It’s been a decent year for tomatoes, so between my own and a bushel of Romas from the Amish, I have a fair amount of tomato products put up for the winter, including regular sauce, ketchup, and a couple versions of homemade barbecue sauce. The first one is on the spicy side; the second more sweet, using some of our maple syrup. They’re both way better than anything from the grocery store shelves.
Charred Chili Barbecue Sauce
1 lb chili peppers
5 lbs tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tbsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cloves
1 Tbsp salt
Char the chilies, then place in a paper bag for several minutes; the skins should come of easily. Remove the stems, seeds, and skins.
Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan. I chose not to take off the tomato skin, since it all gets pureed, but if it’s a big deal, go for it. Simmer for about 10 minutes until everything’s soft, then puree the entire thing (another great time to have an immersion blender), and simmer for several hours, until it’s thick and saucy. The entire house will smell pretty great by the time it’s done.
To can, process at 20 minutes in a boiling water bath.
Maple Barbecue Sauce
1-2 chili peppers
5 lbs tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tbsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cloves
1 Tbsp salt
Yep, it’s pretty much the same as the chili version, just less heat and more sweet. Hey, that sounds like a good marketing slogan…
Leave a Reply