Tomatoes Galore!! Help me can!

[mtnlover14]

Hey all!

This is my first year on my own and I started a small, but SUPER productive garden. This is also my first year canning. I have done pickles and dilly beans (which hopefully turned out AWESOME!). Now, comes the tomatoes. I am loaded with big boys, cherries, yellow pears, and an unknown type from a plant my brother gave me.. smaller than a big boy, bigger than a cherry, and delish! I would like to can as much as possible (without a pressure canner). Anyone have any good recipes/suggestions for tomato sauces, crushed tomatoes, stewed tomatoes?? I've got a ton of fresh herbs too, esp basil that I would love to throw in. Any way to can the little guys too?

Thanks a bunnnchhh!

 

[mcnerd]

National Center for Home Food Preservation | How Do I? Can Tomatoes

 

[kadesma]

I have tomatoes as well. I don't can but I adore red meat sauce. I take tomatoes cut the big ones in halves of 4's then put n a baking sheet, salt and pepper and olive oil drizzled over add a little chopped garli and roast til the wilt and give off juice. Put through a food mill if you dont want the skin or seeds ,freeze. the next tim you nnd tomatoes for pasta sauce your set.
kadesma

 

[mtnlover14]

Kadesma-

That sounds sooo good!! I think with the little guys, I may slow roast and freeze.. toss in salads and pasta. Hmm. Good thing it will feel like fall this weekend! Perfect to open all the windows and spend a day in the kitchen!

 

[kadesma]

Kadesma-

That sounds sooo good!! I think with the little guys, I may slow roast and freeze.. toss in salads and pasta. Hmm. Good thing it will feel like fall this weekend! Perfect to open all the windows and spend a day in the kitchen!

I use my grape tomatoes to roast they are wonderful and make a great pasta sauce so sweet and good
kadesma

 

[sparrowgrass]

Check out mcnerd's link--it has complete directions for canning and freezing.

 

[Constance]

I have tomatoes as well. I don't can but I adore red meat sauce. I take tomatoes cut the big ones in halves of 4's then put n a baking sheet, salt and pepper and olive oil drizzled over add a little chopped garli and roast til the wilt and give off juice. Put through a food mill if you dont want the skin or seeds ,freeze. the next tim you nnd tomatoes for pasta sauce your set.
kadesma

This is my suggestion, too...Kades and I do it the same way. Keep the oven temp at about 250, maybe 300, and add chopped onions too, if you like. I also sprinkle on some dried oregano. You could use a generous amount of your fresh basil instead.

Your house will smell so good! Too bad they don't make a scented candle for the kitchen that smells like that.

 

[Linux]

For home use when I make passata from a glut of tomatoes, sometimes I freeze it down into ice cube-sized pieces. These pop out of the tray when needed, and all I do plop one in to add a bit of flavour to a meat gravy, for example.

Alternatively, why not oven dry tomato halves, or slices using a borrowed dehydrator, like an Excalibur?

Somewhere I posted a stonkin' good sweet chilli jam recipe using 1kg/2.2 lbs tomatoes with 6-10 chillies. It was one of the best I ever made.

 

[subfuscpersona]

link re canning tomatoes in a water bath canner

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f94/need-ideas-for-canning-my-tomatoes-12791.html#post140573

 

[BBQueen101]

Lots of onions and garlic... that's the way I do mine. I use a tomato press to get everything to an even consistancy. Happy canning!

 

[mcnerd]

Adding lots of onions and garlic to tomatoes and canning in a Water Bath is a good way to expose oneself to botulism. Way too much low acid ingredients.

 

[AnnaBailey]

I don't know what kind of tomatoes you grew but if you have paste tomatoes you could also try drying them. I had dried a bunch one year and they were so awesome put into pasta sauces, etc. Really easy too, I just cut them in half and squeezed out the gel and seeds... which was good because then I had lots of seeds to ferment and save. Then stick 'em on the dehydrator until dry but still a little flexible. I stored mine in a vacuum sealed mason jar.