Canning Crushed Tomatoes

20120903-172622.jpg Labor Day was a busy day for me, I canned like a mad woman! Sunday I headed out to Gorman Farm and purchased 50 pounds of their organic "seconds" for $50. Not bad, $1/pound for organic tomatoes! Like the past few years, I opted to can crushed tomatoes opposed to whole or marinara sauce. Crushed tomatoes are quite versatile and come in handy during the winter months.

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After washing the tomatoes, I cored and halved them. Though I don't seed the fruit, I do like to remove the skin, and the easiest way is by broiling them for 5-10 mins. It slips right off. others may prefer a dip in hot water, but I need all the burners and cooktop space I can get. So into the oven they go.

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While the broiling commenced, I prepped my water bath and jars for canning. Since I used 40oz jars, I had to use my water bath canner. I have plans to do a bit of pressure canning in the coming weeks, as the last of the tomatoes ripen.

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After the tomatoes are peeled, they're blitzed in the food processor and bubble away on the stovetop until it's time to process in the canning pot. I processed 5 jars at a time for 50 minutes. Only one didn't seal, so along with the leftover crushed tomatoes, it went into a plastic container into the freezer.

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Not bad - 600 oz of crushed tomatoes in 6 hours. I have to admit, the more I do this, the faster I go. No shortcuts, just more confident and streamlined. This summer was a pretty good growing season, I canned salsa, roasted and froze peppers, and dried herbs and chili peppers. Though the cucumbers were a bust (too wet), the tomatillos were surprise hit.

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Any canning or preserving in your future?