This Homemade Chili Sauce is a fantastic condiment for so many dishes. Enjoy it now in the summer on hot dogs and hamburgers, with a cheese platter or charcuterie, and save some for pies like tourtiere in the winter months. Makes a great gift too!
Chili sauce is different from other condiments like salsa as it has sweet heat with earthy spices like cinnamon and cloves which makes it a very enjoyable side for so many dishes. If you would like more sweet heat recipes try our Hot Honey Recipe or Canned Candied Jalapenos.
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I got this chili sauce many, many years ago from a lady at my mother-in-law’s church. My MIL would get us a jar every holiday season at their Christmas bizarre.
One taste of it and we had to have it every year. Then I was worried that as time went on that we might not get it as she may stop making it so I asked for the recipe. I didn’t get her name and now that was an amazing 21 years ago. I am very happy to now share this recipe with you!
How Do You Make Homemade Chili Sauce From Scratch?
First off you want the freshest of ingredients so take a drive to your local farmers market, grocery store or use the produce you have been growing. Make sure it is not blemished, under ripe, over ripe etc.
Using the best produce you can find will make sure your end product is the best.
Ingredients
- Tomatoes, field, beefsteak, whatever you like to use
- Green peppers
- Onion
- Hot red dried chili peppers
- Sugar
- Vinegar
- Pickling or Kosher salt
- Celery seed
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
To start with you need to peel your tomatoes first. Squish them to remove juice and seeds and then chop. Place them in a large tall soup pot.
Chop your green peppers and onions next and add them. Chop or crush your hot red dried chili peppers and add them lastly to the pot.
Simmer this mixture with the lid off until reduced by half. Stirring occasionally.
Now add in your sugar, vinegar, and salt. Continue cooking until the mixture thickens slightly. You have to stir frequently at this stage as you don’t want the sugar in it to burn.
Then prepare a spice bag for the celery seed and cloves. When the sauce is reduced to the consistency you like add in the spice bag and cinnamon. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the spice bag.
Pour the chili sauce into sterilized jars, wipe the rims, fasten the lids and rings to fingertip tight only.
Process in a water bath canner on a rack for 15 min. plus as per altitude times.
Let cool on a towel-lined countertop. Refrigerate and jars that haven’t sealed otherwise store in a cool dark place for up to 1 year.
Benefits of Making Your Own Chili Sauce
When you make your own Homemade Chili Sauce you can control what goes into it. You won’t want to add corn syrup or high fructose syrups to your chili sauce which is what a lot of commercial products have.
You also control the sugar and salt and the heat from the red chilies. You can add white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or a combination of. Want to change some of the sugar to brown sugar, then sure. The point is to make it your own.
I have never added garlic or garlic powder, I will let that be reserved for other types of chili sauce. But you could get the heat from other types of peppers though or chili flakes but I will let you gauge that if you are used to adding heat to recipes. You can up the dried chili peppers from 3 to 7 or anywhere in between for a spicier version than what we make.
PRINTABLE FOR WATER BATH CANNING
What is Chili Sauce?
Chili sauce is a condiment and has as many variations as you can imagine. It is popular in Europe, Asia, South America, Africa, New Zealand and more. It varies from place to place and by heat and sweetness. I have had Thai Sweet Chili Sauce many times and love it.
The one ingredient that is true and fast is chilies but they vary hugely with the heat they impart. Have a look at our Scoville scale to see.
Usually chili sauces are thicker than other hot sauces. Chili pastes are also popular. Sometimes they have tomatoes as the main ingredient like ours does but in many Asian and South East Asian chili sauces they may or may not have tomatoes, they might have very few ingredients.
One thing that is common though is that they will enhance your dining pleasure in whatever cuisine you are enjoying. Try this chili sauce today, you will want to make another batch soon!
Pin it HERE!
Pin it HERE!!
Sweet Heat Homemade Canned Chili Sauce
Ingredients
- 10 lbs. tomatoes field, beefsteak, etc.
- 4 large green peppers small chopped
- 1 cup onion small chopped
- 3-7 hot dried chili peppers chopped or crushed, avoid touching eyes when handling these or wear gloves
- 4 cups sugar
- 5 cups white vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp. celery seed
- 1 tsp. whole cloves
- 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
- Spice bag or cheesecloth
- 5- pint jars 2 cup/500ml. with lids and rims
- Canning supplies water bath canner, jar lifter, rack, etc.
Instructions
- Cut a cross into the bottom of each tomato. Have a large pot of water boiling ready and drop about 4-5 tomatoes at a time and boil for 1 minute and then plunge into ice water. This will allow the skins to easily peel off. Next, squish the tomatoes to remove juice and seeds and then chop. Place them in a large tall soup pot.
- Add in the green peppers and onions to the pot followed by the hot red chili peppers.
- Simmer this mixture with the lid off until reduced by half, stirring occasionally.
- Now add in your sugar, vinegar, and salt. Continue cooking until the mixture thickens slightly. You have to stir frequently at this stage as you don’t want the sugar in it to burn.
- Then prepare a spice bag for the celery seed and cloves. When the sauce is reduced to the consistency you like, add in the spice bag and cinnamon. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the spice bag.
- Pour the chili sauce into sterilized jars, wipe the rims, fasten the lids and rings to fingertip tight only.
- Process in a water bath canner on a rack for 15 min. plus as per altitude times. Have at least 1" water on top of jars.
- Let cool on a towel-lined countertop. Refrigerate jars that haven’t sealed otherwise store in a cool dark place for up to 1 year.
Comments & Reviews
Lois says
Would cans of whole or diced tomatoes work for this recipe? How many cans of tomatoes would you suggests?
Tara Noland says
The whole idea of canning for me is using fresh summer produce, you will get a better outcome but you don’t have to use fresh tomatoes, canned will work but I just don’t know how much, sorry.
Julie says
Just wonder when you say squish the tomatoes do you discard the juice and seeds of the tomatoes??
Tara Noland says
Yes you discard the juice and seeds.
Rebecca says
Your recipe is almost identical to my mom in laws family recipe. She used about 1/3 less sugar. She put it on her meat loaf. My husband smells this sauce and says it reminds him of childhood. He has 8 bothers and sisters so his mom made huge amounts of everything. So glad others are keeping famil recipes alive. I love it in my homemade thousand island dressing instead of Ketchup. Thanks for sharing.
Tara Noland says
It is a great recipe that my MIL got from the church when the lady that was making it didn’t make it anymore for the church bazaar.
Wendy says
I meant to add, your recipe and story sounds just like what she made, but she was the person making it for the church bizzare and family ❤️
Tara Noland says
I wonder if it was your grandmother Wendy? You never know, I am in Canada too.
Wendy says
Thank you for sharing this ❤️ I have been wanting to make the chili sauce my Grandmother used to make and bring to our thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. It is Thanksgiving weekend in Canada and I am so happy to have found your post to make this for our dinner this weekend.
Tara Noland says
I am so glad you found it too! Happy Thanksgiving!!
Kathy says
I made this last year after harvesting my garden, wonderful recipe! I have one jar left after giving to friends so I’m back to make more. :).
Tara Noland says
Welcome back!! I have cherished this delicious recipe for years!
Pam says
When do you add the cinammon? It doesn’t say in the directions. I’m assuming to the cheese cloth bag.
Tara Noland says
You might have just missed it but it says in #5 Then prepare a spice bag for the celery seed and cloves. When the sauce is reduced to the consistency you like, add in the spice bag and cinnamon.
I don’t add it to the spice bag as it just falls out.
Sandy Geiman says
It is the bomb
Terri says
Don’t think I have the right consistency. My first try at making Chli sauce. How can I thicken it?
Tara Noland says
Just keep reducing it until the thickness that you like. It also thickens when it cools.
Shandy says
My first time making this too. I reduced mine for 3 hours and it still seems to be a bit too runny. I let it cool overnight and still too loose. Yours almost looks like it is jelled….. do you add anything to jell it? I remember my mom & grandma making this when I was a young child and I loved it. Unfortunately I never got their receipe, but this sure looks and seems to be how I remember theirs. Thanks for sharing and any guidence to thicken is welcomed before canning it.
Tara Noland says
Sometimes it depends on your produce to how watery things are. I don’t do anything different than is what in the recipe. Sorry.
Natalie says
I always buy chili sauce in stores but now that I saw how easy you can make it at home, I plan to definitely do it. Sounds so good and so full of flavor.
Beverly says
Easy? I’ve just spent all day making it and it’s still reducing. But soooo worth it! Brings back memories of my Mom making preserves, including this recipe, every summer. My daughter lived in the Middle East and South Africa for 8 years and loves spice, so I used the maximum red chili flakes.
Tara Noland says
Lol, well it sounds like you are enjoying the process anyway!! My mom was a canner too, mostly pears as we had so many pear trees on our property.
Toni says
I love how easy this is to make!! And it tastes really good, too!
Erin says
This sauce looks so amazing. I’d put it on everything. Lol
Catalina says
OH my goodness! This sauce must be amazing! My husband will adore it for sure!
Monica Simpson says
I like the idea of using this on a charcuterie board. Sounds like it would be lovely with some cheese and crackers.
Tara Noland says
Our daughter devoured half a jar of it with cheese and crackers. She loves it.
Jody Arsenault says
I’ve actually never heard of chilli sauce. I think my husband would really enjoy this though – I’ll be sharing the recipe with him.
Barbara says
I make it every summer that the tomatoes taste good. I made none last summer and did we suffer! Thi recipe is the same as one I have had for 45 years from my Italian Aunt. Only differences is I use cinnamon stick and do not us hot peppers. I like the sweeter spicy taste. Cinnamon is amazing!!! I use it on Meatloaf and Eggs A L Rousse (hard boiled eggs I slice and put over a dish of chopped Romaine and mix equal parts of chili sauce (not too wet so I use a slotted spoon and good Mayo. Lots of coarse ground Black Pepper and slivered almonds. Best ummer lunch next to sliced tomatoes!
Tara Noland says
We so love it with tourtiere, can’t have it without the chili sauce. So good!!
Diana Eppens says
The French Meat Pie, with chili sauce sounds amazing.
Tara Noland says
We just love it, wouldn’t be the same without it.
Cherie says
I was wondering if i could just infuse the spices into the vinegar like you do for ketchup????? I hate dealing with floating bags of molten hot stuff. Lol
Tara Noland says
I am not sure, I have never done this before.
TARA PITTMAN says
What a delicious way to use up garden veggies. I wish that I had the ingredients to make this.