Canning Tomatoes And The Weekly Tally

What a week it has been! The produce was getting thick and with time spent dealing with medical issues it does not take long to fall behind. So instead of my usual Sunday off I am trying to catch up. 

Tomatoes are still coming in by the bucket full. 

Paste tomatoes and slicers.

Earlier in the week I had resorted to throwing some of the riper ones in the freezer until time was available to process them. So yesterday they were taken out and we ran water over them and took the peelings off. 

The fresh ones were washed and a small slice made across each one to allow the peeling to separate there. 

Then dunked in boiling water

Then immediately placed in ice water.

 Tip***Those Empty coke bottles filled with water and frozen are great for this!  

Out of the ice water those peeling slip right off.

Then the roaster was loaded down with tomatoes to reduce. And both crock pots and another pot on the stove.  Allowed to cook over night to reduce some of the moisture then put in jars and processed. 

With lots of tomatoes still in the garden it feels good to add large amounts to the pantry. With each addition I know that I am one step closer to finishing that project for the year. I'm a basics kind of gal. I know many that put up spaghetti sauce, chili and other tomato dishes separately. I do not. I put up basic ingredients and then make my individual dishes at the time they are consumed. I do vary how they are prepared. Basically I put up tomatoes that are somewhat not whole but simply in pieces for those dishes where I want small chunks of tomatoes in it. Then I put up stewed tomatoes that are broken down and not pureed. I use these for gumbos and soups. Then I put up a pureed sauce that has been reduced to a consistency somewhat between a sauce and a paste. These I use for pizza, spaghetti, lasagna and some casseroles.  That's what works for my family. I used to put up tons of salsa because daughter Fred ate salsa with everything. Now that she does her own canning I do an occasional jar since Baby O is not a salsa eater.  

We continue to get okra daily and this has really been a good okra year. Turning off hot at the end of the summer like this the okra has flourished in the hot dry conditions. 

The bell peppers have started ripening and the dehydrator is humming these days. I love dehydrated ripe red peppers. I use them in place of pimento in some recipes.  I hope to pick and stuff some green ones next week for freezing. 

I have also been dehydrating the odd green onions that are scattered throughout the gardens. So this Sunday as I thank my heavenly father for the blessings of a good harvest and ask that he hold Baby O in the palm of his hands and beseech guidance and wisdom to deal with her health problems I am serenaded by the dehydrator motor and surrounded by the smell of tomatoes. I ask that we keep all parents dealing with sick children in our prayers. 


The tally for the week is not as large as many but we are thankful for anything. 

Weekly Tally

2 1/2 quart bags frozen horticulture beans

2 quart bags frozen red beans

2 quart bags frozen doves

30 quart jars canned tomatoes

10 quart bags frozen breaded sliced okra

2 quart bags frozen sliced okra unbreaded

1 pint dehydrated green onions

1 pint dehydrated red peppers

Seeds Saved

Red Pepper Seeds

Golden Bantam Corn Seeds

I hope you all have a safe and happy Sunday as I am off to deal with the last load of tomatoes that are ready for the canner. I also have a cake in the oven for Baby O. This is the last of my children to become a legal adult. As of today and for the first time in almost 40 years  I have no more minor children. I am not sure if I should celebrate or cry. 

Happy Birthday Baby O!

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter