Last fall when the tomatoes were coming in like it was their job, we didn’t have time to sauce them, so we put them all in the freezer. Purists will no doubt shudder to their very marrows at the thought, but hey, we do what we can.
The problem is that it is another example of kicking the can down the road, and eventually Peter insists on getting paid as well as Paul.
That is, we needed the freezer space to fit the chickens and pigs. Even though we quickly distributed all the chickens and one of the pigs to customers, there was a space there where we needed both freezers just hold it all.
So we sauced the tomatoes.
Got the squeezo set up,
Always a fun project for the kids to help with. They love turning the crank, but you have to be careful about letting them use the plunger. We have had to clean off the ceiling before.
Reviewing the recipe from the trusty ball bluebook
Yes, the process is as noisy as it looks.
14 quarts of raw purée, seedless. Once that was in the roaster, warming up, we went to the store to buy onions and garlic and fresh basil, and also the stuff to re-fix the sink.
And that’s how we left it on Tuesday evening when daddy went to work. Mommy tapped in on Wednesday, morning for the actual canning portion.
One jar was a casualty, and one didn’t seal, but otherwise it was quite an impressive haul.
22 x 1/2 pints (perfect for one pizza) and 5 x 1/2 L.
Label them all with a 24, so we know what vintage they are, and there you have it. Pizza and pasta sauce for a year.
Little Farm in the Big City 