We have a small garden, not very impressive for farmers. None the less, we have a few tomatoes. I love home canned stewed tomatoes and they are easy to make. I decided to can these few, just to show you how easy it is and that you don't need a ton to do this.
I had about 14 tomatoes. Wash them off and put in large bowl.
Boil water. You're gonna need as much water to do your tomatoes as an old fashioned mid-wife did to birth that baby.
Pour boiling water over the tomatoes. It will make peeling them a cinch. The skin will slide right off.
Chop onion
and green pepper.
Quarter your peeled tomatoes and put in a pot.
Throw in the onion and green pepper and about 1/2 - 1 C water. Boil until tomatoes are cooked.
Meanwhile wash jars. Place jars along with the lids in a dish or pan and cover with boiling water.
This is what your cooked tomatoes should look like.
Dump the water from the jar - only the jar you will be filling. Leave the rest in the hot water. Quickly add the hot tomatoes to the jar. Fill to the top. Add 1 t. salt. Wipe the edge of the jar - very carefully. You don't want any salt or tomato on that rim.
Screw the cap on the jar tightly. Leave the jars to sit - don't mess with them and don't touch the top of the lid. Within a few minutes you'll hear the "thunk" of the jar sealing. After the jars are totally cool, pay attention and run your finger over the top of the jars. If it is indented, then it is sealed. If it isn't or it "thunks" down when you press the lid, store that one in the fridge and use soon. I would not consider that one sealed.
From those 14 tomatoes, 2 green peppers, and 2 small onions I canned 5 pints of stewed tomatoes and probably had about a quart left to use for supper. And it only took about an hour from start to finish.
I think it is more fun when you have bushels of produce and your sisters, moms, daughters-in-law, aunts, uncles or cousins all in the kitchen with you helping. There is pleasure in accomplishing a task together.
