When I shared my recipe for sloppy-joes Bill was shocked to learn that I didn’t know how to make my own chili sauce. Then he kindly invited me to come to his home so that he could teach me his mother’s famous recipe. As soon I tasted Grandma Marsden’s I was 100% converted, and totally willing to learn!

Fresh Ingredients

5 or 6 medium sweet onions

2 red peppers

2 green peppers

Storage Ingredients

2 giant (1 gallon) cans of diced tomatoes (106 oz. each)

2 cups apple cider vinegar

4 cups sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Grind the onions and peppers on coarse grind in a hand grinder. (Or, chop them into 1/2″ chunks…forever. That little old grinder was an awesome tool!)

Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot.

Cook about 10 minutes or until onions are transparent.

Process 15-20 minutes in a steam processor. (It would be a mistake for me to try to share more detailed instructions because I’ve only done this once. Gulp. But I have to admit, it seemed really easy…as I watched Bill do everything.) 

This recipe made about 20 pints of chili sauce, so almost 3 full batches. (That’s canning talk.)

We’re totally addicted to this stuff. My pot roasts have never been so happy.