Canning

Fall is in the air and Which means it is time to 

Harvest

Not only in the fields but in my garden and that means canning!

So I pulled out the old rusty canner my mom gave to me and all my little canning tools.

Washed Jars and made sure the kitchen was clean (needed lots of space for the job ahead)

I set everything up and got ready to work

Tomatoes and jars, boiling water, sink of cold water, salt and time!!

I am making stewed tomatoes, I use them a lot in sauces and soups so this is the most convenient way for me to store my tomatoes.

After you have everything you need, you need to start by blanching the tomatoes

(to scald briefly and then drain, as peaches or almonds to facilitate removal of skins)

So bring a pot of water to boil and then put in your tomatoes for about 4-5 minutes to get ready to remove the skin.

Once the skin starts to crack or peel you are ready to put them in cold water for easier handling

This is when the real work starts. You need to core and peel the tomatoes. The blanching has done the hard part. 

Start by coring.

then the peels will just slide off. Once this is done cut them in quarters and put them into a jar.

Your jars should each have about a 1/2 tsp of salt in them to help preserve.

Once you have filled all of your jars or used all the tomatoes it is time to seal the jars.

First clean the lip of the jar from all of the salt and tomato juice. Screw on the lids and set aside for sealing.

Fill your canner with jars and fill until the tops are covered with water.

Bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes. 

Once this is done just take them out to cool and repeat until all your jars are done. 

Now I am ready to put them into the store room ( oh wait, no shelves yet ) and on to the next job!

Peaches

Peaches are almost like tomatoes when it comes to canning. 

First you blanch

Then you cool 

But when you peel them you need to pinch the skin at the stem and just peel it back.

Once you have it peeled, cut it in half. 

Some people like to can them in halves but I like slices. It is just easier to use. 

fill your jars and add some fruit fresh (1 Tsp)

I don't add sugar to my peaches but again some people like them in syrup so you can add sugar or not.

 Here is a link for a peach recipe with syrup.

Again clean your jar lip and screw on the lids. 

Add to your canner and fill just over the lid and bring to a boil, boiling for 20 minutes this time. 

remove and let cool.

As they seal you will hear them POP. I just love that sound. It reminds me of grandmas house in the fall. 

And if you are really lucky you will have some help with all this because it can be a little daunting and therefore easy to avoid. 

Caitlyn wasn't much help but she was good company which also keeps the work light!

And Voila 

Peaches for people

As soon as my peppers and Roma tomatoes ripen, (come on sun stay out for more than a day) I am going to can some of my yummy salsa. I hope to get enough to last this year. Last year we ran out a Christmas time. We do love salsa at our house. 

I also hope to can some pickles this year. I just have to track down some pickling cucumbers. The weather seem to have made them a rare thing this year. Even the Hutterites are looking. 

So stay tuned, I may have more recipes for you soon.