This summer the garden has done an outstanding job blessing us with a lot of produce. I have been busy every day preserving what is ready, and the canner has been going daily. Are you having a tough time keeping up with your garden like I am.
I planted too many tomato plants this year, and I will certainly do less next year. I have been picking approximately this many every three days. I've made pizza sauce, tomato soup, spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, BBQ sauce, and still have a counter full to process.
BBQ Sauce
Adding garlic powder, spices, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and more to the tomato base to make BBQ sauce. I made it last year and was so happy with it that I will make it every year from now on. It is so easy and tastes like Kansas City styled sauce. It is wonderful not having to buy it anymore, plus being #homemade, I don't get an upset stomach.
Spaghetti Sauce
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Roasting tomatoes for the spaghetti-basil sauce for pasta dishes.
Once roasted and the tomatoes have cooled the skins slip right off.
Then they get pureed in the blender and returned to the stove to cook down to my desired thickness for the sauce. I add fresh basil, sauteed onions, and Italian seasonings to the sauce as it cooks.
I put the sauce into pint and quart sized jars for the pantry shelf.
Diced Tomatoes
Boiling the cored tomatoes to remove the skins, then I dice them and fill up quart jars. These will be used to make chili, goulash, and stews over the winter months. It is wonderful having all types of organic tomato products on the #pantry shelves.
Pizza Sauce
First, I sauté onions, garlic, and diced peppers before adding roasted tomatoes to the pot. I do add an Italian seasoning mix to the sauce and cook this down until it is very thick, then I put it into pint-sized jars. This is the perfect size to use for pizzas for the two of us. I didn't take photos of them done but it is basically the same as making spaghetti sauce.
Cherry Tomatoes
Next year, one plant will suffice! I planted three different varieties this year and oh my goodness, one would have been plenty.
We've ate them daily all summer long, and here I have cut them in half, an placed them on a tray to freeze them.
They are frozen overnight and the following morning I vacuum seal them.
It will be nice having these in the freezer to use in different recipes. With all the tomatoes that are still on the vine, I'm going to have to find different recipes to can. Any suggestions would be welcomed greatly.
@sunscape Hello, I love the recipe recital you give us, I've always wanted to learn how to make sauces.
Tomatoes are so easy to process, you should try it someday.
@sunscape Thanks friend, yes, I'll try it.
We also make tomato sauce and pizza sauce, but never roast the tomatoes, I need to try it out. Your goodies look fantastic!
I like roasting them in the oven, I just cut them in half and bake at 450°F until the skins blister. It makes it easier for me than boiling them to release the skin.
Wow, what a harvest! I'm taking some tips from all that planning, great way to avoid food going to waste!
Thanks, I still have a lot of tomatoes on the vine yet, yikes!
I can't believe it's sauce and Passata making time for you already! It seems you were only defrosting the garden last week!
Right? This summer seems to have flown by, and the gardens are winding down with the cooler nights. The tomatoes are still going strong though, I'm not done processing by far.
Your tomatoes look really nice and fresh. I like how you spend your time preserving them. This is a great way to enjoy your harvest for many days.
Absolutely, I will have so many jars of tomatoes to use until next season finishes. Crazy the number of tomatoes I get every summer. Thanks for the visit.
Goodness, what a lot of tomatoes! Mine are still coming in and I've yet to figure out what to do with them. I have enough of spaghetti sauce, ketchup, and tomato soup which are really the only things I use. I should ask Tom what he uses and make stuff for his family. That's what i will do.
That sounds like a nice idea, and I'm sure Tom will love it.
😋
What variety of tomatoes are those nifty striped ones? And what kind of vacuum sealing device do you use?