A PAEAN TO POP POP AND HIS CHILI SAUCE

In a recent posting explaining why I am the Scrapple King I made mention of a chili sauce made by my Uncle Joe which is an excellent topping to scrapple made according to my recipe. I indicated that if enough inquiries for the recipe were made I would ask my Uncle Joe to send me his recipe. Well, enough requests were made so, true to my word, I asked Uncle Joe for his recipe and he sent it to me. The recipe can be found at the end of this post.

But before I get to the recipe I must write about the man who created the chili sauce in the first place. That individual was my grandfather Joe Janson. My uncle (his son) was obviously named after him. In a unique twist of blessings, both my wife and I each had a grandfather named Joseph so our son is named Joseph in honor of both men.

Pop Pop, as I called him, was a blacksmith who had a shop along Front Street in Philadelphia back in the early years of the twentieth century.

Image via Wikipedia

For those familiar with the City of Brotherly Love, picture Interstate 95 running along Penn’s Landing, close your eyes and try to visualize what that area would have been like before the monster highway was built. His shop would be right there in the center of your thoughts. Pop, a college trained artist, left the ironwork field to run a successful food delivery business in the city. I have fond memories of helping him load up his truck with perishables from his refrigerated storehouse and delivering them door to door in the Manayunk neighborhood community of Philadelphia, the city of my birth.

When Pop retired and eventually moved to Doylestown to live with my aunt, he spent his golden years gardening, baking and watching the Phillies on television (as well as being a second father to myself and my eight cousins -they lived in the same house with him). A trip to Pop’s always began with a tour of his garden, which included the best tomatoes available in that beautiful land founded by William Penn. As Pop got older the size of his garden grew smaller as did his ability to maintain it. But he kept at, even when he was well into his nineties. His energy and enthusiasm was an inspiration for the entire family.

Pop Pop was a great baker as well. A visit to his home always ended with either a slice of homemade chocolate pie with whipped cream on top, or perhaps a slice of yellow cake with homemade frosting (and another large slice wrapped in plastic to take home with you). Never did a birthday pass without a handmade marble cake with deliciously thick icing on top to help celebrate the event.

I could write about Pop for pages on end but do realize that chili sauce was the main reason for this posting. When he shared the recipe with me, Uncle Joe told me that it was originally written by my maternal great- grandmother, but the copy he has was written in Pop Pop’s hand:

UNCLE JOE’S CHILI SAUCE

(IN MEMORY OF JOE “POP POP “JANSON)

4 qts. (8 lbs.) chopped, peeled tomatoes

2-1/2 cups chopped onions

2-1/2 cups chopped green peppers

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 tblsp. salt

1 qt. cider vinegar

about 4 tblsp. pickling spice in a cheesecloth bag. Add pepper if desired.

Simmer slowly uncovered for 10 to 12 hours or until mixture thickens. Follow usual canning procedure.

To make things easier Uncle Joe advises that he now uses canned diced tomatoes because it does not seem to make any difference in the taste of the final product. To echo my Uncle Joe’s wish of “bon appétit” to all who make his chili sauce, I bid you well as you serve it with anything you desire, but don’t forget the scrapple. Habbersett, of course, is “Philadelphia's Favorite” and will always get my endorsement.