Last week I received a hot tip about where I could buy chemical/pesticide free tomatoes. I promptly reserved two 25lb boxes over the phone and then bought yet another when I collected them. I was also tempted by some delicious Jona-Gold apples while I was there and so those came home with me too. By the weekend I had 75lbs of tomatoes and 25lbs of apples sitting on my kitchen table.........waiting.
On Saturday I set to, soaking batches of tomatoes in boiling water until their skins slipped esily from their dark red flesh. I took out the cores and then turned a full 25lbs of them into preservative free provisions for the winter.
First I harvested some green jalapeno peppers from the garden, diced them finely and mixed them with some garlic and red onion in a large pan. I added the tomatoes, some apple cider vinegar and a few spices and set the aromatic concoction to simmer whilst I prepared my canning jars.
Water bath canning is very simple and there are lots of places on the web where you can learn more about it. One of my favorite resources is Pick Your Own, a site that not only lists farms and stands in your area that sell fresh produce, but gives you wonderful tips on how to make and can everything from jams to spaghetti sauce. I also enjoy Food In Jars, an inspiring blog full of ideas for canning produce and what to do with it when you finally open a jar.
My Jalapeno Salsa was a winner and I canned about 12 pints of it. I also made some Pasta Sauce using onion, garlic and the last of my fresh basil and several pints of Passata, the UK version of pureed tomatoes. I threw handfuls of chopped tomatoes into the food processor, chopped it down and then canned it. I used lemon juice in each jar, just to make sure there was plenty of acid to prevent mold. Citric acid can be a problem for people sensitive to MSG, so I searched for some lemon juice which was as pure as possible. If in doubt, squeeze a lemon!
Once I had transformed 25lbs of tomatoes into winter sustenance (and made the house smell like Italy), I poured the water I had used to soak my tomatoes in through the sieve containing the skins and squeezed them for all they were worth. What I got was tomato juice! Another quick canning session and I had 4 quarts of juice all ready for those soups and sauces which we love to eat when it's freezing cold outside.
Today I'm back in the saddle, converting another 25lbs of fresh Eastern Washington tomatoes into sauces and salsas to keep my family healthy during the next six months or so. It's backbreaking work at times, but worth every moment.
Links:
Pick Your Own
Food In Jars
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