Growing Tomatoes


HOW TO GROW TOMATOES STEP BY STEP

TOMATO RECIPES TO PRESERVE THE GOODNESS OF AN ABUNDANT HARVEST

Big Batch Spaghetti Sauce

1/4 Cup olive oil
3 medium onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 28 oz. Cans whole tomatoes
2 28 oz. Cans crushed tomatoes
3 12 oz. cans tomato paste

3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried black pepper


Heat oil in large pan. Saute onions and garlic until tender. Add rest of ingredients. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, partially covered, for 2 hours. Stir occasionally. After it has simmered, cool completely and store in freezer bags or containers in increments that you find best for your family. When ready to use, thaw and heat. Favorite ingredients can be added like sliced mushrooms, cooked/drained sausage, hamburger, etc. This sauce is great for any Italian dish. We use it as a sauce for several types of pasta and as a pizza sauce.

Fresh tomatoes may be substituted for large cans. You will still need to include the tomato paste. Peel, core, and chop enough tomatoes to make approximately 12 cups. The rest of the recipe remains the same.

TOMATO CONSERVE

18 cups tomatoes, cut in chunks
3 teaspoons ginger
6 cups sugar
3 lemons (thinly sliced)

Cook tomatoes 45 minutes. Add sugar, lemon, and ginger. Cook until thick and smooth. Pour into sterilized jars to within 1/2 inch of top. Put on cap, screw band firmly tight. Process in Boiling Water Bath 10 minutes. Yield: 8 eight oz. jars.

TOMATO MARMALADE

3 quarts tomatoes (12 cups, after cutting)
2 oranges
2 lemons
10 cups sugar
2 tablespoons whole cloves
6 tablespoons broken cinnamon stick

REMOVE peel from tomatoes and cut in small pieces. Slice oranges and lemons very thin and quarter the slices. Pour off juice from the tomatoes. Add sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add oranges, lemons, and spices which have been ties loosely in cheesecloth bag. Place mixture over high heat and boil rapidly, stirring often. Cook until clear and thick (about 50 minutes). Pour into sterilized jars to within 1/2 inch of top. Put on cap, screw band firmly tight. Process in Boiling Water Bath 10 minutes. Yield: 8 eight oz. jars.

GREEN TOMATO SWEET PICKLES

1 gallon green tomatoes (16 cups sliced)
1/4 cup salt
1/2 tablespoon powdered alum
3 cups vinegar (5% acidity)
1 cup water
4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon mixed spices
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon mustard seed

SLICE tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and allow to stand overnight. Next morning drain and pour 2 quarts of boiling water with 1/2 tablespoon of powdered alum over the tomatoes and let stand 20 minutes. Drain and cover with cold water, drain. Combine vinegar, water, sugar and spices (tie spices loosely in bag) and bring to a boil. Pour this over the tomatoes. Let stand in this solution overnight. Then drain and bring solution to boil and pour over tomatoes. Let stand overnight. On the third morning bring the pickles and solution to a boil. Pack into sterilized jars to within 1/2 inch of top. Put on cap, screw band firmly tight. Process in boiling water bath 10 minutes. Yield: 8 pints.

GREEN TOMATO DILL PICKLES - KOSHER STYLE

Green tomatoes
Stalk celery
Sweet green peppers
Garlic
2 quarts water
1 quart vinegar
1 cup salt
Dill

USE small, firm green tomatoes. Pack into sterilized jars. Add to each quart jar a bud of garlic, 1 stalk of celery and 1 green pepper cut in fourths. Make a brine of the water, vinegar and salt. Boil with the dill for 5 minutes. Pour the hot brine over the pickles to within 1/2 inch of top of the jar. Put on cap, screw band firmly tight. Process in Boiling Water Bath 15 minutes. These will be ready for use in 4-6 weeks. This amount of liquid fills 6 quarts.

TOMATO CATSUP

1 peck (12 1/2 pounds) ripe tomatoes
2 medium onions
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons broken stick cinnamon
1 tablespoon whole cloves
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons salt

WASH and slice tomatoes and boil until soft. Into another kettle slice the onions. Cover with a small quantity of water and cook until tender. Run the cooked onions and tomatoes through a sieve. Mix the onion and tomato pulp. Add the cayenne pepper. Boil this mixture rapidly until it has been reduced to about 1/2 original volume.

Place vinegar in an enamel pan; add a spice bag containing the cinnamon, cloves and garlic. Allow this to simmer for about 30 minutes, then bring to boil. Place cover on pan and remove from heat. Allow this to stand in covered pan until ready to use.

When tomato mixture has cooked down to 1/2 original volume, add mixture, of which there should be 1 and 1/4 cups. Add the paprika, sugar and salt and boil rapidly until thick. This should require about 10 minutes. Pour while boiling into sterilized jars to within 1/2 inch of top. Put on cap, screw band firmly tight. Process in Boiling Water Bath 5 minutes. Yield: 6 pints.

TOMATO PUREE

1 onion
3 stalks celery
3 sweet peppers
12 cups tomatoes (quartered)

SIMMER all ingredients until soft. Press through sieve, season with salt and pepper. Fill jars to within 1/2 inch of top. Put on cap, screw band firmly tight. Yield: 4 pints. Process in Boiling Water Bath 45 minutes.

TOMATO SAUCE

18 Tomatoes
2 green peppers
2 medium onions
3 tablespoons artificial sweetener, or to taste
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
2 cups vinegar

PEEL, core, and chop tomatoes. Chop peppers and onions fine. Combine all ingredients. Boil slowly 4 hours or until thick. Fill boiling hot to within 1/2 inch of top of jar. Process 10 minutes in Boiling Water Bath.

CAROLYN PARSONS' HOMEMADE LASAGNA

2/3 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon butter
2 onions or 1 large onion
1 pound (approximately) of tomatoes -- slice & crush
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 beef bouillon cube
a dash of garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
10-12 uncooked lasagna noodles
SAUCE
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
2 cups of milk
1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste

PREPARATION:

1. Saute' ground beef in a skillet in butter until it loses its pink color. Transfer to a pot.

2. Peel and chop onions. Saute' until transparent. Add to meat. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, bouillon cube, minced garlic and seasonings. Cook over medium low heat, covered, for about 20 minutes.

3. For sauce, melt butter in a sauce-pan. Add flour. Stir to combine. Add milk, stirring. Cook for 3 minutes until thickened. Add most of the cheese. Let melt. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

4. Pour half the sauce in bottom of an oven-proof casserole. Cover with lasagna noodles. Layer with meat sauce and lasagna noodles. Pour remaining sauce over top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 400 degrees F. for about 20 minutes.

TIP: Substitute ground chicken for half of ground meat to make the lasagna leaner.

MARINARA SAUCE

A light, fresh-tasting sauce with quintessential tomato flavor. Worth stocking up on when tomatoes are dead-ripe and abundant.

(Makes 3 pints)

6 pounds ripe Italian-type tomatoes
1 cup very finely minced onion
1/2 cup very finely minced celery
1 cup very finely minced carrots
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar

Ground white pepper to taste.
Optional seasoning (any one of the following): 2 teaspoons ground coriander; 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried marjoram; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 to 2 teaspoons salt, to taste

1. Drop the tomatoes into boiling water, a few at a time. Let the water return to a boil, then remove the tomatoes and drain. Peel and chop.

2. In a large saucepan, cook the onion, celery, and carrots in the olive oil, covered, over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring a few times. Uncover and stir, over the heat, for 5 to 10 minutes longer, or until the vegetables are very soft and lightly gold.

3. Add the tomatoes, sugar, and pepper and simmer gently, covered, for 15 minutes.

4. Puree the sauce through the medium disc of food mill. Add the optional seasoning and cook at a bare simmer until a desirable consistency is reached, about 20 minutes, stirring often. Add salt to taste.

5. If you prefer a smooth sauce, work the sauce through the fine disc of a food mill.

6. Cool the sauce and refrigerate it. It will keep, refrigerated, for about a week, or for several months if frozen.

TOMATO COCKTAIL (Bloody Mary Base)

Served straight and iced, or spiked with vodka to make a Bloody Mary, this spicy brew has the freshness of good vegetables and none of the strong flavoring additives found in many canned or bottled cocktail bases.

(Makes about 1 quart of juice from each 2 quarts of whole tomatoes)

Fully ripped Italian-type plum or pear tomatoes, without spoiled spots or bruises

For each 2 quarts of whole tomatoes:

1/2 medium red or green sweet pepper, chopped
1/2 small onion, peeled and chopped
1/2 clove garlic, peeled and sliced
1/2 to 1 rib celery (depending on size), with leaves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 small dried hot red pepper (about 1 1/2 inches long) or a 1/2-inch slice fresh hot pepper (use more if you like "hotter" juice, or add bottled hot pepper sauce to the finished juice, as described in the directions)
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds or 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 bay leaf
2 or 3 small sprigs parsley
3 or 4 fresh basil leaves or 1/4 teaspoon crumbled dried basil
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 or 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Strained fresh lemon or lime juice to taste (see note below)

1. Wash the tomatoes well. Cut away any green or yellow parts and remove white or green cores. Quarter the tomatoes and measure them into a stainless-steel or enameled kettle; each 2 quarts of whole tomatoes should yield about 5 cups, cut up.

2. Add to the tomatoes the sweet pepper, onion, garlic, celery, peppercorns, hot pepper (if used), coriander, bay leaf, parsley, basil, and mustard seeds. Bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft.

3. Force the vegetables through the finest disc of a food mill. Sieve the juice if it isn't smooth enough, or if any seeds have passed into it. If the juice seems too thin, let it settle, then skim off and discard the thin liquid on top.

4. Taste the juice for seasoning and add sugar, salt, pepper sauce (if you are including it), and strained lemon or lime juice to taste.

5. Return the juice to the rinsed-out kettle and bring it to a boil, then ladle it into clean, hot canning bars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Wipe the rims, put on two-piece lids, and fasten the screw bands.

6. Set the jars on a rack in a deep kettle half filled with boiling water. Add boiling water to cover the jars by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil, cover, and boil hard (process) for 15 minutes for quarts, 10 minutes for pints.

7. Remove the jars from the boiling-water bath and cool.

Note: Because you want highly seasoned cocktail juice, you'll undoubtedly add enough lemon or lime juice to ensure that the juice is acid enough to be canned safely in a boiling-water bath.

A Note On Canning Safety: Tomatoes, because of their acid content, have in past years been considered safe to can in a boiling-water bath. However, in recent years hybridizers have developed "sub-acid" varieties that may be on the borderline of acid content where the safe canning of tomatoes or their juice is concerned. to be on the safe side, taste the juice before canning it. If it lacks tartness, be sure to add enough lemon juice to re-create the characteristic pleasant tomato sharpness.

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