Georgian Tomato Satsebeli Sauce for Winter

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make satsebeli from tomatoes? Gather all the ingredients on the list. Choose well-ripened, sweet tomatoes, since the flavor of the finished sauce depends on the variety you use. For herbs, use fresh cilantro, parsley, and dill.

2. Step 2:

   

   Wash the tomatoes thoroughly under running water. Cut out the stem ends and cut the tomatoes into large pieces. The sweeter the tomatoes, the tastier the end result.

3. Step 3:

   

   Peel the garlic cloves, then rinse them and pat them dry with a paper towel. Adjust the amount of garlic to your taste. For the bell peppers, red or yellow are best, though green ones work too—they may not change the flavor much, but the final color won't be as rich and vibrant. Rinse the peppers and pat them dry. Remove the seeds and cut out the ribs, then cut each pepper into 3 or 4 pieces.

4. Step 4:

   

   Cut the rinsed hot red chilies in half and remove the seeds—do this in disposable gloves to avoid a burn. Add as much hot chili as you like. Rinse the herbs well and pat them dry to remove excess moisture; a salad spinner works well here. If there's an herb you don't care for, leave it out—a lot of people don't like the aroma of cilantro, for example.

5. Step 5:

   

   Put the prepped ingredients, except the garlic cloves, into the bowl of a food processor. If you don't have one, use a simple meat grinder.

6. Step 6:

   

   Grind the vegetables to small and medium pieces—you don't want to take it all the way to a purée.

7. Step 7:

   

   Pour the contents of the bowl into a suitable cooking pot. If you have a heavy pot or one with a thick bottom, use it, so the mixture doesn't scorch as it cooks down. I used a 2-liter enameled pot. Set it over medium heat and, stirring, bring it to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes.

8. Step 8:

   

   After 20 minutes of boiling, add the coriander. I didn't have ground coriander on hand, so I used seeds crushed in a mortar. Keep cooking down for another 30 to 40 minutes over medium heat. The cooking time depends on how juicy the tomatoes are, so it'll vary—the juicier they are, the more liquid in the sauce, and the longer it takes to thicken, and vice versa. Toward the end of cooking, the sauce turns more viscous and less runny.

9. Step 9:

   

   Once the sauce has cooked down and thickened, it's time to add the salt and sugar. Start adding them a teaspoon at a time and adjust to the flavor you want.

10. Step 10:

    

    Grate the peeled garlic on the fine side of a grater or run it through a garlic press. Stir it into the sauce. Warm it for about five minutes, just enough that the garlic doesn't lose its aroma.

11. Step 11:

    

    Get your containers ready ahead of time—wash the lids and jars thoroughly and sterilize them. Pack the hot sauce into clean, dry jars and seal them tightly. Turn each jar over to check that the seal is sound.

12. Step 12:

    

    Your tomato satsebeli for winter is ready. Enjoy!