Nana King's Sweet Chili Sauce

Hungry Hogareno's Note:

Similar to a chili sauce my mom and grandma used to make; we always had it chilled over cream cheese to spread on crakcers. This recipe was adapted from one by a bridge pal, Robert King. He was gracious enough to share it from his southern grandmother's recipe file. The traditional way to enjoy this sauce down south is spooned over black-eyed peas. If you are a tomato gardener and find yourself with an overabundance; substitute 4 quarts of peeled and chopped fresh tomatoes for the canned.

• Total Time: 2 hrs
• Prep Time: 0 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Yield: 8 cups

• 2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes , with juice
• 2 cups chopped white onions , 1 large
• 2 cups chopped red bell peppers or 2 cups green bell peppers , 1 large
• 1 cup diced celery , 2 stalks
• 2 -3 hot chili peppers , minced
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 ½ cups cider vinegar
• 4 tablespoons pickling spices
• 4 teaspoons mustard seeds

Directions:

1. Combine tomatoes with next 7 ingedients in a large sauce pot. Tie pickling spices and mustard seed in a cheesecloth bag and add to pot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring to prevent scorching. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until mixture thickens and becomes slightly syrupy. Stir frequently to prevent mixture from sticking to bottom of pot.
2. When sauce reaches desired thickness, discard spice bag and ladle hot sauce into 1-pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Process jars according to directions or let cool completely and refrigerate for up to 3 months.