Christmas Eve is approaching fast and I still needed to make the chile sauce that Moe loves to have on his Tourtiere.

So yesterday I put a pot of the sauce on to simmer. The process takes about 6 hours from start to finish.

The recipe I use is one that was shared by a friend on the Gardenweb over 20 years ago.

The first time I made it I used tomatoes from our garden. But since then I adapted the recipe and cut it in half and I use canned tomatoes. By the time you add all of the other ingredients, there was no noticeable difference in the flavour or texture.

This is very similar to the old fashion chile sauce that my grandmother made. It was always on the table as a condiment. Not being a condiment fan, I never eat it but Moe loves it.

Yesterday’s batch netted eight 500ml jars canned, plus 3/4 of a jar leftover.

Enough jars to share with a few friends and to keep Moe happy for a number of months. Besides the Tourtiere, Moe likes this sauce on a number of things, like hot dogs, scrambled eggs, sandwiches, etc…

MY ADAPTED VERSION: (see below for original recipe)

I adapted recipe to use Canned Tomatoes
and I cut the recipe in half:

5 – 28oz cans of tomatoes
3 1/2 cups of sugar
2 1/4 cups of cider vinegar
1 bunch of celery
2 jalapeno peppers
2 large peppers 1 green 1 red
2 large onions
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
salt
1 tablespoon pickling spice in a cheese cloth

See original recipe below for for cooking instructions.

Will fill 8 to 9 – 500ml bottles.

Prepare mason jars.

Fill hot jars with hot chile sauce.

Process for 20 minutes in hot water bath.

When done , turn off burner, uncover and leave for five minutes.
Remove from water.

Elaine’s Chile Sauce – Sharon’s recipe

11 Q basket of field tomatoes peeled and smashed
7 cups white sugar
4-1/2 cups cider vinegar
2 bunches of celery chopped
4 small hot peppers chopped
4 large sweet peppers
2 green, 2 red, chopped
4 large onions chopped
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons coarse salt
2 tablespoons Pickling spice tied in a cheesecloth bag

Simmer/low boil chopped veggies with tomatoes for 2 hours then
drain off 2 cups liquid. Add everything else EXCEPT sugar and
simmer another 3 hours or even more, until nice and thick. Add
sugar 1 hour before canning. Fill pint jars and HWB for 15
minutes.

Note: If time is tight I make right up to the add sugar part,
refrigerate overnight and finish the next day.

Sharon’s Notes:

Nothing like fresh field tomatoes ! YUM!

I’ll offer up this canning recipe because it is something you
don’t seem to see in the States. This is NOT to be confused with
Heinz Chili Sauce they are in no may similar.

I got this recipe from a farmer friend’s mother over 30 years ago
and I have made it every year since. Same lady that taught me to
make canned tomatoes and dill pickles.

This stuff is great in a meatloaf, along side eggs cooked any way,
topped on a burger or dog, dumped into baked beans, with Tourtiere
or any pork dish. Clive slathers it on freshly baked, buttered,
French bread!