This smoky creole sauce came about because of an experiment. I had a lovely Cajun Shrimp Cocktail Sauce recipe that I loved. I decided at the last minute to add a bit of liquid smoke. What seemed like an inspired addition ended up changing the flavor of the sauce so much that it became an entirely separate recipe. Both recipes are amazing in their own right. Who can complain about another great way to use tomatoes? This Smoky Creole Sauce goes well on many different kinds of meat or fish.
Smoky Creole Sauce
This recipe makes 3 to 4 pints of Smoky Creole Sauce.
Ingredients to make Smoky Creole Sauce:
9 3/4 pounds quartered tomatoes
2 chopped onions
1/2c chopped celery
1c chopped red pepper
1/2tsp chipotle pepper powder
1/4tsp chili powder
1tbsp sugar
2tbsp minced garlic
1tbsp parsley
2tsp salt
1tsp liquid smoke
1/2tsp marjoram
Cook the Smoky Creole Sauce:
Quarter 9 3/4 pounds of tomatoes.
quarter and soften tomatoes
Soften the tomatoes by simmering for about 20 minutes.
food mill
Process the soft tomatoes through a food mill or a blender if you prefer to keep the seeds and skins. Then place the pulp in a strainer (I like my husband’s honey strainer.) or cheesecloth to drain out the juice. Save the juice to be canned later. This step of straining the sauce allows you to skip the reducing down process which usually takes about 3 hours to do. If for some reason the sauce seems too thick you can add some of the juice back in.
Place the strained pulp in a large saucepot and add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Continue to simmer until it is your desired thickness.
fill jars
Fill and Process Pint Jars:
Fill the jars leaving 1-inch headspace. Place the lid on top of the jar and add the ring. Tighten the ring to fingertip tight and process in a pressure canner for 25 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure if at sea level. Remember to adjust your pressure if you are above 1000 feet in elevation. Also, remember that you need at least 2 quarts or 4 pints for a safe pressure canning load.
processing complete
Once your sauce has completed processing, space the jars about an inch apart on the counter for 24 hours to cool and completely seal.
If your jar did not seal, then place it in the fridge and use it immediately. Store the sealed jars in your pantry to enjoy for the next 1-3 years. After three years the nutritional value of canned food diminishes. The quality is best in the first year.
Smoky Creole Sauce
If you have any questions about canning with a pressure canner or how to adjust the pressure or processing time for altitude, take a look at our canning basics videos.
