Chop any large green tomatoes into halves or quarters, depending on the size. I leave the cherry sized ones whole, as they'll cook down and be soft regardless. Drop them into your chosen saucepan.
Chop the chillies up into 2-3 pieces, depending on the size. If you're using tiny chillies like birds eye, you can leave them whole. Add to the tomatoes.
Halve the shallots. You can leave the garlic whole. Add both to the tomatoes.
Let's get Cooking
Add all the other ingredients to the tomatoes in the saucepan. So that's the peppercorns, bay leaf, sugar, salt and vinegar.
Turn the heat on high and bring to a simmer. Give everything a good stir.
When it's begun to simmer, cover, lower the heat right down and cook for 30 minutes, by which time, everything, especially the tomatoes, will be melthingly soft. Stir after 20 minutes.
Take the bay leaf out and discard. The peppercorns will be blended.Using a heatproof immersion blender, blend everything into a smooth purée. You should have a light, pourable sauce.In the video, I add the lime juice before blending. It doesn't make a difference.
Check seasoning. Add more salt and sugar if you fancy it saltier or sweeter. Stir in the lime juice and leave everything to simmer for 2 more minutes.
Take it off the heat and transfer to sterilised jars. The unopened jars will be good for 6 months. Once opened, keep in the refrigerator. Give it a water bath, if you like.