Food From Gifted Produce!! Recipe for Chinese Plum Sauce

I spent yesterday morning stitching, but then came to a standstill where I needed to speak to my client, and she was unreachable at work.  Hmm.  I could have put my feet up and turned on the soaps.  But oh nooo... I have to stay busy.  Pfftt. 
First on the list:  Two loaves of pumpkin bread, from the gifted pumpkin a few weeks ago.

Then a pan of Apple Betty.  My neighbour brought over a 3L basked of apples from his yard on Wednesday.  Warning - when your neighbour gives you apples from his never-sprayed-in-this-millenium trees, you will find worms.

Then 8 jars of Chinese Plum Sauce from plums a gal brought to the guild meeting on Monday.  I gratefully took 2 pounds of prune plums that she got from her son's tree. Her deal is:  if she gives you produce you have to give her some of whatever you've canned.  OK - fine by me!!

A little warning here:  this is not the boring orange sugar-sauce that you buy in the store or get in the little plastic packages with your Chinese food.  This is SPICY and very, um, piquant.
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Chinese Plum Sauce

Yield:  6 half-pints

From The Complete Book of Canning, Ortho Books

3 red bell peppers

2 lbs. ripe peaches OR apricots, sliced

2 pounds plums, sliced

4 c. cider vinegar

2 c. water

1 c. granulated sugar

1 ¾ c. packed light brown sugar

1/3 c. light corn syrup

5 large cloves garlic, minced

6 tbsp. peeled, chopped ginger root

1 ½ tbsp. coarse (kosher) salt

3 tbsp. white mustard seed, lightly toasted

1 small onion, chopped

2 dried hot red peppers, seeded and crushed

1 stick cinnamon

1. Place bell peppers under broiler and roast until skin is blistered and lightly charred on all sides.  Remove from heat and wrap in a damp towel for 15 minutes.  Scrape off skin.  Remove seeds and stems.  Set aside.
2. Simmer sliced peaches and plums, 2 cups of the vinegar, and the water in a large pot until the fruit is tender (about 20 to 30 minutes).  Remove from heat.
3. Combine the remaining 2 cups vinegar, the sugars, and corn syrup in another large pot.  Stir and bring to a boil.
4. Add the fruit mixture, bell peppers, and remaining ingredients.  Cover and simmer 8 minutes.  Remove lid and simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove cinnamon stick and puree mixture through medium disc of food mill to remove skins and fibers.  Return sauce to pot and bring to a boil.  Continue to boil gently until sauce thickens (10 – 15 minutes) stirring frequently.
6. Ladle hot sauce into clean, hot, half-pint jars, leaving ½” headspace.  Attach lids & snap rings.
7. Process in boiling-water bath 10 minutes.

Note:  allow to stand in jars for 1 month before using.