Canning Tomato Sauce

This year I really wanted to try my hand at some new canning experiences. First on my list: tomatoes. Our little container garden didn't yield much, so I turned to an alternate source: Craig's List. Sounds weird (or, at least it did to me) but there were quite a few farmers advertising their produce! 100 pounds of tomatoes later...I was ready to do some canning!

I'm by no means an expert, but I'll share what I did.

 First,  I put my jars in the dishwasher to clean and sanitize them. I decided quart jars would be the best size for this project. And, don't forget to boil the lids and rings! I always forget and then have to rush to get them going, lol.

After washing the tomatoes, I used a paring knife to make an "x" in the skin at the bottom (or is it the top?) of each tomato, to make removing the skins a little easier.

 I put the tomatoes in boiling water for about 45 seconds and then immediately placed in ice water to halt the cooking process. At this stage, we are just removing the skins, not doing the actual cooking. :)

Look how easily the skin just peels right off!

After peeling, I put the tomatoes in a large stock pot to cook. I opted not to add any seasonings because I wanted a very basic sauce that I could use for a variety of recipes. Bring the tomatoes to a boil over medium high heat. I used a stick blender to puree the tomatoes. Not my favorite gadget, but it worked. Then, press the pureed tomatoes through a sieve to get out all the "junk".

Return the tomatoes to the saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Turn the heat down to medium high and let cook until reduced by about half. 

Put 2 tbsp of lemon juice in each quart jar before filling with sauce. Leave 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe the rims with a damp cloth and adjust the lids and rings as usual...

Process quarts for 40 minutes in the water bath canner. Let sit for 5 minutes before removing jars to cool.

One batch of sauce cooking and one in the canner!

The 100 lbs yielded 31 quarts of sauce. Not bad at all! It was a messy job, but really not difficult. Canning is definitely hard work, though, It really makes me admire the efforts women used to HAVE to put in to have food for their family all throughout the year. I just can't even imagine! But, the satisfaction of knowing I've filled my pantry with good food for the people I love is wonderful!


Happy Homemaking!,