On the Shelf...

It appears that I have fallen off Blogtoberfest with a thud.

Life here has managed to get crazy busy again here (sorry if I am meant to have sent you back an email - I am hoping to get to it tonight)  I have managed to catch up with a few friends this week and am attempting to get organised to go on a little family holiday, all I have packed so far is my knitting and crochet, that is acceptable behaviour for us crafty folk isn't it?

I have been stir, stir, stirring a great big pot and turned 11kg of tomatoes into Special Sauce*.  Another crazy thing to do just before moving.  Never mind, there is always ways around moving things (trust me, after 8 moves in 9 years I know ALL the tricks)

Special Tomato Sauce

11 kg of tomatoes
1.5kg sliced brown onions
2kg granny smith apples, sliced
100g garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2kg sugar
500g salt
40g all spice
40g whole ginger, sliced
10g Cayenne
40 g cloves
5 cups of brown vinegar

Boil unpeeled tomatoes, onions, apples and garlic slowly for 3 hours (depends on how thick you like your sauce)  Remove skins that are floating on the surface.
With a bar mix or blender (I used the thermomix) Puree, blend in sugar and salt
Place spices, ginger, cayenne and cloves into a muslin bag and secure.Place in the pot of sauce mix and stir in vinegar.
Boil gently for 2 hours, stirring occasionally and be careful not to catch the bottom (burnt sauce isn't good)
Remove spice bag. Pour into sterilised bottles and seal firmly.

We now have a nice little stock pile of 18 bottles of sauce sitting on the shelf.  This will last us a year and is used in everything from pasta, spaghetti and shepherds pie and of course on top of steak and pies.
* Baden calls this his special sauce as it is the only sauce that isn't naughty and cause a rash on his face.

Joining in with Vic's Meme this week.  She has it back in her hot little hands and is a little excited to say the least.  Why don't you pop by and say hi.