Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Yield: 9 24oz Jars

1 cup olive oil
4 large onions, diced
3 cups chili powder
8 tsp cumin
8 tsp garlic powder
4 adobo chiles
1/2 cup sugar
10 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
8 quarts tomato sauce, preferably homemade
1/4 cup bottled lemon juice

Using the recipe in the link above, make tomato sauce. Work through step 4, reducing by a third for a thinner sauce. If you want to break this process up, make the tomato sauce the day before and refrigerate overnight. Bring it back to a boil before you begin the enchilada sauce.

Set a very large stock pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. When hot, add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft and it starts to brown on the edges. Add spices, chili powder through garlic powder and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the sugar, tomato sauce and chicken broth to the pot. Stir to combine then bring to a boil. For a smooth sauce, remove pot from heat and use an immersion blender to break up the chilies and onions. (This could also be done in batches with a blender or food processor before adding the tomato sauce to the pot. If you do it this way, you will need to add about 4 cups of the chicken stock to the onion mixture first. Seriously though, just buy the immersion blender, it's so much easier.) Prepare jars and lids for pressure caning.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to hold sauce at a simmer until jars and lids are ready.

Ladle hot sauce into prepared jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Add 1 1/2 tsp of lemon juice to each jar. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot sauce. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight. Fill pressure canner with 3 quarts of water and load jars.

Process using a pressure canner at 10 lbs psi for 15 minutes (at 860 feet above sea level).