Canning Tomatoes

Anybody out there can their own tomatoes?

I'm looking to wean the family off store-bought tomato sauce, stewed and diced tomatoes, and (possibly) Spaghetti sauce, while trying not to kill them with botchulisim.

If you have any good recipes/ideas let me know.

Also does anyone know of any good pick your own farms for fruits and veggies? I'm looking for strawberries, pickles, beets, cabbage, and tomatoes in quantities enough for canning.

Thanks!!

I haven't in 4 years, but I do can.

There is this prepackaged pizza sauce mix that is really good - it's usually next to the canning supplies. I have to hit the store tomorrow; I'll see if I can get you a brand name.

Pick your owns - I know of plenty in Iowa - but that's not particularly helpful, is it?

Local_Historian wrote: I haven't in 4 years, but I do can.

There is this prepackaged pizza sauce mix that is really good - it's usually next to the canning supplies. I have to hit the store tomorrow; I'll see if I can get you a brand name.

Pick your owns - I know of plenty in Iowa - but that's not particularly helpful, is it?

You from Iowa? I'm actually a Dubuque boy. I certainly miss the quality and availability of Iowa produce here.

I did a short term run in Iowa - we went for graduate school, fond that 5 years later they wanted us to take a $24K pay cut to move back to Colorado, so we ended up staying until oldest graduated from HS and started college. So 95 to 07, all told.

Ames, Davenport, Des Moines - and I do miss being able to hit a roadside stand and pick up bushels of peaches and cream corn, and tomatoes, going up to Nevada to pick strawberries. One of my goals this summer is to find this type of thing, even if I have to drive south or onto the plains to do so.

Local_Historian wrote: I did a short term run in Iowa - we went for graduate school, fond that 5 years later they wanted us to take a $24K pay cut to move back to Colorado, so we ended up staying until oldest graduated from HS and started college. So 95 to 07, all told.

Ames, Davenport, Des Moines - and I do miss being able to hit a roadside stand and pick up bushels of peaches and cream corn, and tomatoes, going up to Nevada to pick strawberries. One of my goals this summer is to find this type of thing, even if I have to drive south or onto the plains to do so.

I did a couple of years in Ames and ended up switching sides and graduating from Iowa. But don't you miss the humidity?

check out this site: http://www.pickyourown.com Looks like they have links to some potentially decent produce.

Miss the humidity. Why sure! And I miss hitting myself in the head with a hammer too.

I heard something the other day I'd never thought to do- take the tomatoes, destem, wash and pop them in zippie freezer bags. When you take them out, the skins slip right off just like if you blanched them, and they're the same consistency as canned. Though I bet they have a shorter "shelf life".

I'm gonna give it a try, just to test it out.

What do you do to them after you put them in the bags? Freeze or boil?

Science Chic wrote:

ExtremeModerate wrote: Anybody out there can their own tomatoes?

I'm looking to wean the family off store-bought tomato sauce, stewed and diced tomatoes, and (possibly) Spaghetti sauce, while trying not to kill them with botchulisim.

If you have any good recipes/ideas let me know.

Also does anyone know of any good pick your own farms for fruits and veggies? I'm looking for strawberries, pickles, beets, cabbage, and tomatoes in quantities enough for canning.

Thanks!!

Let you know... so I can do all the work canning them. Ha! See how you are!

Hey, I'll help. You could burn water!