Goaded by a recent post over on Elora's blog and by the plethora of tomatoes down in Justin and Claui's garden, as well as the fact that our freezers are beginning to be near full, I pulled out my trusty canning jars and put up some maters today the old time way. The fact that it was nice and cool made working in the kitchen quite pleasant.
Mash the halves in with a wooden spoon till there are no air bubbles. I add a teaspoon of salt but it's not crucial. Then wipe the rims, screw on the lid and ring combination (which has also been heating in simmering water) and return to the canner. When all the jars are full, bring the water to a boil and process at a low rolling boil for 45 minutes.
That's nine quarts -- I've got a ways to go to catch up with Elora -- or with Justin and Claui who've put up around 125.
19 comments:
Stewed tomatoes are the basis of so much in good cooking. Scrumptious.
WooHoo! You go, girl! Gosh, I believe I'd kill to have that wide-mouthed, metal funnel! Nifty! Love the long handle on it, too. Looks old fashioned...when manufacturers were still "sensible' about these kinds of tools!
Elora
nice.someone has been busy today...good stuff too!
You never stop surprising me!!!! I love everything you do!!! This is absolutely old fashioned way to do some delicious tomatoes sauce... and from your own harvest, what can be better!!!!
I wore myself out bottling peaches and pears today. They're so much better than what comes in a can!
I haven't done this for such a long time. My mother always referred to this as 'pure tomato pulp'.
OH, I wish I could participate.
I have an idea and will email it to you.
Take care
cindy
They will be soooooo good this winter! XOXO
I remember when Mama would can tomatoes. We did the heating in a pan until the skin split and would peel them and put them in the Mason jars and cool them until the lids popped. Just your basic tomatoes and rice and a great meal to me.
It is indeed Autumn harvest time at your place.. well done. Such industry. I am looking forward to summer tomatoes. I am ready to leave winter food and get into some light salads
I love jars of canned goods! Your maters are lovely and will taste so good this winter! yum! I have a wide mouth funnel like that...so great!
Well, I did this post in a hurry and had it scheduled for tomorrow then it posted early and without any words. I've added the words ...
Yep, canned tomatoes are the basis of many a good winter meal. And they're perfect for cream of tomato soup.
Gonna go do it all again tomorrow -- the maters are ripe and calling to me.
oooo don't the jars crack in the boiling water? or explode even? Looks dangerous to me. However, that fear over, I'm sure the jarred tomatoes will taste delicious. I think the Italian plum tomatoes are the most delicious, don't you?
Blessings, Star
My tomatoes didn't do worth a darn this year. We had enough to eat fresh, but not for canning, but at least I still have some from last year. Things like that I don't mind carrying over an extra year.
We've been doing a lot of canning ourselves - tomatoes, tomato sauce, salsa, tomatilla salsa, - and freezing of tomato puree and yesterday it was 11 jars of basil pesto. Do you prefer having the skins left on and the seeds left in? I don't mind skins on fresh tomatoes, prefer them even, but I'm not so found of them on cooked tomatoes.
Oh sure, it sounds easy, until I get to the "process for 45 minutes" part. What the heck does "process" mean?
The jars are meant to be boiled, Star. No explosions. These are Italian plum tomatoes I'm canning --Romas and San Marzanos. There are a few little yellow pear tomatoes in some of the jars too.
My tomatoes weren't mush either, Pat. But Justin and Claui put in 200 plants and they have more than then can use, hoorah!
Karen, I really don't notice the skins and I don't mind the seeds. I have a Victoria tomato strainer thingie that I can run the raw tomatoes through and get rid of skin and seeds but this way is so easy that it's my favorite way. And using the contents of the jar in soups etc. is almost like using fresh tomatoes -- which I wouldn't skin or seed either.
June -- I went back and clarified that point. To process just means to keep the jars at a rolling boil for 45 minutes.
125 quarts!?! Wow. I did good to get 18 quarts of tomatoes and 18 quarts of salsa canned.
Hope you enjoy your maters.
I wish there was a way to freeze tomatoes the way I freeze Vidalia onions and red peppers. They taste the same as fresh. As for canning, I'm practically phobic where doing it myself is concerned.
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