Dad’s Favourite Canned Tomatoes

Here is a time tasted recipe made every year from the chemical free tomatoes grown in our home garden. All ingredients used in making up this simple recipe are fresh organic and the taste is superb. Because these canned tomatoes are so easy and taste great they are made every year

Canned Tomatoes

Ingredients make up about 7 pint jars

1. 14 cups chopped Tomatoes
2. 1 – 2 stalks sliced celery per jar
3. One garlic clove per jar
4. 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice per jar
5. If desired, 1/2 teaspoon salt may be added to each pint jar

Other spices can be added when used

Directions

• Slice  celery and peel one clove of fresh garlic per jar – parboil for a few minutes
• Quarter tomatoes cutting off stem end (if very large tomatoes cut into smaller pieces)

Into each jar place :

• Celery – clove garlic & one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
• Add raw tomatoes – pack firmly
• Cover tomatoes with boiling water, add lids & screw tops and place in canning jar.  I preserve at 10 lbs pressure for 25 minutes and, after turning off the heat source, let canner pressure decrease on its own.  Follow directions for your canner.

• There are many variations on this theme of preserving – one batch was made seasoned with a sliced clove of garlic and diced pepper, sliced onion (all parboiled first) and half a bay leaf.  Choose your favourites!
• Discard all diseased fruit (in the garbage not compost) and overripe fruit is best eaten fresh not preserved
• Most recipes call for peeling the tomatoes before processing – I do not do this when using fresh homegrown produce as the skin is not tough. Wash before processing
• The canned tomatoes can be used in a multitude of dishes from sauces to soups although my family prefer them, as a side dish,  straight out of the jar with a little pepper and Tabasco sauce
• 2015 Summer Update: The past two days 30 pounds of freshly picked home-grown tomatoes have been canned into sauce. Prepare as above; first chop tomatoes – each two cups equals a pint jar, add chopped fresh oregano and basil, garlic, one tablespoon of lemon juice but water does not need to be added. Bring to boil and simmer 10 minutes – use hand blender to puree, if desired, and pour into clean jars. Half the jars were preserved as a chunky sauce (not pureed), just right for winter soups and stews. Process as per your canner instructions (e.g 10 lbs pressure for 15 minutes)
• Nutrition data: Tomatoes are a good source of Vitamins E, B6, A, C and K and contain antioxidants, including lycopene, which is beneficial in protecting against certain cancers

Caution

• The last few years there have been concerns of BPA (Bisphenol-A) leaching from tin linings into the acidic tomatoes.  It is recommended to buy tomatoes in glass jars or as per this recipe preserve (and grow) your own.  This applies to all high acid foods in cans.  It does not take much to go over the FDA limit of 50 mcg of BPA per day.  Be especially cautious with infants and young children. Use BPA free lids in all your home canning.