I’m not sure I understand what’s so Spanish about this sauce. But a lot of people seem to think it is.
A nearly identical recipe (with some red tomatoes as well as green) shows up in a 1914 cookbook from New Jersey under the name Pepper Hash. Meanwhile, a 1907 cookbook from New York has a reference to Spanish Sauce made with red and green tomatoes and sweet peppers. Ditto this 1913 cookbook from Pennsylvania.
Can anybody with some 19th century wisdom shed light on how this became Spanish?
From a box sold in Canby, Oregon.
Spanish Sauce
6 red peppers
6 green peppers
1 bunch celery
8 quarts green omatoes
12 large onions
2 quarts vinegar
2 pounds sugar
Add: cinnamon, cloves, red pepper to taste.
Chop peppers, tomatoes, peppers and onions. Let stand overnight well salted. Drain well. Add vinegar, spices, boil till tender. Seal hot.
Yesterdish reminder: Use modern canning methods, or treat this as a fresh perishable product, or at least pay up your life insurance and make sure your affairs are in order.