Spicy Tomato Sauce Recipe

• 3 lbs (1.4 kg) ripe tomatoes
• 8 oz (225 g) onions
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 cloves
• 10-12 black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ pint (290 ml) distilled white malt vinegar
• 3 oz (84 g) sugar
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2-3 teaspoons chilli powder

Method:

1. Chop the tomatoes (there's no need to skin them), peel and finely chop the onions. Crush the peppercorns.
2. Put the tomatoes, onions, salt, cloves, crushed peppercorns, bay leaf and vinegar in a pan and simmer for around an hour until cooked and well blended.
3. Sieve, return to the pan and boil rapidly until thickened.
4. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
5. Pour into a hot sterilized bottle.

Makes about 1 pint (570 ml) of Sauce.

Note: This sauce will require sterilizing or it will only keep for 2-3 weeks.

To do this place the bottles in a deep container with a false bottom, making sure they do not touch each other or the sides of the container. This can be a purpose-built sterilizer complete with false bottom and thermometer, a large preserving pan or the base of a pressure cooker. What is essential is that it needs to be deep enough to contain a false bottom, a wooden or wire rack is ideal, and still hold enough water to completely cover the bottles. The bottles must not come into direct contact with the pan or they will crack.

If you are using corks, tie them down to prevent them blowing out during sterilizing. Screw tops should be tightened and then given a half turn back to loosen them slightly.

Add enough warm water to come up to the bottom of the corks or screw tops and then gradually bring the water up to 77ºC/170ºF and keep at this temperature for 30 minutes. If you’ve not got a sugar thermometer, raise the temperature slowly until there are tiny bubbles rising up from the bottom of pan and maintain at this stage for 30 minutes. In total it will take you about 1 ½ hours to complete the process. Use tongs to remove the bottles, tighten the screw tops or push in the corks.

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