Tomato Canning
Suggested material offered in store
Ingredients
TOOLS: Tomato machine, mason jars, lids, large pot, long wooden spoon, ladle or little pot, wide-mouth funnel.
INGREDIENTS: Ripe tomatoes and fresh basil.
CONCERNING THE TOMATOES:
Best season to can tomatoes is in mid-August.
For best results, buy Italian tomatoes such as Romanello or San Marzano.
One big bushel (50 lbs.) will make 10-12 one-liter mason jars.
Let tomatoes ripen by placing them on a sheet on the floor for 2-4 days (this way the tomatoes will be less acidic).
PREPERATION:
Wash tomatoes. Wash your machine then lubricate the central drum and spring as well as the pierced cone.
For the TIC-TAC only: Cook tomatoes for 10-15 minutes (depending on how ripe they are that year), drain and place in a wide bowl, wait until they are tepid to be able to cut them in half and take out any black inside if that may be the case.
For all other ELECTRIC machines: Cut tomatoes in half without blanching them (the tomato must be very ripe or else blanch for 5 minutes).
Wash the basil and dry in a salad spinner. Place basil leaves on a clean dishcloth 3-4 hours before putting in a hot jar.
Wash jars in dishwasher.
Ten minutes before canning, sterilize jar covers for 10 minutes and let dry on a dishcloth.
Install your tomato machine and place a container to receive the tomato sauce and another for the skins and seeds.
COOKING:
Place washed jars in oven at 220° F - 250° F (depending on oven) for 40 minutes before canning.
Start cooking your tomato sauce at high heat then let simmer uncovered at medium heat for 30-60 minutes (depending on the quantity of water in the tomatoes). Skim the sauce regularly as the acidic foam starts to form on top.
After 30 minutes, verify the consistency of your sauce at the bottom of your pot for the top will always be more liquid; if it is thicker, lower your heat to the minimum in order to successfully seal your jars. At the moment of canning, both your sauce and jars have to be very hot Elena says.
CANNING:
Take out four jars at a time from the oven. If you have more than 24 jars, work in rotation: Replace the jars taken out with another four from the dishwasher as to always keep them hot. An oven grill can hold 24 jars.
Place 2-3 basil leaves at the bottom of each jar and pour your hot sauce up until the first line of the neck.
Clean the jar’s neck well with a paper-towel before screwing the cap tight. Untight the cap and retight very lightly.
Place jars in a box as soon as they are ready, cover with a blanket and let rest for 24 hours.
After 24 hours, check if they are well sealed and tighten the covers completely. If a jar did not seal, you must redo the cooking and canning steps as soon as possible or put in a fridge and consume in the following days.
NB: The tomato machine can also be used to make ketchup, fruit coulis and apple sauce.
Tomato-Press Maintenance
(Electric, manual or tic-tac)
*With the electric press Elena recommends you get a tic-tac. To maximize of grout.*
Before using your machine, you must wash and completely dry all parts. You must also lubricate all internal pieces with comestible oil. Repeat these steps before and after each usage. Also you can come visit us in store, it will be our pleasure to give you more information. Our address: 6851, rue St-Dominique at Montréal.
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