What are you canning now?

[HenThymes]

Anyone know the proper way to freeze tomatoes for later use?? I just have too many canning projects going on at the moment to make my spaghetti sauce and would like to put my toamatoes up for later use but not sure the proper way, any suggestions??

 

[jojo54]

I've frozen tomatoes two ways.

1. Wash, cut stem and spots, and put in boiling water to remove the skins. Put in ziplock bags and freeze.

2. Wash, cut out stem, spots etc. Put whole in ziplock bags and freeze. When using, I thawed them and pureed them in the food processor skins and all for spagetthi sauce. You can also peel them quite easily once the are thawed.

The first way takes more time but less space in the freezer so it depends which you have more of - time or freezer space.

 

[WingingIt]

CoopCrazy and vfem:

Thank you both for the links. The only one listed near us under the first link is one I know of but they mainly do apples and pumpkins, so nothing there yet. Will check out the second link in a bit.

Thanks again!

 

[ScoobyRoo]

I need suggestions please. MP helped me get started on my taco sauce (not salsa). Here is what I have done. I milled up 24+ cups of tomato juice, let that simmer(real low, not home all day) for a day and half to cook down. My DD added spices that was to be similar to taco bell. We are not quite there yet. My issue is...when we take a bite of the chip with the sauce, we taste tomato first then the heat starts to come on. We do want it hot, but,,,, my questions is....what spice do we need to add to cover the tomato? Am I making sense? I don't sound like I do.

I thought maybe a bit more sugar? vinegar?

We added all the good stuff from garlic to paprika. Can anyone give me some suggestions, please?
I plan to can it tomorrow.
Thanks

 

[Schultz]

Quote:
Have you used cumin? This is what I add to my sauces to make it not so tomato like.

 

[4boysmom]

Canning tomato juice..... I've done 34 quarts already, planning to do around 2 dozen tomorrow afternoon. Still trying to get that "right" taste - I'm close, but still missing something. My MIL makes wonderful juice, so tomorrow, I will have her come up and do the taste test with me......

 

[HenThymes]

My DH and I just finished three quarts of spaghetti sauce starter and five 1/2 pints of concord grape jelly fresh from our own vines!!

I will be making homemade biscuits in the morning to try out the jelly.

 

[chicks4kids]

NOTHING!!!! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!!

I have done over 100 quarts of beans this past week, pickles out the wah-zoo, sooooo tired of pickles........ and pickled peppers, I've got dill in quart jars (in water) in the breezeway and our entryway has smelled of pickles for days!......and finishing off the jellies - mixed berry to finish all of the "not quite enough" juice that's left over!.................aaarrggghhh!

I am taking tomorrow off!! I'm tired of the "mommy are you gonna make ?" and "honey, did you make?" I am absolutely doing NOTHING tomorrow...........I may not even cook!!

I think the kids will be left to daddy's cuisine............beanie weenie, hot dogs, and shells & cheese...............ooooh-bon appetite!

 

[vfem]

Restocked 24 jars of jams/jellies yesterday. Ended up selling 6 jars since then, and was requested to bring 12 more to the farm stand for Monday.

Soooooooooooo, going to get more sugar and pectin today and I think I'm going to try some lavender jellies.

 

[chicken stalker]

Holy Cow....I had a cuc explosion overnight in the garden! Boy they are fast buggers.
Couple questions at fermenting pickles.
1. Can I use a food grade bucket?
2. Can I slice them or do they have to remain whole?