How many people out there continue that yearly ritual of making chili sauce? A year did not go by that our mother's and grandmothers did not do this chore. And chore it was as it took an entire day from early morning to night to complete. Not sure where the practice came from but most of the Irish families we knew followed it. You knew which house it was being made in as the aroma spread through the neighborhood. I can still recall the spicy smell that lingered for weeks in our house on Burden Avenue long after the cooking and canning was done. My mother, (Mary Elizabeth O'Connor - 1901-1981), labored all day, while we were in school, washing and grinding bushels of tomatoes and peppers and then standing at the stove stirring the mixture for hours while it cooked down. As hot as the chili sauce was from the long red hot finger peppers, my father's, (James Joseph McGrath - 1900-1974), standard comment was "it's not hot enough!". Tell that to my mother who for days afterwards had burning hands and arms from handling the hot peppers and standing over the steamy pot that made sure the burning feeling entered your pores. My family still makes the chili sauce according to my mother's recipe which most likely came down from her mother. I consider the recipe to be "McGrath's 100 Year Old Chili Sauce Recipe" and I do SHARE it. Two of my siblings, Peg and Bud, make the "recipe" this past week and yesterday it was our turn at our house. I spent Thursday in the Engel farms field (near Albany Airport) picking a bushel of tomatoes, a bushel of sweet red peppers and a few dozen of the hot finger peppers. The last time I was in that particular field was on September 11, 2001 and the farmer came out to tell me the World Trade Center just collapsed. I was a frequent visitor to the World Trade Center when I worked since the Department of Labor had it's New York City offices there. Being in that same field Thursday brought back memories to me of that tragic day. I will bring a jar of chili sauce to the next TIGS meeting so attendees can try a taste. Regards, Bill McGrath Clifton Park, NY

Hi Bill & Cathy, Funny you should write about the making and aroma of chili sauce. I just made the MILD version last week. I get that feeling of wanting the aroma and the taste, every year when "back to school time" comes around. I was determined to make it this year. My house smelled just like my moms did, years ago in the 1950's. I found the recipe on line and the woman said, " she cooks it just to have that smell in her house!" For the first time, our sons grew all sorts of hot peppers and I bet they would make the chili sauce in a minute knowing they can incorporate those hot peppers. They eat them right out of the garden and then go around hic-cupping. Too hot for me. Guess I am getting old. My late brother and I use to sit around and eat hot cherry peppers all the time! BTW, our sons are chefs and they use latex, rubber gloves to cut up the hot peppers when cooking large quantities etc. My grandmother use to come from Albany to Troy every Wednesday forever, and during the canning season for sure. She and my mom always made chili sauce along with many other canned goods. The aromas from everyones home was wonderful as we walked home from school for lunch every day. What a great memory. If you don't mind being asked, how much does a bushel of peppers and tomatoes cost now? The last bushel we bought was $6.00 ... Everything that is sold out where I live in WI is sold by the pound. Our children and grandchildren miss much by riding buses to and from school, don't they? The falling leaves, the wet leaves and the smells of when we were young. Too far to attend the TIGS meeting :-) Sharon from Troy, now in Wisconsin ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill & Cathy McGrath" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, September 17, 2005 9:46 AM Subject: [Rensselaer] A Forgotten Practice? > How many people out there continue that yearly ritual of making chili > sauce? A year did not go by that our mother's and grandmothers did not do > this chore. And chore it was as it took an entire day from early morning > to night to complete. Not sure where the practice came from but most of > the Irish families we knew followed it. You knew which house it was being > made in as the aroma spread through the neighborhood. > > I can still recall the spicy smell that lingered for weeks in our house on > Burden Avenue long after the cooking and canning was done. My mother, > (Mary Elizabeth O'Connor - 1901-1981), labored all day, while we were in > school, washing and grinding bushels of tomatoes and peppers and then > standing at the stove stirring the mixture for hours while it cooked down. > As hot as the chili sauce was from the long red hot finger peppers, my > father's, (James Joseph McGrath - 1900-1974), standard comment was "it's > not hot enough!". Tell that to my mother who for days afterwards had > burning hands and arms from handling the hot peppers and standing over the > steamy pot that made sure the burning feeling entered your pores. > > My family still makes the chili sauce according to my mother's recipe > which most likely came down from her mother. I consider the recipe to be > "McGrath's 100 Year Old Chili Sauce Recipe" and I do SHARE it. Two of my > siblings, Peg and Bud, make the "recipe" this past week and yesterday it > was our turn at our house. > > I spent Thursday in the Engel farms field (near Albany Airport) picking a > bushel of tomatoes, a bushel of sweet red peppers and a few dozen of the > hot finger peppers. The last time I was in that particular field was on > September 11, 2001 and the farmer came out to tell me the World Trade > Center just collapsed. I was a frequent visitor to the World Trade Center > when I worked since the Department of Labor had it's New York City offices > there. Being in that same field Thursday brought back memories to me of > that tragic day. > > I will bring a jar of chili sauce to the next TIGS meeting so attendees > can try a taste. > > Regards, > > Bill McGrath > Clifton Park, NY > > > ==== NYRENSSE Mailing List ==== > Have you added your names to the Troy Surname Roster? > http://www.connorsgenealogy.com/troy/troysurnames.html >

September is certainly canning month in upstate NY! My memories are of tomatoes, chili, pickles and applesauce. I'm curious if anyone else thinks of "chili" as a sweet relish? My grandmother, who came from Canada of Loyalist* and Irish blood, made a tomato and pepper chili that goes perfect with meatloaf or hamburgers. The following is an approximate recipe. As with most family recipes, the quantities and cooking times are "until it's right". 12 ripe tomatoes 2 red or green (bell) peppers 2 onions 2 tablespoons salt 1-1/2 cup sugar (possibly brown sugar) 1-1/2 cup vinegar a little cinnamon a little (ground) cloves Cook until thick and seal while hot. Note - in a different recipe for Green Tomato Relish, the instructions include "Grind all together. Be sure to remove seeds from peppers. Let drain in colander overnight, then add [other ingredients]. Cook over low heat 20 minutes." * One of my grandmother's Canadian Loyalist ancestors, Peter Davy, orignally came from Herkimer County, NY. Another, Frederick Baker was born about 1756 in Claverack, Columbia County, NY, possibly of the Palatine "Becker" family. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill & Cathy McGrath" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, September 17, 2005 10:46 AM Subject: A Forgotten Practice? > How many people out there continue that yearly ritual of making chili > sauce? A year did not go by that our mother's and grandmothers did not do > this chore. And chore it was as it took an entire day from early morning > to night to complete. Not sure where the practice came from but most of > the Irish families we knew followed it. You knew which house it was being > made in as the aroma spread through the neighborhood. > > I can still recall the spicy smell that lingered for weeks in our house on > Burden Avenue long after the cooking and canning was done. My mother, > (Mary Elizabeth O'Connor - 1901-1981), labored all day, while we were in > school, washing and grinding bushels of tomatoes and peppers and then > standing at the stove stirring the mixture for hours while it cooked down. > As hot as the chili sauce was from the long red hot finger peppers, my > father's, (James Joseph McGrath - 1900-1974), standard comment was "it's > not hot enough!". Tell that to my mother who for days afterwards had > burning hands and arms from handling the hot peppers and standing over the > steamy pot that made sure the burning feeling entered your pores. > > My family still makes the chili sauce according to my mother's recipe > which most likely came down from her mother. I consider the recipe to be > "McGrath's 100 Year Old Chili Sauce Recipe" and I do SHARE it. Two of my > siblings, Peg and Bud, make the "recipe" this past week and yesterday it > was our turn at our house. > > I spent Thursday in the Engel farms field (near Albany Airport) picking a > bushel of tomatoes, a bushel of sweet red peppers and a few dozen of the > hot finger peppers. The last time I was in that particular field was on > September 11, 2001 and the farmer came out to tell me the World Trade > Center just collapsed. I was a frequent visitor to the World Trade Center > when I worked since the Department of Labor had it's New York City offices > there. Being in that same field Thursday brought back memories to me of > that tragic day. > > I will bring a jar of chili sauce to the next TIGS meeting so attendees > can try a taste. > > Regards, > > Bill McGrath > Clifton Park, NY >

Dear Bill and Cathy, What memories your email brought back! Every fall my grandmother (Blanche A Polvent from Cohoes married to Edward D Hogan ,Waterford) and my mother made rows and rows of canned chili sauce(mild form, no hot peppers) that we used all winter long with spaghetti, all kinds of meat etc. I had no idea that this was other than a family thing. At that time the family had moved to Newark, New Jersey and no other family had this practice. I also thought it was a custom of the French side of our family, and now I see it was more of an Irish custom. You learn something new every day! Thanks for sharing your memories with us. It brought back a lot of mine. I remember also my mother and grandmother canning fresh peaches with cinnamon and pears with cloves. Was this customary also? Pat Beaumont