Labor Day was a busy day for me, I canned like a mad woman! Sunday I headed out to Gorman Farm and purchased 50 pounds of their organic "seconds" for $50. Not bad, $1/pound for organic tomatoes! Like the past few years, I opted to can crushed tomatoes opposed to whole or marinara sauce. Crushed tomatoes are quite versatile and come in handy during the winter months.
After washing the tomatoes, I cored and halved them. Though I don't seed the fruit, I do like to remove the skin, and the easiest way is by broiling them for 5-10 mins. It slips right off. others may prefer a dip in hot water, but I need all the burners and cooktop space I can get. So into the oven they go.
While the broiling commenced, I prepped my water bath and jars for canning. Since I used 40oz jars, I had to use my water bath canner. I have plans to do a bit of pressure canning in the coming weeks, as the last of the tomatoes ripen.
After the tomatoes are peeled, they're blitzed in the food processor and bubble away on the stovetop until it's time to process in the canning pot. I processed 5 jars at a time for 50 minutes. Only one didn't seal, so along with the leftover crushed tomatoes, it went into a plastic container into the freezer.
Not bad - 600 oz of crushed tomatoes in 6 hours. I have to admit, the more I do this, the faster I go. No shortcuts, just more confident and streamlined. This summer was a pretty good growing season, I canned salsa, roasted and froze peppers, and dried herbs and chili peppers. Though the cucumbers were a bust (too wet), the tomatillos were surprise hit.
Any canning or preserving in your future?