Tomatillo Sauce

This sauce has many uses. One easy and elegant suggestion is to pair it with a soft cheese such as Brie or cream cheese. Just pour over cheese and serve with tortilla or other chips. This recipe uses bottle lemon juice so that it is suitable for canning using the hot water bath method. It stores in a cool place for up to a year. Store in refrigerator once opened. Adapted from "Well-Preserved," by Eugenia Bone.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 24
• Yields: 2 1/2 pints

Ingredients

• 2 1⁄2 lbs  tomatillos, washed and husked
• 2  medium  poblano peppers
• 1  small  jalapeno pepper
• 2  cups  white onions, chopped (about 3 medium)
• 3  teaspoons garlic cloves, chopped (about 3 cloves)
• 1⁄2 cup bottled lemon juice
• 2  teaspoons salt

Directions

1. Place top oven rack 6 inches from broiler and preheat.
2. Prepare an ice water bath.
3. In a medium saucepan, bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat; blanch tomatillos 1 or 2 minutes, then remove to ice water bath.
4. Once tomatillos cool, coarsely chop in a food processor.
5. Meanwhile, broil poblano and jalapeno peppers on a baking sheet until they blister, then turn, about 5 minutes in total.
6. Once cool enough to handle, discard skins, seeds, and membranes; coarse chop (you should have about 1/2 to 3/4 cup).
7. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is a fairly smooth sauce, about 20 minutes.
8. The sauce is now ready for canning.
9. Scald 2 pint jars and their bands by dipping them into boiling water (no need to sterilize since jars will be processed more than 10 minutes).
10. Heat lids in hot water to soften the rubber.
11. Spoon sauce into jars, leaving 1/2 to 3/4 inches of head space; wipe rims, apply lids, and screw bands on tightly.
12. Place jars on a rack in a pot tall enough to allow the jars to be covered by 3 inches of water.
13. Bring water to boil over high heat and preocess 15 minutes; turn off heat and allow jars to rest a few minutes before transferring to countertop to cool.
14. Test seal by pressing the center of the lid, it should not pop back up.
15. Let cool 6 to 8 hours undisturbed, then store in a cool, dark place for up to a year.
16. Refrigerate after opening.