y’all. it’s been crazy town over here.
while in europe, we had a major leak in our tub causing our one & only bathroom to need a complete remodel. think soggy floors & mold in the walls. so, we’ve been camped out at my in-law’s for over a week.
of course, we’ve got tomatoes coming out of our eyeballs. in between tiling floors & picking out new paint, i’ve been spending lots of time in the kitchen.
thankfully for you & for me, i’ve found the easiest way to can tomatoes. this recipe breaks all the canning rules, but it’s perfect for those busy days & it gets the job done.
the easiest way to can your tomato sauce
ingredients:
tomatoes, stems chopped off
salt
dried herbs
lemon juice
1. gather as many tomatoes as can fit in your largest stainless steel pot. scrub your tomatoes & chop off the stems.
2. put your tomatoes in the pot, skin & seeds included (see- we are breaking all the rules, folks!)
3. put the stove on low, place the lid over your pot of tomatoes & allow your tomatoes to simmer for 24 hours. stir occasionally & yes – this requires that you go to sleep with the stove on.
4. wake up in the morning, check the tomatoes, stir a bit & crack the lid on the pot. this will allow moisture to escape.
5. allow the tomatoes to cook until most of the moisture is gone – about five hours – & the tomatoes are a mushy consistency.
6. at this point, prepare your jars & lids.
7. using your immersion blender or food processor, process your tomatoes to your desired consistency. once a tomato sauce-like consistency is reached, add salt & dried herbs to taste.
8. add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to your pint size jars & 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to your quart size jars. the amount of jars you need is based on how many tomatoes you process.
9. fill your jars with tomato sauce & process in the water bath canner.
10. label & store until winter. enjoy with pasta & sautéed veggies.
if in doubt, here are basic instructions for water bath canning.
my friends, i hope you find this recipe helpful! let me know if you try it! it makes canning tomatoes much more manageable during the crazy days of summer!
love,
natalie