Sweet Chilli Sauce

There is no better feeling than growing your own tomatoes and chillies, then creating your own sweet chilli sauce. This wonderful recipe makes about 10 bottles of sauce which everyone will want year after year.

To make your own homemade sweet chilli sauce, you will need:
5 kg firm and ripe tomatoes, washed and halved (or quartered if you use large tomatoes)
2 onions, peeled and cut into chunks,
4 tart apples, cut into chunks
1kg brown sugar
8 bird’s eye chilli, finely chopped or minced in your food processor.
1 tsp ground paprika
1 tsp freshly cracked pepper
1 ½ cups malt vinegar
salt to taste
1 Tbs corn flour dissolved in ½ Tbs water

How to make your own homemade sweet chilli sauce:

Put the halved or quartered tomatoes, onion and apple chunks in the food processor. Process until smooth. Pour into a large saucepan on a medium heat. Put in the remaining ingredients.

Stir to dissolve the sugar. Let the mixture bubble and keep stirring to avoid the fruit mixture sticking on the bottom of the pan. When the mixture is reduced and the colour is darker, have a taste. You can add more spices, salt or sugar, to give the correct balance, according to your preference.

Prepare a jug lined with muslin cloth or use a colander put in a bowl. Remove the saucepan from the heat, then, pour the hot sauce through the muslin or the colander. Press to get more moisture from the sauce. This, in the jug or in the bowl, is the sauce you’re going to be enjoyed (don’t worry if you still can find tomato seeds or a bit of cracked black pepper corns in the sauce, that’s the art of it!). Discard the leftover processed tomato mixture and put the saucepan back on the heat.

Simmer on a low heat until bubbling again. Add the cornflour and cook another 10 minutes to thicken. Pour immediately into the prepared sterilised jars or bottles. Sealed and marked. Makes 10-13 bottles or jars, various sizes.