Grandma's Chili Sauce

This is a delightful sauce or relish. I never knew why my Grandma called it Chili Sauce, though, because it doesn’t taste like any chili I’ve ever eaten. This is a unique blend of flavors that I remember just loving. As a kid, I thought it was absolutely exquisite on corn bread, and I still do.

The summer I moved, the memory of Grandma’s chili sauce came to mind.  I stopped at a roadside stand and bought what I remembered to be the ingredients. I couldn’t wait! I had the spices and the sugar, and hopefully the right memory.   Through a summer of back and forth trips, I finally got settled and unpacked, I checked my recipe file and sure enough there was that recipe I had written at Grandma’s table, nearly 40 years ago.

As I’ve mentioned, Adeline always requests beans when she visits and with beans, there is corn bread, and corn bread never sets on our table without a newly opened pint jar of chili sauce. I asked the kiddos if they’d like to try this special treat on their corn bread. I proceeded to tell them about when I was little girl, how I just loved it when my Grandma Kennedy made it.

Hayden took a real liking to the chili sauce. He asked for more cornbread, but just a little bit. He just needed enough to hold the “Grandma Kennedy Sauce.” And so, of course, that has now become the official name for this piquant treat.

Grandma Kennedy Sauce

1 gal. fresh Tomatoes
1 Onion diced
1 Pepper chopped
1 ½ C Sugar
1 ½ C Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Cinnamon
Salt

Scald, peel, and cut tomatoes. Place all ingredients in steel kettle. Simmer 3 hours on medium heat. Pour hot into sterile jars and seal.

Makes about 6 pts.