Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Tomatoes


Canning Tomatoes
Tomatoes:
Sort tomatoes and do not use any overripe tomatoes.  Wash to remove dirt.  Dip in boiling water long enough to crack skins (about 1 minute).  Dip in cold water, and remove peels.  
Raw Pack;
Add 1 teaspoon salt and 2 Tablespoons bottled lemon juice (or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid), we use lemon juice, to each quart jar. Also place 3/4 to 1 cup Juice (recipe below) in the bottom of each jar. Pack, whole, peeled tomatoes, tightly into the jars,up to the shoulder of the jar, leaving 3/4-1 inch head space. Remove air bubbles, wipe tops of jars.  Put on hot lids and bands tightening until finger tight, when just meeting resistance. Place in water bath and process for 45 minutes. 

We like to add Tomato juice to our canned tomatoes.  

Tomato juice:
If using juice to add to tomatoes, start cooking this first: 
Remove top and cut in half clean Tomatoes, place cut side down and put in oven (on broil) until skins become charred, you can do this skin side up or down as you just want to bring out the caramelization, flavors of the tomato and you will be removing the skin with a food mill or sieve.  Remove from oven and when cool enough to handle pull skin off, don’t worry about getting all skins when you strain it they will be caught, and it give good flavor, (break up tomatoes with potato masher, before putting in pot helps break down for juice) and put in large pot to cook. after all tomatoes are cooked use an immersion blender or food mill (or food processor or blender) and puree tomatoes. Strain to remove seeds and skins if making juice.  Put back on to cook.  If you are only making juice cook down tomatoes for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until foam turns color and looks thick and smooth, like juice, so it won’t separate.   If using to put into whole tomatoes you don’t have to cook as long. After cooked down put into quart jars that have 1 tsp. salt and 2 Tablespoons lemon juice.  Leave 1/2 inch head space and process in water bath 15 minutes.











Salsa: (makes 6 to 8 pints)
process 15 minutes

4 Cups, (1#) onions
6 Cups, (1 1/2#) Fresh mixed mild peppers
1 Cup (1/2 #) Fresh mixed hot peppers
12 Cups (5#) Fresh tomatoes
1/4 Cup chopped Garlic
1 cup cilantro
1/3 cup pepper flakes
3 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 Cup Vinegar

  1. Cut tomatoes in half and place on cookie sheet skin side up. Roast in the oven, when cool enough to handle just pull skins off, chop up a little and add to large pot.
2. Chop onions, garlic and peppers (roast in oven), add to tomatoes in pot.
3.  Add all the rest of the ingredients to the tomatoes and pepper mixture in the large pot and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes.
  1. Put in jars, wipe tops of jars put on hot lids, screw on bands just until finger tight, meets resistance.  Put jars in water bath and process for 15 minutes

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