Canning Tomato Juice and Tomato Sauce

I stocked up on sauces, stewed tomatoes and salsa this summer and have already been enjoying them! The flavor is great and it is just nice knowing where and what conditions my tomatoes (and sauces) were grown in. 

After getting extra food share the past two weeks, I have 3 big bags of tomatoes. Not to mention my window seal full of tomatoes from my garden. 


I have made several different types of canned tomatoes this summer but this recipe is my new favorite. It is simple and you can make three different types of canned tomatoes, Tomato Juice, Tomato Sauce or Tomato Paste! You don't even have to waste time peeling and seeding! :) Which is perfect for me!!!! 


Who really has time to boil then peel a tomato? NOT ME! 

The Directions:

First, you start with bunches and bunches of pretty tomatoes, like these.  You can take the skins off and the seeds out if you want to…I pretty much just WASH them.  I leave the skin on and and the seeds in…mostly because I’m just too lazy to do otherwise.  My family doesn’t know the difference, and you can’t really even tell that the seeds and skin are still there.  At all. 

Next, I cut the tomatoes into fourths and put them into my food processor. The tomatoes are then blended up until they are liquid.  After I blend up my tomatoes, they go into a big pot. Boil the tomatoes, uncovered, stirring occasionally.  After a while it begins to look like this. 

Once that bubbly froth is just about all gone from the top (about an hour and a half or so after beginning the boiling process), you have made tomato juice, and you’re able to go ahead with the hot water bath process of canning tomato juice. 

But, if you want tomato sauce, continue to let it boil for another hour or so.  You’ll know your tomato sauce is done “saucing” when most of the watery liquid has evaporated.  If you continue to cook it at this point, you will have tomato paste…which is fine…if you want tomato paste.

Can your tomato sauce for 25-30 minutes

Homemade Salsa

My Garden is BLOOMING!!!! I feel like I am picking vegetables daily!

This Monday I went out to the garden and I had 8 or so BIG RED TOMATOES ready for picking! (Even after giving 8 or so away on Saturday) I have tried to come up with ways to use them but they were too big. I already have made stewed tomatoes, marinara sauce, and even tomato sauce. This time I wanted something new - why not SALSA!!!!

This recipe made 2 large jars and 3 small jars and a little jar for the fridge!!! :)

The Ingredients:

10 tomatoes peeled and chopped
2 green bell peppers
2 red bell peppers
1 large chopped onions
5 cloves garlic
2 yellow banana pepper or 1 chopped jalapenos
1/4 cup sugar
1 cups vinegar
5 teaspoons pickling salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 large cans tomato paste

The Directions
Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Then let Simmer 1 1/2 hr, stirring often, at the end of cooking time add 1/2 bunch of cilantro if desired.

Jar and process, 35 minutes for pint jars and 45 minutes for quart jars.

Stewed Tomatoes

It is TOMATO time!!!!

We have been getting some beautiful tomatoes! I know I have mentioned this before but I am the only one who enjoys eating tomatoes. and there is NO way I can make it through all the tomatoes we are getting.

This week I made 2 pints and 1 quart size jars of Stewed Tomatoes.

They look delicious and I can't wait to add them to stews and soups!!!!

The Ingredients:

Tomatoes - All sorts & sizes, peeled and chopped

1 small green pepper, diced

2 celery ribs, diced

1/2 onion, diced

1 TBSP Raw butter

salt & pepper

Italian Seasoning

Palm Sugar (just a little - maybe 1 TBSP)

The Directions:

Place tomatoes in a medium saucepan; cover tightly. Cook tomatoes over lowest heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the salt, pepper, sugar, and butter, along with minced onion and green pepper, if using. Simmer over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until juices are slightly reduced.

For Canning - Carefully ladle hot vegetables into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with a Ball® Bubble FREER™, a nonmetallic spatula, or a plastic straw. Wipe rim and threads of jar with a clean damp cloth. Place lid on jar with sealing compound next to glass. Screw band down evenly and firmly just until a point of resistance is met - fingertip tight.

Process pints 15 minutes, quarts 20 minutes.

Chicken Broth

Ingredients:

1 whole pastured chicken or 2-3 pounds chicken bones with or without bits of meat, including feet if you have them

4 quarts cold water

2 T vinegar

1 large onion, coarsely chopped (or your bag of collected frozen onion parts)

2 carrots coarsely chopped (I omit this sometimes)

3 celery sticks, coarsely chopped (I omit this if I don’t have celery)

The Directions:

Throw all of your chicken parts in a pot, add the water, vinegar and vegetables. Let sit for a half hour, then bring to a boil and remove the scum/foam that rises to the top. No need to remove the floating fat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6 to 24 hours. The longer you cook the stock, the more rich and flavorful it will be.

If you used a whole chicken, don’t leave the meat in there for more than about 3-4 hours. Remove the chicken, remove the meat and reserve, and put the bones back in the broth to cook.

Remove the whole chicken pieces with a slotted spoon. Strain the stock into a large bowl, then ladle into mason jars. Let the jars sit until they are pretty cool, then freeze or refrigerate.

If you want to defat: put the mason jars (or the large bowl) into the fridge until they’re completely cool then break off the fat. Freeze the fat for use in gravies.

Marinara Sauce

I love Wednesdays! I know, I have stated this before, but I love Wednesdays because it is food share day! Wednesdays are like Christmas in this household and Wednesdays happen weekly! We are so excited all day to see what vegetables and fruits we will be having in our bag. :)

Yes, I know it sounds silly but really I am like a little kid every Wednesday! Once we pick up the share I can't wait to get home and wash everything and then, of course, eat everything!!!!

Yesterday, we got tomatoes!!! I love tomatoes! My almost 3 year old loves "matos" too but my husband does not.

Sorry to call him out but he doesn't. It's a texture thing.

Knowing that - being a nice wife, I decided to make Marinara Sauce with some of the tomatoes.

Don't worry I saved some tomatoes to eat! :)

Did you know:

One of the most well known tomato eating benefit is its' Lycopene content. Lycopene is a vital anti-oxidant that helps in the fight against cancerous cell formation as well as other kinds of health complications and diseases.

Free radicals in the body can be flushed out with high levels of Lycopene, and the tomato is so amply loaded with this vital anti-oxidant that it actually derives its rich redness from the nutrient.

Lycopene is not a naturally produced element within the body and the human body requires sources of Lycopene in order to make use of this powerful anti-oxidant. While other fruits and vegetables do contain this necessary health ingredient, no other fruit or vegetable has the high concentration of Lycopene that the tomato takes pride in.

Studies involving the tomato have cropped up all over the world of medical science. There are more health benefits derived from eating a tomato than the scientific community is able to print, at least yet.

These studies have proven not only the benefits in preventing cancer, heart disease as well as high cholesterol are also in the tomato’s sights.

This is really exciting information. The health benefits of tomatoes are becoming more and more documented every day as we learn new uses of this amazing fruit.

Cancers such as prostate cancer, cervical cancer, colon cancer, rectal cancer, and cancers of the stomach, mouth, pharynx, and esophagus have all been proven to be staved off by high levels of Lycopene.

Marinara Sauce Recipe

The Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups onions, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups celery, finely chopped
1 cup carrots, finely chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
8 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional)
Freshly-ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried basil, oregano or marjoram
1/4 teaspoon fennel seed (optional)
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

The Directions:
Cook onion, celery and carrots in olive oil over medium heat in a large pot, covered, until the vegetables are tender — about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, sugar and pepper. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Put the sauce through the medium disc of a food mill if you prefer a smooth sauce. Omit this step if you prefer a smoother sauce.

Add remaining seasonings (except salt) and simmer, stirring often, until sauce reaches desired consistency (about 20 minutes). Add salt. Remove bay leaf.

Pack into clean, hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace; seal. Process in boiling water bath 45 minutes.