'Tis the Season for Canning - Spaghetti Sauce

My Grandmother is here visiting so it is fitting that I use several of her recipes this week. She taught me all about canning and this is one of the recipes that I made lots and lots of last summer. Alter the recipe to add more or less meat depending on your preference. Leave the meat out altogether to make pizza sauce. Leave the meat, onion and green pepper out to make marinara sauce. Or simply make this recipe without canning it to use for spaghetti tonight.

Spaghetti Sauce

1/2 pound hamburger meat
1/2 chopped onion
1 tablespoon green pepper
1/2 can tomato paste
1/2 can water (tomato paste can)
1/2 can tomato sauce or puree
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Worcestershire sauce, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
Red pepper, to taste
Oregano, to taste
Bay leaves, 2

Brown meat, onion and green pepper in a frying pan. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer for a few hours. Pull out bay leaves.

Ladle hot sauce into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace.

Process filled jars in a boiling water canner 35 minutes for pints and 40 minutes for quarts. (Add 1 additional minute of water bath time for every 1000 feet above sea level.) Remove jars and cool.

'Tis the Season for Canning - Crushed Tomatoes

No more buying cans of crushed tomatoes! They will always be right there on the shelf waiting for you to use them. Canning is such a marvelous thing!

Crushed Tomatoes

2-3/4 pound tomatoes per quart jar
Lemon juice
Salt, optional

Wash tomatoes. Dip in boiling water 30 - 60 seconds. Immediately dip in cold water. Slip off skins. Trip away any green areas and cut out core. Cut into quarters to measure about 2 cups.

Transfer to a large stainless steel saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Using a potato masher, crush tomatoes to release juices. While maintaining a gentle boil and stirring to prevent scorching, quarter additional tomatoes and add to the saucepan as you work. The remaining tomatoes do not need to be crushed, as they will soften with heating and stirring. Continue until all tomatoes are added, then boil gently for 5 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice to each hot quart jar. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice to each hot pint jar.

Pack hot tomatoes into hot jars to within a generous 1/2 inch of top of jar. Press tomatoes into the jar until the spaces between them fill with juice, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Add 1 teaspoon salt to each quart jar, 1/2 teaspoon to each pint jar, if desired. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot tomatoes.

Process filled jars in a boiling water canner for 35 minutes for pints and 45 minutes for quarts. (Add 1 additional minute to hot water bath for every 1000 feet above sea level.) Remove jars and cool.

Recipe from FreshPreserving.com

'Tis the Season for Canning - Tomatoes {Packed in Own Juice}

Tomatoes Packed in Own Juice

2-1/2 to 3-1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes (about 8 to 11 medium) per quart
Water
Lemon juice
Salt, optional

Wash tomatoes. Dip in boiling water 30 - 6o seconds. Immediately dip in cold water. Slip off skins. Trim away any green areas and cut out core. Leave tomatoes whole or cut into halves or quarters.

Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice to each hot quart jar. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice to each hot pint jar.

Pack tomatoes in hot jars until space between tomatoes fills with juice leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Add 1 teaspoon salt to each quart jar, 1/2 teaspoon to each pint jar, if desired. Remove air bubbles.

Process filled jars in a boiling water canner 1 hour and 25 minutes for pints and quarts. (Add 1 additional minute of water bath for every 1000 feet above sea level.) Remove jars and cool.

Recipe from FreshPreserving.com / Picture from The-Dogs-Breakfast.com

'Tis the Season for Canning - Herbed Tomato Juice

Make your own V-8 juice? Of course! This recipe for canned Herbed Tomato Juice can also be used as a base for soups and stews later on this winter.

Herbed Tomato Juice

12-1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes (about 38 medium)
Lemon juice
Fresh dill, parsley or basil

Wash tomatoes and drain. Remove core and blossom ends. Cut tomatoes into quarters. Simmer tomatoes in a large stainless steel saucepan until soft, stirring to prevent sticking. Juice tomatoes in a food processor food mill. Strain juice to remove peels and seeds.

Heat juice 5 minutes. Do not boil.

Add 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice to each hot quart jar, or 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice to each hot pint jar. Ladle hot juice into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Add a sprig of fresh herbs to each quart jar, 1/2 sprig to each pint jar.

Process filled jars in a boiling water canner 35 minutes for pints and 40 minutes for quarts. (Add 1 additional minute of water bath time for every 1000 feet above sea level.)  Remove jars and cool.

*Makes about 3 (32 ounce) quarts or 6 (16 ounces) pints

Recipe from FreshPreserving.com

'Tis the Season for Canning - Removing the Skin

Removing the skin off tomatoes can seem like an insurmountable task. In reality, it is so easy! This same technique can also be used for peaches.


Wash the tomato and dip in boiling water for 30 - 60 seconds or until the skins begin to split. Then dip in cold water, slip off the skin, core and remove any blemished or discolored parts.


And it's just that easy. Boil, dip in cold water, slip off skin.