posted by Kayce 02-25-100 10:26 PM
Chinese Plum Sauce
3 medium Bell pepper, red
2 1/2 lbs. Apricots; stoned and quartered *
2 1/2 lbs. Plum, red; stoned and quartered *
5 1/2 cups Cider vinegar
2 1/2 cups ;Water
1 1/2 cups Sugar, white
2 cups Sugar, light brown
1/3 cup Karo, light
1/2 cup Ginger, fresh; peeled and chopped
2 tbl. Salt, kosher
1/4 cup Mustard seeds; toasted
1 medium Onion; quartered
2 Chile serrano; seeded and diced
5 Garlic clove; minced
1 Cinnamon stick
Roast the peppers to remove skin; quarter lengthwise and devein. Set aside.
Combine the apricots, plums, three cups of vinegar and water in a large non-reactive kettle and simmer until soft; about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
In another non-reactive kettle, this one very large, combine the remaining vinegar, sugars, and Karo and bring to a boil, stirring.
Add the fruit mixture, ginger, salt, mustard seeds, onion, chiles, garlic, cinnamon, and the skinned bell peppers. simmer, covered, for five minutes then simmer uncovered for one hour, stirring every so often. Remove the cinnamon stick.
With a food processor, pulse the mixture for a couple of seconds (this has to be done in batches; process a little longer if you like a less- textured sauce).
Return to the kettle and boil gently, stirring, until the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes (the sauce will thicken some more as it cools).
Ladle into sterilized jars, either half-pint or pint. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (for half-pint jars) or 15 minutes (for pint jars). Allow to age in the jar for 2 to 4 weeks before using.