Tomatoes Out the Ears

Did you plant a garden this year?  If you did, and yours is anything like ours, we have a surplus of tomatoes.  Of all the veggies to have an abundance of, tomatoes are a great one - there are so many recipes you can create with tomatoes.  If you're overwhelmed with what to do with them, why not try your hand at canning them for use throughout the year?

I'm a canning geek.  Although I complain every time I can something, I really love the process.  This sounds so hokey, but I really feel like it brings me closer to my roots.  My great-grandmother "put up" beets, tomatoes, pickles, you name it, she canned it.  My mother taught me the love of canning, and every time I do it memories of our time in the kitchen come rushing back.  The taste of homemade grape juice takes back to being 8 years old. 

The process can seem overwhelming, but it truly is quite simple.  It can be time consuming, but if I can do it, anyone can!  And you really will save money.   For example, this week I bought a box of organic tomatoes from a local produce stand.  The box cost $8.00.  From this box I made a huge batch of salsa (I'm talking one of those big Tupperware bowls) and still had enough to can 7 quart jars of whole tomatoes.  A bushel of apples cost around $12.00 and will make several jars of delicious apple sauce, apple butter and you'll probably still have enough to freeze for apple pies!

Now is a great time to preserve all those fruits and veggies that you are sick of cooking.  If you don't have the gumption for canning, freezing takes a fraction of the time.  Most veggies just need blanched before sticking into a freezer bag.  Same with fruits.   

You can find step-by-step preserving instructions at Ball's website.   And don't feel like you have to buy any special equipment.  All you really need are the mason jars, a stock pot and a pair of tongs.  The kits you can buy do make it a bit easier, but if you're not ready to commit (or are just a cheapo like me) you can use what you have on hand. 

 There are many other great reasons to can, as found on Balls' website:

Home canning supports sustainable lifestyles.  Canning locally-grown produce reduces the carbon footprint created by transporting vegetables around the world in off-seasons.  A study by Carnegie Mellon found that 11% of the average American’s household food-related greenhouse gas emissions come from the transportation of foods.  You can reduce that by growing your own produce or purchasing it locally, and then fresh preserving the harvest and re-using Ball® Jars year after year.

Good luck and Happy Canning!!