Ahead of an Easter visit to my family, I thought in addition to the Fig Jam I had made, it would be a nice surprise to take a couple of bottles of my Nanna's Tomato Sauce. This is a sauce that I remember Nanna making each summer, and really was the only tomato sauce I'd have. I really never liked (and still don't) tomato sauce but this was the exception. I remember my Grandpa loved chilli — remind me to tell you about the time we had a chilli eat-off — and Nanna would make it a little warmer than a standard ketchup might be. I have followed the recipe as she made it for Grandpa.
It's been a busy few weeks at work and with study taking up the hours between sleep and work and pub visits, I ended up making the snap decision to cook tomato sauce after a fairly late day in the office. So smart. A word of advice, remember to read the time it takes to cook tomato sauce before starting to cook it. I was bottling sauce at 1.30am because sleep is for the weak. Also, check how much white pepper one has in the house before starting. I had to scrape together all the peppercorns in the house after already emptying out my pepper grinder in order to make up the slight shortfall. Lovely housemate, I promise I'll replace the ones I 'borrowed'.
Anyway, here is the sauce. It is very spicy, so I would recommend easing off the chilli, cayenne pepper etc, if you prefer your food to not hurt your mouth.
My Nanna's Tomato Sauce
5½ kg ripe tomatoes
500g apples
500g onions
500g sugar
120g salt
6 cups vinegar
20g ground cloves
120g white pepper
50g ground ginger
50g garlic
50g allspice
25g mace
20g cayenne pepper
20g curry powder
50g chilli powder (optional)
Wipe and break the tomatoes, peel and slice the apples and
onions, cut the garlic fine.
Boil all together for 3 hours, then strain and pour into sterilised jars or sauce bottles.
This quantity will make about 8-10 litres of tomato sauce, and will improve your pies one thousand-fold.
For those of you who are not in Australia, please find here a selection of Measurement & Temperature Conversion Charts which should help with the accuracy of your own cooking.
