Chilli Sauce

Ingredients

• 12 ripe tomatoes, medium-sized
• 1 pepper, finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups vinegar
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 tsp clove
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp allspice
• 2 tsp nutmeg, grated

Method

Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 60 seconds, then transfer to iced water. The skin slips off cleanly — this is faster than peeling with a knife and gives you whole fruit to work with. Halve them and squeeze out excess seed and juice (reserve the juice). You're removing water to concentrate flavour and shorten cook time. Dice the tomato flesh into 1 cm cubes.

Heat a heavy-bottomed preserving pan over medium heat. Add the diced tomato, chopped onion, and pepper. Stir continuously for 5 minutes until the onion softens and releases its moisture. The vegetables will begin to collapse and release liquid. Add the vinegar, sugar, and salt, then the whole spices — cloves, cinnamon stick (break it in half), allspice berries, and the nutmeg grated fresh from the nut. Stir to dissolve the sugar completely. This is the foundation of your pickling liquor; the acid arrests decay and the spice acts as a secondary preservative.

Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. The surface should barely ripple. Cook uncovered for 2.5 to 3 hours, stirring every 20 minutes to prevent sticking on the base. You're after two things: the tomato flesh should break down into an almost jammy consistency, and the liquid should reduce by roughly half. The colour will deepen from bright red to a rust-brown as the tomato concentrates and the Maillard reaction develops depth. Test by dragging a spoon across the surface — if the path holds for 3 seconds before flowing back, you have the right consistency. The sauce should coat the back of the spoon thickly.

Taste and adjust: the balance should sit between hot, sour, sweet, and spiced. Add more salt if the sauce tastes flat, more vinegar if it's cloying. Pour the hot sauce into warm, sterilised jars and seal immediately with waxed discs and cellophane, or use screw-top lids with new gaskets. slow-cooking at this low simmer is essential — a hard boil breaks down the tomato into fibrous pulp rather than silky reduction. Store in a cool, dark place for up to one year. It sharpens over two weeks and works with cold meats, cheese, and bread.