Spicy Tomato Catsup

12 lbs ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped

2 lg onions, cut into pieces

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 T each, mustard seed, whole black peppers and basil leaves

2 t whole allspice

2 small dried hot chile peppers

1 lg bay leaf

1 stick cinnamon, about 3 inches long

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 T each salt and paprika

1 c vinegar

anchovy paste to taste. *

In a covered blender jar, whirl tomatoes, onions and peppers a small amount at a time, til smooth. Press through a wire strainer and discard pulp. You should have 6 quarts of puree'. In at least an 8 quart kettle, bring puree' to boiling over medium high heat. Boil gently, uncovered, until reduced by about half. This takes about 1 hour. Stir often. Put the mustard seed, black pepper, basil, allspice, hot peppers, bay leaf and cinnamon stick into a loosely tied cheesecloth bag. Add to puree'. Then add the brown sugar, salt and paprika. Continue cooking over med heat until very thick (about 1 1/2 to 2 hours). As mixture thickens, stir often and reduce heat to prevent sticking. Add the vinegar during the last 10 to 15 min of cooking. Discard spice bag.

You can freeze the catsup or can it. To can, prepare 4 pint size jars. Fill within 1/4 inch of top, seal and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Makes 2 quarts. *Anchovy paste makes any salad dressing more delicious so invest in a tube.

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