Thanks for that Joy! It's the same recipe I make and the one my Mother used to make and its our favourite. I've processed two lots so that will keep us going for a couple or three years and luckily I had enough whole allspice for one lot and the second lot I had only had half the quantity needed of whole allspice, so I added ground allspice to make up the rest. I find the boiling time varies too, especially if I make it with frozen tomatoes later on in the year as they seem to have much more juice. I prefer to use a mouli and end up with about 3/4 of a cup of seeds and skin when it's all been processed.
Regards,
Dawn.

I never thought of using frozen tomatoes. Learn some thing every day, thanks Dawn. Unfortunately I biffed my mouli a few years back on a " don't need that any more" clean up.

Joy just put clean whole tomatoes in a plastic bag into the freezer, or you can cut in half any extra large ones. Note on the bag the weight so that you don't need to weigh when you're going to use them. When I take mine out of the freezer to use I run them under the warm water tap to rid any of the excess frozen moisture accumulated on the outside of the tomatoes and then just toss them into the preserving pan and proceed as normal.
Regards,
Dawn.

Thank you, Joy. I will certainly make this recipe - it sounds really nice and not too sweet. A couple of other recipes I've tried in the past have too much sugar in them for my taste.
Dawn, I'll be using frozen tomatoes - I still have several kilos in the freezer from last year's crop and am now beginning to freeze a lot of this year's! I note that you say the boiling time varies if using frozen - does this mean more or less time? And I'm also intrigued to see you say that you just toss the tomatoes into the pan - I've always thawed them enough to chop up into smaller pieces; do you not need to do that?

Hi Mommamurf! It takes more time for the sauce to come to the boil because of the frozen tomatoes, but that's not a problem and I think they are much more watery once they've thawed so it probably takes longer boiling to get a thicker sauce (see my paragraph below 'Once the sauce has cooked for 3 hours..............'. No need to thaw and chop. The only thing I do once they've been boiling for an hour or so is to generally squash a few against the side of the pan with my wooden spoon if they're still looking whole (enough to break the skin). Or, instead you can run a knife blade down the side of each frozen tomato as you're putting them into the pan, enough to penetrate the skin (it doesn't need to be a big swipe) so that when the heat gets to the tomato the skin will curl open and the flesh will naturally cook.

The other thing I do is substitute the white sugar for brown sugar or part threof. It might be mind over matter, but I think it makes a thicker sauce (quicker) than white sugar, if you can under-ker-stumble what I mean(?)! Mum always said that brown sugar made it thicker quicker(!) and I believed her ha! There will be a lot who will say that's just an old wive's tale or I'm kidding myself! Well, even if it's not true, I think the addition of brown sugar gives it a nicer flavour. You can sub whatever quantity of white sugar you like with brown sugar, or sub the whole lot, (or none at all) it's up to you.

Once the sauce has cooked for 3 hours I put it through the mouli, and after that I put it back onto the boil with lid off and gently boil it, stirring often, until it is the thickness that I want then I bottle it. I don't like it runny and you can gauge the thickness of the sauce much better after it's been processed rather than before.

I also have the breakdown of Joy's recipe's using 9lbs tomatoes instead of 12lbs:

9lb tomatoes
2 1/4 lbs sugar
2 1/4 ozs salt
2 1/4 ozs Whole Allspice
2 1/4 cups vinegar
Proceed as in Joy's recipe.

Sorry for a long story!
Regards,
Dawn.

Dawn, please don't apologise for a long story! You've just saved me a lot of messy fuss and bother - I have always done the thaw and chop exercise and it's such a fiddle faddle that I've put off making sauce and relish for months, hence the last year's tomatoes still languishing in the freezer! I tend to agree (don't really know why) that brown sugar could give a nicer flavour, sort of more cosy and warmish ...
Anyway, thank you very much for the information, and also for the smaller breakdown of the recipe; those amounts fit better with what I have to work with at the moment. I'm going to be busy in the kitchen tomorrow.

What about tomato relish, any tasty recipes you could recommend. I would like to try a different one this year.

Hi Joy, I'll PM you with my two favourite recipes, one a relish, the other is a chutney. Robbie's Tomato Relish which is Robyn Martin's recipe and Tomato Kasundi which is a spicy I*dian chutney (and to which we are addicted) from Kathy Paterson. I find it strange that most tomato relishes contain the same ingredients, and yet some are nicer than others (IMHO) so it seems down to the quantities of ingredients which make the difference.
Regards,
Dawn.

I made the tomato sauce recipe posted by Joy, and then broken down to smaller quantities by Dawn. Thank you both, it makes a really nice sauce and I'm very happy with it. It had its first outing yesterday when we had three relatives here for lunch, and it made a really nice accompaniment to our courgette, bacon and egg pie and salad. I'll certainly make it again.

Dawn Thank you for the recipes. I was tired of the traditional one I have made for years and wanted a change. My tomatoes are still producing and I will try both of your recipes as never too much tomato relish as the family swoop every now and then and make off with it.
I did find a different recipe with balsamic vinegar in it and made it up. It is nice and easy too. Would you like to try it?

Glad the sauce worked out for you mommamurf.

Yes please Joy I'd like to try your (balsamic) tomato relish. That's something different and I imagine the balsamic vinegar would add depth of flavour. My tomatoes are pretty well over and I have finished the bulk by making two lots of preserved spaghetti.

Totally away from tomatoes, but if you have a glut of rhubarb and apples and you think you'd like a Rhubarb and Apple Relish I have a recipe which we really like.
Regards,
Dawn.

Joy, I'd like the tomato relish recipe with the balsamic vinegar, if you have the time to send it to me. Thanks in advance.

Dawn and mommamurf, Recipe sent, I forgot to say that the quantity of tomatoes is give as 11, or 2kg, I used 2kg and it made 5 agee jam jars, which is enough for us. I liked the flavour and the darker colour. I hope you enjoy it.

Thank you for your recipe Joy and I think it will be a lovely rich tomato relish. A nice change using red onions as well as balsamic vinegar and tomato paste. As I mentioned my tomatoes are virtually at an end and if I don't get enough from the stragglers, I will definitely be making this next year. What I have got left are not nice and fleshy now.
Once again thanks.
Regards,
Dawn.

This recipe is from the Fowlers Vacola website - my father used to preserve quince (with apple) using greengrocer-sourced fruit (in the days when there were local greengrocers!

Quinces in syrup Posted by Fowlers Vacola in Recipes .

Ingredients
1kg quinces, peeled and chopped
1kg sugar
1/2 cup water
Juice of 1 large lemon

Method
Peel quinces. Cut into desired size pieces.

Place sugar and water in preserving pan and boil until sugar is dissolved. Add quinces and continue to cook over medium heat for 1/2 hour.

Add juice of 1 lemon and continue to cook for 15 minutes.

Skim scum from surface with a metal slotted spoon.

Continue to cook on low for 1/2 hour.

Test syrup for set - drop 1 teaspoon of syrup onto a cold saucer, tilt saucer and syrup should slide down slowly. If it does not slide slowly, contunue cooling until syrup thickens further. Repeat test.

Allow to stand for 5-10 minutes. Pour into warm dry jars and seal immediately with Kleerview Covers or Preserving Wax.

Hint
Choose quinces that are of the same ripeness/consistency for this recipe. For example, choose all ripe quinces or all under ripe, not a mixture.

Recipe variation
Grate the quinces (thick grate) instead of cutting into pieces and add roasted flaked almonds at the end.

Serving suggestions
Best served at room temperature
Spoon a generous teaspoon onto a small dish and enjoy with a Greek Coffee (or Italian Espresso) and a glass of chilled water.

Joy, could you please pm that recipe to me as well please. I'm not planning to bottle anything else now but will keep the recipe for next season. I say that now but I've just found someone with 5 black boy peach trees. And I notice the sauce tomatoes sign is still up at my local grower..............maybe next week lol

Have sent recipe cantabcook

Do I have to bottle sauce the same day as making it? I have just spent all day boiling 15kg of tomatoes, and am just about to mouli, then have to add vinegar. Not sure I can stay up all night to bottle! Will they be ok if I do tomorrow?

Yes I have been caught like that, not enough time?? I put in fridge and bought up to the boil for 5 min again the next day and then bottled.

Thanks