One of my favorite things to grow in my garden is tomatoes. There is nothing quite as wonderful as a sun warmed tomato fresh from the garden. A dash of salt and pepper or a drizzle of oil and balsamic vinegar- I can't think of a bad way to enjoy a tomato-even green ones are great fired and dipped in zesty buttermilk ranch. It's a good thing dinner will soon be ready because I am getting a bit hungry now!
The best tomatoes in our garden we always enjoy on BLT sandwiches for a yummy and fresh dinner or lunch. I love to add sprouts and avocado when I have it and use a nice sourdough bread - no I haven't made any yet this year, but don't worry I will.
I planted a lot of tomatoes in the garden this year but we use them for eating mostly in salads and salads and sandwiches as they ripen. I never seem to have enough ready at the same time to can my own. I bought two boxes of Campbell tomatoes at farmers market this year.
This is how I prepare my tomatoes for canning:
Halve or quarter
Toss in large bowl with-
About a TBSP of good Olive oil
1-3 crushed cloves of garlic
Salt
Pepper
Italian Seasoning-about a teaspoon
I try not to season too much because I'm canning for use later and have found that I would rater the tomatoes be seasoned according to the recipe they are used in than to all taste like Italian style tomatoes so sometimes I omit the Italian seasoning.
After the tomatoes are prepared you can can them right away or cook them however you'd like but I like to roast mine in the oven. I usually roast them at 450 degrees arranged in a single layer face up for about 30-40 minutes. I use a sheet pan but make sure it has a rim so that the juices don't run off and make a mess in your oven. Plus you'll want to add any juice to the jars of tomatoes for extra flavor. when the tomatoes are all roasted fill hot clean jars, add about 2 TSP lemon juice to each jar and process for 85 minutes in a boiling water bath canner. Tomatoes take a while, yes, but are well worth the effort.
This is how I prepare my tomatoes for canning:
Halve or quarter
Toss in large bowl with-
About a TBSP of good Olive oil
1-3 crushed cloves of garlic
Salt
Pepper
Italian Seasoning-about a teaspoon
I try not to season too much because I'm canning for use later and have found that I would rater the tomatoes be seasoned according to the recipe they are used in than to all taste like Italian style tomatoes so sometimes I omit the Italian seasoning.
After the tomatoes are prepared you can can them right away or cook them however you'd like but I like to roast mine in the oven. I usually roast them at 450 degrees arranged in a single layer face up for about 30-40 minutes. I use a sheet pan but make sure it has a rim so that the juices don't run off and make a mess in your oven. Plus you'll want to add any juice to the jars of tomatoes for extra flavor. when the tomatoes are all roasted fill hot clean jars, add about 2 TSP lemon juice to each jar and process for 85 minutes in a boiling water bath canner. Tomatoes take a while, yes, but are well worth the effort.
Another way to preserve tomatoes is to dehydrate them. The result is essentially the same as a sun dried tomato. In the past I have sliced medium size tomatoes marinated them in a vinaigrette and dehydrated them till crisp. They were so delicious my kids ate them like chips and also wonderful crumbled over a green salad or in pasta salad. I stored them in Ziploc bags in the freezer to keep them fresh which I advise if you marinate or use any oil to season. This year I simply quartered some of the ones I had prepared for roasting, dehydrated, and stored in one cup portions in snack sized Ziploc bags in the freezer same as I did my roasted red peppers. In any case my pantry is ready for all the winter soups and pastas I can create!
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