Is there anything better than homemade canned tomatoes picked right from the farm or garden?
Today in Culinary Arts we learned the simple how-to-steps for canning summer grown tomatoes in no time. It’s true, preserving and canning can seem intimidating at first, but once you learn the basics it can be an easy, healthier and very cost effective way to allow the fruits and veggies harvested during the summer to be preserved for an entire year!
Similar techniques can also be used when canning pickles, salsa, jellies, and jams ... all from scratch!
Culinary students carefully slicing plum tomatoes
Cooking tomatoes between 35 - 40 minutes, stirring constantly not allowing to burn.
How to Can:
1. Gather all ingredients and supplies first.
2. Sterilize mason jars, lids and bands. You can run it through your dishwasher instead
of boiling jars.
3. Bands should be kept at room temperature so they’re easier to handle.
4. Thoroughly wash tomatoes and lay flat to dry if not using immediately.
5. Cut plum tomatoes in half, discarding any bruised or darkened spots.
6. Cook for 35 – 40 minutes until tomatoes are soft and skins have separated.
7. Remove cooked tomatoes and pass through a food mill, using the finest gauge blade. Scrape underside of food mill collecting tomato pulp.
8. Cook tomatoes for a second time after passing through food mill for another 30 – 45 minutes until tomato sauce has reduced and thickened
9. Add 1 tsp. of salt to each of the sterilized quart size mason jars along with several fresh
basil leaves.
10. Pour sauce into jars filling up to about ½” from top lip.
11. Make certain that jar edge is perfectly clean, and place rubber seal lid the screw metal
band tightly sealing jar.
12. Allow jars to cool. As each jar cool they will form a vacuum seal. You will hear a clicking
on the metal lid. This indicates that the seal has been successful.
13. To be sure the lid is sealed to the jar rim, remove the band and try to lift the lid off. If th
lid stays put, the jar was sealed successfully.
14. Label your jars and store in a dry, cool place.
Team work
Passing cooked tomatoes through the food mill.
Preparing sterilized quart size mason jars with salt and fresh basil.
Carefully pouring strained cooked tomato sauce through a wide mouth funnel before sealing jars.
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