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Ontario, Canada
I am a wife, mother and grandma who enjoys the many aspects of homemaking. A variety of interests and hobbies combined with travel keep me active. They reflect the importance of family, friends, home and good food.
Cook ingredients that you are used to cooking by other techniques, such as fish, chicken, or hamburgers. In other words be comfortable with the ingredients you are using.
--Bobby Flay

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Friday, August 04, 2006

Taco Hot Sauce

We use a lot of taco hot sauce. I like making my own because I control the ingredients, heat level and texture. This taco hot sauce is made with tomato paste so if you use commercial tomato paste it can be made anytime of the year. I think it has a nicer flavour if you use homemade tomato paste. This is fairly easy to do. Simply make a batch of tomato paste then measure out 3 cups for the hot sauce recipe. Jar or freeze the remainder of the tomato paste. If canning the remainder of the tomato paste, it must be done separately from the hot sauce as the processing time is longer than that of the sauce. I process the remaining tomato paste first while it is still hot, then I make the sauce and process it.

Taco Hot Sauce

Seven 250 ml jars of taco hot sauce fresh from the canner. I still get a thrill seeing jars of food cooling. Like most canners, I listen for the ping of each lid, an indication that the jar has sealed. Even my husband listens for the ping!

This is a very easy sauce to make! There is little prep other than measuring your ingredients.

Taco Sauce
by: Ball Blue Book Volume 1, Altrista Corporation, Muncie, Indiana. Pp. 81

3 cups tomato paste
5 cups water
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup corn syrup
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce

Combine all ingedients in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 1 hour or until thick. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 30 minutes in a boiling water canner.
Yield: about 6 half pints

My notes: If using commercial tomato paste use 100% natural with no salt or preservatives added. The sauce can be made hotter by increasing the chili poder, cayenne pepper and hot pepper sauce slightly. I have found the yield to consistently be seven 250 ml (half pint) jars.


4 food lovers commented:

Ernest said...

What could I substitute instead of corn syrup? (One of my kids is allergic to corn)

Garden Gnome said...

Hmmm, I'm not really sure as I haven't tried this but a light honey should work. It is about the same consistency. I wouldn't use a strong honey as that would affect the flavour too much. You can get different strengths of honey at health food stores or if you have a beekeeper nearby go for the early honey.

LaurieKnits said...

Thanks for recipe. I just printed it out and am anxious to give it a try. My kids love tacos. I make them weekly with ground lowfat turkey, homemade taco spice mix and storebought hot sauce.

Anonymous said...

You could substitute a simple syrup for the corn syrup. Bring 2 cups white sugar and 3/4-1 cup water to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and cover, simmering for three minutes or until thickened a little.