: a sweet-spiced tomato relish that bridges ketchup and tomato chutney, served on meatloaf, hot dogs, deviled eggs, and cold roast meats. It is nothing like the spicy hot sauces sold under the same name today.
Fresh tomatoes make a meaningful difference here. Plum or Roma varieties have the right balance of flesh to juice; beefsteaks are too watery and stretch the cook time. The 30-second boil-and-plunge for peeling sounds fussy but takes 5 minutes total and produces a cleaner, smoother sauce.
The two-stage spice addition is the genius of this recipe. The vegetables simmer alone with sugar and vinegar for an hour to break down and concentrate. Only then do the warm spices (cinnamon, cloves, ginger) go in, so their delicate aromatics don’t get cooked into oblivion during the long simmer.
Dark brown sugar is essential. Light brown lacks the molasses depth that this sauce needs to balance the acid. The molasses also contributes to the deep mahogany color that defines a proper chili sauce.
Three hours is the minimum simmer time. The sauce reduces by half, the flavors marry, and the texture goes from chunky vegetable stew to glossy, spreadable condiment. Stir often during the last hour; the sugars scorch fast as the sauce thickens.
Pro Tips
- Use a heavy-bottomed non-reactive pot (stainless steel or enamel); aluminum reacts with the acid.
- A 10-minute water bath is essential for safe shelf storage; check seals after 24 hours.
- Save jars in a cool dark place; the flavor improves for the first month.
- Open jars keep 3 weeks in the fridge.
Variations
Ingredients
Directions
Immerse the tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds.
Plunge into cold water.
Slip off the skins.
Core and chop the tomatoes.
In a large non corrosive soup kettle, combine the tomatoes, peppers, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, brown sugar, and vinegar.
Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
Stir in the cinnamon, cloves, ginger, mustard, and cayenne pepper.
Continue to simmer over low heat for 2 hours.
Stir regularly with wooden spoon to prevent scorching.
Add the black pepper and salt to taste.
Remove and discard the bay leaves.
Cool and ladle into clean, hot, half pint jars, leaving a ½ inch head space.
Seal and process in a water bath for 10 minutes.
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