I did some preserving of tomatoes, just the other day. Fall is in the air and I’ve told you before (you can check the archives of the blog. Just type in August or September ’14, ’15, ’16) how the preserving bug hits most years at just about this time. It may be hereditary for all I know. Nano sure was bitten by the same Fall preserving bug, every one of my growing up years. She loved to do it and she passed that love on to me. Sure it’s work, but it’s so rewarding.  In Nano’s case, she needed to preserve in order to have food for the winter.  As recent as my childhood, which is not actually that recent as it turns out, we had a fruit cellar filled with all sorts of fruit and vegetables that Nano had “put up”.

An important fact I am learning about tomatoes is that they need to be ripe.  I mean, not just reddish.  They need to be red and then some.   If you can find a market or a farm where they are grown, the farmer will give you a lesson on tomatoes and what makes them delicious.  It’s late summer, so we don’t want to be buying tomatoes that taste like winter time tomatoes.  If you leave them to ripen properly they are so sweet you will not soon forget what a ripe tomato tastes like.

I’m going to give you the recipes and despite being a messy job, I enjoy the process. The key to keeping your sanity is to prepare before starting. You will need a large pot. Believe me, kitchen work/cooking is so much more efficient and enjoyable if you use the right sized equipment. I have a Large cutting board and I have a Large stock pot(Large being approx.10 to 12 litres). If you don’t have either, Caynes or the Bay are great sources.

Roll up your sleeves and get your gear in order.

I have had roasted tomatoes a few times in restaurants, on charcuterie platters. They make a beautiful and delicious addition, in a pretty bowl. They are also fantastic on a grilled cheese or deli style sandwich.  You can even put them on pizza.  Oh and I almost forgot, on a platter with burrata.   I decided to make a batch of my own, to keep on hand.
Try them. They are so good!

I also canned ten pints (500 ml) of tomato “sauce”. The quotation marks are added because “sauce” is very subjective. Some like it spicy, some like it thick, some like it thin, some like it sweet. You understand! I made it medium thickness and I’m calling it sauce. The prep for most tomato recipes is the same. These recipes are the same initial prep as for my Salsa Recipe. Taste as you are cooking and decide if you want more salt, or more spice. I think it’s always wise to start with less until you taste, even if your recipe source is reliable.  Another thing to remember is that the spice becomes more intense as the sauce sits and “ripens”.

Click on the highlighted links to find the recipes.