7 September 2020

 Shirley Sauce #1 (New Mexico)

5# 6oz Jeff tomatoes $5.38

6.2ox New Mexico peppers  $1.14

16.9oz Colvita red wine vinegar $3.99

1.5# Marv onions  $1.50

2T pickling salt (45g) $0.05

2c sugar $0.78

Seeded the tomatoes this time, yielded 4 pints plus about a cup. $2.85/pint

Shirley Sauce #2 (jalapeno)

2c sugar $0.78

2T pickling salt (45g) $0.05

16.9oz Colavita red wine vinegar $3.99

5.25# Jeff tomatoes $5.25

1.5# Marv onions $1.50

1.5oz New Mexico chiles  $0.28

4.3oz jalapeno peppers

Seeded this batch, too. It made in difference in the cooking time; we'll probably keep seeding. Yielded pints plus about a cup. 

6 September 2020

 Shirley Sauce

2c sugar (400g) $0.78

2T pickling salt (40g) $0.04

2c Holland House Red Wine Vinegar ($4.19)

1.5# Marv onions $1.50

5.25 Jeff tomatoes $5.25

6.2oz New Mexico peppers $1.14

Yielded 5 pints  $2.58/pint

1 September 2020

 Shirley Sauce

5.25# Mom-tomatoes (mixed Early Girl & Lowe's Special)

1.5# Marv onions ($1.50)

3.4oz Patty peppers

2c sugar ($0.78)

16.9oz Bonvita red wine vinegar ($3.69)

2T pickling salt ($0.05)

tiny sprinkle of red pepper flakes

4 pints, plus 1.5c  ($1.27/pint)

30 September 2013

Shirley Sauce


5.5# CSA tomatoes, mostly paste-type
4.9oz mixed CSA hot peppers
11oz CSA & Candy (our own) onions
2c sugar
2c red wine vinegar
2T pickling salt


Cook til thick. JSP/RWB15(8oz)A


Yield: 10 cups and enough for a meal for two.


This one was quite ketchup-y. We like slicers better in the sauce.

24 September 2013

Shirley Sauce


5.25# yellow CSA tomatoes
16oz onion (farmer's market & CSA)
3.3oz hot Hungarian CSA peppers
2c sugar
2c red wine vinegar
2T pickling salt


JSP/RWB15(8oz)A


Yield: 9 cups plus enough for a meal. Slightly sweeter and hotter than previous (15 Sept 2013). Not as pretty.

15 September 2013

Shirley Sauce


3# CSA red tomatoes
11oz Black Plum tomatoes
1# Black from Tula tomatoes
2.6oz German Pink tomatoes
3-4 Lemon Drop tomatoes
(5.25#, approx, run through SauceMaster)


12 jalapenos, chopped and seeded (approx. 1/3#)
14oz onion, diced
2c sugar
2c red wine vinegar
2T pickling salt


Cook until thick. JSP/RWB15(8oz)A


Yield: 10 half-pints plus enough for a pasta meal for two. Excellent!


Note for July 2015: This may have been the first time we made Shirley Sauce.

Shirley Sauce Master Recipe

Hot Orange Seedless Shirley Sauce, from Pickles to Relish by Beverly Ellen Schoonmaker Alfeld


12 large Lemon Boy or orange tomatoes
2 large onions, diced
12 large jalapeno of Serrano peppers
2c sugar
2c red wine vinegar
2T pickling salt


Skin and seed tomatoes, cook all ingredients until thick. JSP/RWB10(4oz)15(8oz)20(16oz)A*


By using seed catalogs, I have determined the average weights of the tomatoes, peppers, and onions, and have come up with this:

(12) large Lemon Boy tomatoes = 5.25#
(2) large onions = 1.5#
(12) large jalapeno chiles = 6oz
(12) large Serrano chiles = 2.5oz


We usually run the tomatoes through the saucemaster and coarsely chop the peppers. Using paste-type tomatoes definitely results in a more ketchup-y flavor. We have used yellow tomatoes, but think the reds are prettier.


*JSP/RWB10(4oz)15(8oz)20(16oz)A = Jar Seal Process/Rolling Water Bath 10min for 4oz jars, 15 minutes for 8oz jars, and 20 minutes for 16oz jars Adjust for altitude.

• At 1,001 to 3,000 feet above sea level, increase processing time by 5min
• At 3,001 to 6,000 feet above sea level, increase processing time by 10min
• At 6,001 to 8,000 feet above sea level, increase processing time by 15min
• At 8,001 to 10,000 feet above sea level, increase processing time by 20min

28 September 2014

Salsa Verde


6# tomatillos  ($6)
16.5oz onion ($2)
7.5oz banana peppers (5) ($1)
7.5oz hot bell pepper (6) ($1)
1 head garlic (5 large cloves) ($1)
10g cilantro ($0.96)
3tsp cumin
1 1/2tsp salt ($0.03)
1 1/2tsp red pepper flakes
1c apple cider vinegar
1c red wine vinegar ($1.76)
1c vinegar
3/4c lime juice


Yielded 9 pints. The reason for the vinegar variety is the obvious one--that's pretty much all we had!


Shirley Sauce for Ryan (#1)
5 1/2# tomatoes
1oz jalapenos (3)
3oz Big Bomb pepper (2)
15oz onion
2c sugar
2c red wine vinegar
2T pickling salt


Yielded 5 pints + 1/2 pint (combined with batch #2)


Shirley Sauce for Ryan (#2)
5 1/2# tomatoes
1oz jalapenos (2)
1/2oz small orange hot pepper (1)
1.6oz Big Bomb pepper (1)
2c sugar
2c red wine vinegar
2T pickling salt


Yielded 5 pints + 1/2 pint (combined with batch #1)


Shirley Sauce for Ryan (#3, combined with #4 before processing)
5 1/2# tomatoes
1oz jalapenos (2)
1/2oz small orange hot pepper (1)
14 1/2oz onion (half of a ginormous onion from Berry Acres)
2c red wine vinegar
2c sugar
2T pickling salt


Shirley Sauce for Ryan (#4, combined with #3 before processing)
5 1/4# tomatoes
14oz onion (the other half of the ginormous one from batch #3)
0.6oz small hot orange pepper (1)
1oz jalapenos (2)
2c red wine vinegar
2c sugar
2T pickling salt


Batches 3&4 yielded 11 pints.


Shirley Sauce for Ryan (#5)


5# 10oz tomatoes
1 1/2oz jalapenos (3)
1/2oz small orange hot pepper (1)
1# 4oz onion (2)
2c sugar
2c red wine vinegar
2T pickling salt



Yielded 6 pints.

13 September 2014

Shirley Sauce


5 1/2# chocolate tomatoes ($11)
1.7oz Serrano peppers ($0.50)
1# candy onions
2T pickling salt ($0.09)
2c sugar ($0.59)
2c red wine vinegar ($3.52)


These tomatoes were extra meaty--only simmered 20 minutes.
Yielded 5 pints @ $3.14/pint

7 September 2014

Shirley sauce for Mom


3 1/4# tomatoes (from her)
1# 11oz Fourth of July tomatoes
6oz Patio tomatoes
3.9 oz Big Bomb peppers
15 oz onion ($1.19)
2c sugar ($0.64)
1 1/2c red wine vingar ($2.04)
1/2c red wine vinegar ($0.90)
2T pickling salt ($0.09)


Yielded 4 1/2 pints @ $1.08/pint.

1 September 2014

Shirley Sauce


4# Fourth of July tomatoes
1# 3oz tomatoes from my mother
1# onion (farmer's market, $1.50)
5oz Big Bomb peppers (from my mother)
2T pickling salt ($0.09)
2c sugar ($0.64)
2c red wine vinegar ($2.72)


Yielded 5 pints @ $0.99/pint.

30 August 2014

Shirley Sauce


5 1/2# tomatoes (farmer's market, $16.50)
2oz cayennes (North Star, $2), seeded all but 2 (think there were 6 or 7 total)
1 1/2# onion (farmer's market, $2.25)
2c red wine vinegar ($3.12)
2c sugar ($0.73)
2T pickling salt ($0.09)


Yielded 4 pints @ $6.17/pint


Too much onion.

27 August 2014

Hot Shirley Sauce (Pickles to Relish)


5 3/4# tomatoes (3 1/4# Fourth of July, 2# North Star Farms (from farmer's market, $6.00), 1/2# Patio)
1# red onion (North Star Farms)
4oz Big Bomb peppers (my parents)
2c sugar ($0.73)
2c red wine vinegar ($3.52)
2T pickling salt ($0.09)


Bring to a boil; simmer til thick.
JSP/RWB10(4oz)15(8oz)A


Yielded 4 pints @ $2.59/pint


First taste seems hotter than previous batches.