The Art of Canning
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Harvest fresh from the Garden
One weekend not to long ago I received my first lesson on how to can tomatoes. I have always been interested in the process but I have never had the chance to learn until now. My mother-in-law called me one Saturday and asked me if I would like to learn how to can tomatoes from their garden. I am always up for learning new things, especially if it was save me money down the line. So off I went to learn how to do it.
The process was relatively simple. Here is a quick breakdown.
1. Wash your tomatoes in a cold water bath to wash off dirt. Inspect them for holes, mold and anything else that you would not want to eat.
2. Boil your washed tomatoes for about 2 minutes or until the skin starts to peel.
3. Peel the skin off the tomatoes, cut into medium size pieces and put into a bowl
4. We choose to leave the seeds in our tomatoes so we simply mashed them with a potatoe masher.
5. We made sure to boil our Mason jars and lids prior to starting this process- This is VERY important.
6. We filled each jar, leaving about 1/2 inch unfilled at the top.
7. We submerged each jar in boiling water, using a canning pan, until each jar made a “pop.” You must wait until you hear the “pop” noise to know that the jar is sealed. Do not store jars that do not seal as the contents will spoil.
I had a lot of fun learning how to can tomatoes. I think I may actually do it again in the future. If you are interested in canning, I would picking up a book on how to do so at your local library. The process may look overwhelming but it is actually pretty easy. Happy Canning!
