Making and canning enchilada sauce: A flavorful pantry staple

Beautiful jars of sauce

I love having enchilada sauce ready on the shelf. I can a simple chile and tomato base from the USDA’s tested recipe, then turn a jar into enchilada sauce with a quick roux and spices when I open it. It lives right next to my home-canned salsa in the pantry ;) Here’s how I make it.

Why make your own enchilada sauce?

Homemade tastes so much better than the canned stuff from the store, and I get to pick how hot it is. With a few jars of the base on the shelf, enchiladas are an easy weeknight dinner.

What you’ll need

Ingredients

• 6 pounds regular tomatoes

• About 1 pound peppers (I use 1 jalapeño and the rest bell peppers)

• 1 cup chopped onion

• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons vinegar (5% acidity)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Makes about 7 half-pint jars.

This is the tested USDA Mexican Tomato Sauce (a third of the batch), which I turn into enchilada sauce when I open a jar.

Equipment

• Pressure canner

• Half-pint mason jars with new two-piece lids

• Large saucepan, blender, canning funnel and jar lifter

How I make and can it

1. Roast and peel the peppers

Wear gloves when handling hot peppers. Slit each pepper along the side, then roast it in a 400°F oven or under the broiler for 6–8 minutes, until the skin blisters. Cover the peppers with a damp towel for a few minutes, then peel them, remove the seeds and chop them.

2. Prepare the tomatoes

Dip the tomatoes in boiling water for 30–60 seconds, until the skins split, then plunge them into cold water. Slip off the skins, remove the cores and chop the tomatoes coarsely.

3. Cook the sauce

Combine the tomatoes, peppers, onion, vinegar, salt and oregano in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Then I blend it just slightly, so there are still pieces in it, and bring it back to a boil before filling the jars.

4. Get the jars and canner ready

Wash your jars and keep them warm, and get your new lids and bands ready. Put the rack and the amount of water your manufacturer recommends in your pressure canner and start warming it up.

5. Fill the jars

Ladle the hot sauce into the warm jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Remove any air bubbles and wipe the rims with a clean, damp cloth.

6. Process in a pressure canner

Place the lids on the jars and screw the bands on fingertip-tight. Put the jars in the canner, lock the lid and let the canner vent a steady stream of steam for 10 minutes before you put the weight on. Process half-pint and pint jars for 20 minutes and quart jars for 25 minutes at the right pressure for your altitude and canner type (see my altitude chart). I’m at 2,273 feet, so I use 15 lb on my weighted gauge (12 lb on a dial gauge).

7. Cool and store

Turn off the heat and let the canner cool down naturally until the pressure reads zero. Then remove the weight, wait 10 minutes, and open the lid away from your face (that steam is no joke!). Lift the jars out onto a towel on the counter and let them cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours, then check the seals. Take the bands off, then store the jars in a cool, dark place. For the best flavor, use them within a year. Any jar that didn’t seal goes in the fridge; use it within a few days.

Turning a jar into enchilada sauce

In a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil, whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in 2 tablespoons of chili powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder for 30 seconds. Then whisk in one pint of the canned sauce (2 of my half-pint jars) and ½ cup of broth, and simmer for 5–10 minutes until it thickens. Add salt and cayenne to taste. Leftover finished sauce keeps in the fridge for a few days.

Tips for success

• Pick your peppers for heat. Bell peppers are mild and one jalapeño adds a little kick. You can swap in more jalapeños or chiles like Anaheims or poblanos, as long as the total stays about 1 pound.

• I keep the jars to just the tested ingredients above and add all the flavor extras (flour, oil, broth and spices) when I open a jar. That’s what keeps it safe to can (here’s why that matters).

Enjoy your homemade enchilada sauce

Roll up some tortillas, pour it over and add a handful of cheese, and dinner’s on the table ;) More Mexican-inspired jars: my Mexican-style tomato salsa, my green tomato salsa verde and a spicy tomato and jalapeño jam.