Stewed Tomatoes

This is for those who like to keep their home grown tomatoes for later use or who would like to make recipes with low salt.  Some salt is needed as a preservative. The acid of the tomatoes is not enough.

For 8 Quarts.

8 qt. Ripe tomatoes
2 ½ c Onions, diced
2 c. (light) Carrots
2 c. (light) Celery
2 c. (light) Parsley
(total other vegetables is 8 cups)
4 tsp. Salt (½ tsp. per quart)

Remove stems and blossom marks and major scars from tomatoes.  Place each tomato in large pot with wee bit (1/4") of water on the bottom of the pot.  Have stove unit turned 3 on a scale of 10.  Once all tomatoes are in pot, dice onions, put in pot.  Repeat with carrots, celery, and parsley.  Add salt to pot.  Stir. Cover. Simmer 30 minutes.

Sterilize 8 quarts or 16 pints as in Basic Canning.  Make sure to start counting the ½ hour in a boiling water bath only from the point the water is boiling.

This is a base for all kinds of tomato recipes.

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Remember I garden organically.  I like to go into the winter with about 40 quarts of stewed tomatoes for me.
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Derek, you may want to lift this one out and put elsewhere for quick reference.

Basic Canning

If you are not going to use any cooked vegetable, or pickle, or Chili  right away can it in mason jars.  To do so, heat water to cover all jars by ½ inch.  To sterilize jars place them in water and make sure they have 10 minutes at the full rolling boil.  Set out canning funnel and lids and seals.  With tongs lift sterilized jars out of boiling water, drain.  Put seals in pot to boil for 2 - 3 minutes. Remove from water.  Ladle cooked beans or tomatoes or pickles or... from pot into jars, leaving ½ inch head room.  Make sure no part of the jar rim has any food material.  Put seals and lids on jars and tighten well by hand.  Put them in boiling water, cover pot, keep them in boiling water bath for ½ hour.  Remove immediately.  When seals pop and make a little depression they are sealed.

This has been read through by those who cook lots for others, but who do not can (bottle) stuff regularly.  

One of my major things right now is being central contact on a cookbook a group is putting together.  Of course, I have to contribute, so they're all done up.

:)


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I saw that Mason jars are being sold by the outfit that is selling Lodge Ovens on that flip side of the planet.  A specialty item????  These supplies are in great supply in grocery stores over here.

8)

 

Thanks for that.  I have never preserved anything before.

skiproosel wrote on Feb 13^th, 2008 at 7:35pm:

Hi LK,       no I don't do the beans from scratch but I am tempted to try doing them all the way. Mr Heinz's recipe suits me well-the Mrs. isn't wrapped in them though. Gives a new meaning to Dutch Ovens!! ;D ;D Regards Skip

I haven't done up my take on baked beans.  Anything you do yourself has 'your' flavour.  I did this because there were 3 versions of Chili sent into this cookbook and there are a lot of 'low salt' diet people likely to buy.

Baked Kidney Beans

This is for those who like chili or other such recipes, but have a low salt diet.  Yes, I know some say chili should be just meat.

6 -7 c. Dried kidney Beans

1 tsp. Salt
½ c. Molasses
1 Tbl. Plant oil (olive, safflower, sunflower)
½ c. Dry mustard

Place beans in 4 quart pot (which can be put in an oven).  Fill with water, pick out any beans which float.  Soak overnight, about 12 hours.  In morning drain.  Add hot water to cover, Add other ingredients.  Bake in 300'F oven for 6 - 10 hours.  (If you lower the temperature it will take longer.)  Keep beans covered with water.  Make sure beans are soft enough to eat.

These can be used in salads, chili, soups.....  If you are not going to use the beans right away, make sure to save by using Basic Canning recipe

I add something another called Chili Makins (taken in New Brunswick)

http://www.lynnestcalbums.phanfare.com/show/external/565603/796541/37036029/file.jpg

;)

Fowlers Vacola jars are the Aussie equivalent of the Mason Jars. The jars ,lids and sealing rings are readily available in OZ but the same principle as LK describes is used.
In Oz, canning of vegetables especially green beans is no longer recommended by the relevant Dept. of Agriculture's due to our hot climate. There is a high risk of botulism in the product,having said that I know people that have been preserving for years without any problems. Bottling fruit is a different kettle of fish and is perfectly safe if processed correctly-due to the much higher acid content of the fruit.

All the best
The Roosel

Thanks for the heads up on the beans LK they are a fantastic way to fill up on the cheap and very low GI foods-they are very much under rated I reckon.
I'll try this out as we have an extremely large natural food co-op near us and they have many many types of beans/lentils for sale there.
Thanks again LK
Skip

Yes, dried beans will keep better than the green beans.  All low acid items are harder to preserve safely.  I have a very good book on food dangers and cooking times.  Or should I say times, preservatives, etc.  Commercial foods go overboard with the additives to keep stuff from spoiling.  If you know what you're doing you can give those a fair go-by.

Adding ketchup for acid and mustard for..... helps keep baked beans.

I used dehydrated chilies for my stove top chili.  The flavour 'improves' with storage.

Yes, I sort of thought the Mason jars would be a brand thing.  Still, I'm glad to hear that these things are common there.

:-/

I find that beans tyrns me into a timber cutter I do a lot of ringbarking

Good one ;D ;D ;D ;D

Skip