Name: Homemade spaghetti sauce from my mother-in-law: stock up for the winter
Prep time: 120 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 30
Ingredients: 3 kg ripe tomatoes; 6 large onions; 6 red peppers; 8 apples (peeled, cored); 1 large red beet (peeled); 1 chili pepper (for medium spiciness; for hotter, 2 pcs); 4 tablespoons salt; 1 and ½ tablespoons ground sweet paprika; 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; ½ teaspoon ground allspice (or 8 whole berries); 9 cloves; 3 bay leaves; 1 and ½ tablespoons full-fat mustard; 150 ml (1,5 dcl) fermented vinegar; 190 g granulated sugar

Preparation procedure

Wash the tomatoes, peppers, onion, beet and apples, peel/clean and cut into larger pieces. Remove the seeds from the chili pepper if you don't want a too spicy sauce.
Put all the vegetables and apples into a large pot. Add the salt, ground paprika, pepper, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle boil without sugar and without vinegar and cook 45–60 minutes, until the vegetables soften and release their juice.
Fish out the bay leaves and, if applicable, whole allspice berries and cloves. Blend the mixture until smooth with an immersion blender (for an extra smooth sauce you can strain it afterwards).
Stir in the sugar, vinegar and mustard. Simmer over medium heat for another 10–15 minutes so the flavors meld and the sauce slightly thickens. Taste and adjust with salt or sugar according to the acidity of the tomatoes.
Filling and canning Pour the hot sauce into clean, warmed bottles/jars, wipe the rims and seal tightly. Process (can): gently at 85–90 °C for 10–15 minutes, or briefly in hot water for 5–10 minutes from the boiling point (depending on jar size). Let cool upside down, store in a cool, dark place.

Total preparation time: 2 hours

Number of servings: cca 18 bottles of 300 ml (total ~5,4 l), approximately 30–36 servings

How to use

Quick ragù: fry the onion, add minced meat, add 1–2 jars of sauce, simmer 5–10 minutes.
Without meat: mix with cooked spaghetti and parmesan/Balkan cheese.
For pizza or baked pasta: reduce in a pan to a thicker consistency.

Tips

For a more pronounced flavor add 1–2 tablespoons of olive oil and a clove of garlic while simmering.
Adjust the spiciness with the chili pepper; omit it for a children’s version.
If you use whole spices, expect longer flavor extraction and don’t forget to remove them before blending.

Conclusion

Family spaghetti sauce that preserves well, saves time and is guaranteed to taste good. The basic batch will easily fill 18 smaller bottles, so you’re set for over half the winter. Just open, heat, optionally enrich with meat or sausage – and a quick, complete meal is ready.