Canning – Grow. Cook. Eat.

August 24, 2011

Canning Tomatoes – Revisited

This time of year, most farmers' markets and home gardens are bursting with all kinds of tomatoes. Though, I'd like to think I could subsist on tomatoes alone, the reality is I can't possibly eat all the wonderful tomatoes put in front of me. The best way to preserve the summer harvest is to can the tomatoes.

Canning foods safely protects them from rot or off-flavors for 1 to 3 years. Canning used to be how many American families survived through winter before the advent of freezers and cheap (and more boringly flavored) commercial foods. It is still a superb technique to learn and use as part of the repertoire of accomplished cooks. The approach below use tomatoes as an example, but also works well with jellies, jams, and other vegetables packed in an acidic liquid.

The one thing to remember when canning tomatoes (or any other acidic foods) is that you need to boil everything. Boil the jars, boil the tomatoes and boil the tomatoes in the jar. The first two boils are necessary to sterilize the jars and the tomatoes, the third boil is to create a vacuum seal in the jar. This technique also works well for sauces and jams. For more tips on canning, refer to The Joy of Cooking by Rombauer and Becker.

So to be clear, the process goes like this:

Purchase canning jars. We prefer the wide mouth because they are easier to fill. Consider buying a variety of sizes. Even if you are only canning one kind of sauce, the variety will enable you to maximize your tomatoes – if a recipe calls for a small amount of tomato, you open a small jar, instead of opening a large jar that may not be completely used. Also, buy a pair of “canning tongs”. These tongs are specially designed to lift the jars out of the water.

Wash the jars. Put the lids and bands in one pot and the jars in another pot. The pot for the jars should be deep enough that the top of the jars can be covered by at least one inch of water.

Cover the jars completely with water and bring them to a boil. Continue boiling them for 10 minutes.

Cover the lids completely with water and put them on the stove. Bring to a boil, and turn off the heat. Let them sit in the water until you’re ready to use them.

Meanwhile, wash and coarsely chop tomatoes. Put them in a stainless steel (non-aluminum) pot. Bring the tomatoes to a boil, and continue cooking them for at least 10 minutes. Even if you smoked the tomatoes, or make your own ketchup, you still need to boil them.

Remove the jars from the water, draining the water out. Fill each jar with tomatoes, be sure to leave at least a ½-inch air-gap at the top. With a clean towel, wipe the lip of each jar clean.

Drain the water from the lids and cover each jar. Screw on the metal band, but not too tightly.

Return the jars to the boiling water and let boil for 10 minutes. Remove from the water and let stand for 20 minutes. Remove the band and test the seal of the lids – if it comes off easily, then the seal did not work and you must repeat the process. If the lid is tight, then you are all set! Otherwise, remove lid, and wipe rim of jar clean with a sterilized towel. Reseal jar with lid and band, and return to pot of boiling water for 5 minutes more.

October 11, 2010

Green Tomatoes and Jam

Summer is officially over.

With threats of the first frost looming and the race to get the garlic in the ground, I spent the weekend playing in the garden. I gathered all the tomatoes – green, red and everything in between. In between digging up the tomato plants and preparing the soil for garlic, I made green tomato jam.

I scoured the web for recipes: a theme emerged – simmer chopped tomatoes with sugar and vinegar. Some called for additions of apples and/or raisins. Spicing ranged from ginger to cinnamon to a medley of warm spices. I decide to use an old recipe for green mango chutney. I had used it with great success substituting in strawberries and apples, so I figured green tomatoes would work well too!

Did it ever. Wow! I served it last night with swordfish – seasoned with lime and dusted with chick pea flour. The chick pea flour elicited enough of an Indian flare that paired perfectly with the chutney. I preserved the remainder into ½ pint jars.

Green Tomato Jam

6 cups chopped green tomatoes
2 cups sugar, brown
1 small onion, diced
2 cups vinegar – cider
1 in. piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 – 2 jalapenos, chopped
1 tsp. cinnamon

Put sugar and vinegar in sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add tomatoes and remaining ingredients. Simmer over low heat until chutney is reduced and thick, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.

Here are canning instructions… reposted from here.

Preserving Tomatoes in Jars
The one thing to remember when canning tomatoes is that you need to boil everything. Boil the jars, boil the tomatoes, boil the tomatoes in the jar. The first two boil are necessary to sterilize the jars and the tomatoes, the third boil is to create a vacuum seal in the jar.

So to be clear, the process goes like this:

1. Purchase canning jars. I prefer the wide mouth because they are easier to fill. Consider buying a variety of sizes. Even if you are only canning one kind of sauce, the variety will enable you to maximize your tomatoes – if a recipe calls for a small amount of tomato; you open a small jar, instead of opening a large jar that may not be completely used. Also, buy a pair of “canning tongs”. These tongs are specially designed to lift the jars out of the water.

2. Wash the jars. Put the lids in one pot and the jars in another pot. The pot for the jars should be deep enough that the jars can be covered by at least on inch of water.

3. Cover the lids completely with water and put them on the stove. Bring to a boil, and turn off the heat. Let them sit in the water until you’re ready to use them.

4. Cover the jars completely with water and bring them to a boil. Continue boiling them for 10 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, bring the tomatoes to a boil, and continue cooking them for at least 10 minutes. Even if you smoked the tomatoes, you still need to boil them.

6. Remove the jars from the water, draining the water out. Fill each jar with tomatoes, leaving about ½ inch at the top. With a clean towel, wipe the lip of each jar clean.

7. Drain the water from the lids and cover each jar. Seal with the metal band.

8. Return the jars to the boiling water and let boil for 10 minutes. Remove from the water and let stand for 20 minutes. Remove the band and test the lids – if it comes off easily, then the seal did not work and you must repeat the process. If the lid is tight, then you are all set!

February 9, 2009

Craving Summer, Part 2 – Black Bean-Quinoa Salad

Another 6 inches of snow fell in Cambridge this week, and the warmth of Vietnam seems so far away. Since, I know we have another few months of winter, I try to conjure up memories of steamy summer nights… sitting on the back porch eating a light summer meal – a cold salad, maybe, with grilled meat or fish… the scent of honeysuckle wafts through the air; a few beads of sweat trickle down my back. And the warm breezes that bring relief… aaahhh summer…

This is when I begin to break into my stash of tomatoes that I canned last summer. And the basil I froze in ice cube trays

What I didn’t tell you this summer, when I was knee deep in tomatoes and jars, is that I really don’t like canning. It’s a long process. The largest pot I own only holds 8 pint jars… and with this pot on the stove, I only have enough room for a second pot of simmering tomatoes. It takes many, many batches and a solid day or two to process enough tomatoes and peachy mama peppers to get me through the winter. But now that it’s the dark days of winter, I’m so grateful for my stash!! And indeed my appreciation stays with me through the summer canning process.

Simple pasta tossed with a can of tomatoes and a basil “ice cube” offers the quintessential taste of summer. Still simple, but with a more complex ingredient list, I toss quinoa and black beans with the tomatoes and basil and serve it with grilled chicken sausage. Can you feel the warmth?

Black Bean Quinoa Salad
1 cup dried quinoa
1 cup cooked black beans
1 pint jar of summer canned tomatoes
1-2 ice cubes of basil
2 scallions, cut into rings
1/2 lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste

1. Rinse quinoa under cold running water.

2. Put quinoa in a pot with 3 cups of water. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cover pot. Cook quinoa for 10 minutes, or until grains pop open and have a little tail. Drain any excess liquid.

3. Toss quinoa with remaining ingredients. Serve with chicken sausage.

I’m submitting this recipe to Andrea’s Grow Your Own, a blogging event that celebrates the dishes we create from foods we’ve grown, raised, foraged, or hunted ourselves.