Canning Tomatoes

Johnny West

Well-known member
Thursday drove to Zillah and bought 6 lugs of canners, two lugs of Roma, and assorted other fruit tom Jone's Farm. I've got 35 quarts canned and a batch of my Great-grandmother's chili sauce on the hob. Today I'm canning tomato juice for drinking and tomorrow will can the rest. I still have pickles to do.

:margarita: What I want.

I'll have a few pictures later.
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
The canners...

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Part of what I did Saturday.

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Today I cooked about a half bushel of canners and Roma for juice. I did it all by hand with a foley food mill.

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QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
WOW, Johnny - what a load of work you did!!!

My Aunt Stella would can tomato juice and we used it for the world's best Bloody Mary's!

Ever try that with one of yours?

Lee
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
I do like Bloody Mary's. This is the first time I've ever made juice specifically for drinking. I've canned juice before but it always went in soup or chili. I will definitely give it a try.

I know, Lee. This took me almost 5 hours, just for the juice. I still have 3.5 lugs to can and hope to finish by Tuesday night.

I bought cucumbers to make pkcles, didn't get to them and they are starting to turn. They'll go in the compost and will start over Wed. I think I took on too much at once.
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
Today I'll bottle up the chili sauce that's heating up on the hob, then will process two more batches of tomatoes; may do three into the even and then hit the tub at dark. I need to get these tomatoes done before they start to turn.
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
... may do three into the even and then hit the tub at dark

LOL!

Okay, Johnny, I get that a "lug" is a crate. I'm guessing that a "hob" is the stovetop.

But I'm stumped at the sentence above!

What part of the world are you in? If you've told us before, I've forgotten.

Lee
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
I've watched all the Midsomer Murder's and interject words from England when i get the chance. I'm an Anglophile of sorts since my mother's side came here before the Revolution. My father's people were CZ immigrants.

I'm from the Tacoma area but grew up in Iowa.

The hob is the back of the stove, I believe. I'll do three more (21 bottles) batches of tomatoes this afternoon and evening (even) before I get into the hot tub with a tumblr of Glenfiddich.

I'm fairly new here. I posted a year or so ago but got away from it. I post at a half dozen sites so it's hard to keep all straight. I go in spurts.

Nice to meet you.
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
Oh, ja, in high school I worked the produce department at the local Red Owl. All the fruit and tomatoes came in lugs (crates). I've even lugged beef quarters for the meat department, sometimes the whole truck by myself, because of my size.
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
This is my great grandmother's recipe from back in the 19th Century. I processed 14 pints and the last four are in the water bath. I'm already getting hints from family for some so will send it out at Christmas. :heart:

The recipe s no secret so will post it later.

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Johnny West

Well-known member
Grandma Fitch's Chili Sauce

1 pk tomatoes peeled.
10 or 12 onions - grind
8 green peppers - grind
5 cups vinegar
2 cups sugar
2 tsp allspice (I use 1/2 tsp cloves & tsp cinnamon)
1 tsp dry mustard
1 Tblsp celery seed
1 Tblsp mustard seed
1/4 cup salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I never put cayenne pepper)

Cook several hours till the mixture gets thickened.

I called a pk of tomatoes 12-15. I used 15 and chopped them.
I ground the onions and peppers in the grinder on the stand mixer; threw everything in a big pot and simmer for app 3 days (daylight hours only) 'cause we like it thick. Stir occasionally because it will eventually stick.

I process them 15 minutes in a boiling bath per the Blue Ball Recipe Book.
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
I just put 7 bottles of roma tomatoes in the bath. They are so much more time consuming to scald, peel, and stuff. There is about 2/3 lug left and will do several more by tomorrow evening.

I scalded about a quarts worth to make marinara for tonight, too. :eating2:
 
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Johnny West

Well-known member
I dis 7 quarts of tomatoes this morning and this afternoon am doing juice again to get rid of a part lug and huge amount of cherry tomatoes from the tomato bed at home. I want to make cherry tomato sale this weekend and should have plenty. I'm the only one to eat it.

I tell you what, 6 lugs was too many. I'll have enough tomatoes for 3 years!!!
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
I should do a count of the quarts I've done - lost track. I still have at least 2/3 lug of roma and will try to get to them this afternoon or evening.

This morning I chopped up the last of the canners, except a few I saved for eating fresh, and am making V-8 juice. It does smell good. These are on the hob at a low temp so as not to burn anything but these all clad pots are the best and rarely burn anything unless do to negligence.


INGREDIENTS

YIELD
7 quarts
UNITS US

15 lbs ripe tomatoes, chopped (you want 8 quarts chopped)
1 large bell pepper, chopped fine
2 large onions, chopped fine
1 1⁄2 cups diced celery
2 bay leaves
12 fresh basil leaves or 2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1⁄2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
3 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1⁄2 cup lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

Place all ingredients, except lemon juice, in a large stainless pot. Bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes-all veg should be soft.
Press veg through a fine sieve or food mill.
Return juice to pot, stir in lemon juice and bring to a boil.
Pour into clean hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Process for 35 minutes at altitudes up to 1000 feet.

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Johnny West

Well-known member
It came out to a perfect 7 quarts and then some for a taste.
It is very flavorful, tart, and will be perfect for Bloody Mary's.

V-8 - I neglected to mention.... BJ

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Johnny West

Well-known member
The last 7 quarts of roma's went in the canner and saved a few for caprese this weekend. I'm done canning tomatoes for awhile. lol

Now to do dill pickles - I hope they are still good. They've been on the garage floor for a week and look to be OK.

:drink2:
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Johnny, your effort is so impressive!

And your photos are just beautiful!

Thank you for sharing with us.

Lee
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
Thanks Lee. I have one last photo of the last batch - now for doing some cooking using the bounty.

The tomatoes were 10 bucks a lug and if one was paying retail for canned store brands, I think it's a good deal. I like being able to carry on a family tradition of preserving food, as well. One of my friends said I have a "depression mentality" and I took offense with it - he's a catch and release guy. lol
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
Here is the last batch of Roma and am finis.

My tomatoes are still producing and got another 6 pounds of canners at the CSA today. This weekend I'll make a chili with fresh tomatoes and have hot dogs on the side.

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Johnny West

Well-known member
It looks like I lost all my photo bucket pics.

Today started canning tomatoes - it took awhile to get organized and back in the rhythm and only 13 quarts done. A lot of the tomatoes I bought today are not ripe enough so this will take a few days. I'll make some juice, too.
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
20 quarts, so far. I have a box and a half left and will make some juice in a day or so.
 

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ChowderMan

Pizza Chef
Super Site Supporter
heehee, I use plastic 'jars' of the freezer persuasion . . .
half-bushel takes about three pots-full and gives me 12 qts
 

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ChowderMan

Pizza Chef
Super Site Supporter
nope, us old buzzards are supposed to do more fiber . . . (g)

no peel, no seeding . . . cooked down in the pot.
now,,, depending on what eventually becomes of them, other things can happen.
for pizza I hit 'em with the stick blender, then into a strainer to de-water, then heat up for pizza sauce, adding back liquid for the desired consistency. but we like chunky tomato sauce so no food mill kind of stuff.

stewed tomatoes will get cleaned up a bit, seasoned, add gr pepper/onion/etc . . .
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
CMan, you don't peel.

John, do you?

Lee

I peel.

When doing juice I don't peel and run everything through a Foley Food Mill by hand. I'll make juice tomorrow.

Today I'll make 7 more quarts and may call it a year. I need to think about getting ready for vacation.
 
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