Skip to main content

More Tomatoes ~ Oh my!

Ketchup requires 10 pounds of tomatoes - 3 batches made.  More to make later I hope.


I've been successful at getting the tomatoes cut and cooked down before the sun rises, but not through the sauce maker.  Early is best when canning with sauce anything.  This was a double batch of tomato paste (20 pounds).  That is one of my smaller sauce pans - 8 inches tall, and 10 inches in diameter.  That is what it looks like before it becomes.....



 .....12 - 4 oz. jars of paste.



I'm happy to try a new recipe this year, which only required 10 pounds  - Lemony-Basil Tomato Soup.  One batch makes 5 pints.  I canned 10 pints.   Actually 9, as only 9 will fit in my canner, so the 10th pint was the taste test.  We love it!  I want to make another double batch, but leave the basil out, and freeze the 10th pint.  Snipping 2 cups of basil was time consuming (for a double batch), and we leave a plant in the house to snip fresh.


I'm not out of ideas for the next picking of tomatoes either.  I want to double up on some items I only made once, and then maybe another new soup recipe, tomato jam recipes, and/or marinara, spaghetti.....you just can't have enough tomatoes.
 

I need to start labeling stuff or I won't be able to tell pizza sauce from soup, and taco sauce from ketchup.


I got to the Farmer's Market for enough peaches for jam, but froze them.  When the garden is pulled completely, and the house is cooler, I'll can the jam.
 

I actually got 5 minutes of crochet work done before my eyes closed on their own.  Literally, I was that tired.  I think my brother and his wife may be getting the blanket late.  That's Jasper looking at my nightstand to see if he can "will" those cat treats out on his own.  Oh, and the toes are the work of my "nail tech" in training daughter.  I let her use chemical free nail polish on them.  She has yet to do my fingernails (too busy with garden work), but now has the knowledge of a safer nail polish (so she can stock her nail salon with it for people like me).  Some safer nail polish can even be taken off with rubbing alcohol or vodka.  

The tomato tally, so far, is 196 1/2 pounds.  They are slowing down I think, as the days and nights here are much cooler. 

I tried to get a campsite this holiday weekend, but waited too late.  I'm guessing I need to be in the kitchen anyway, ha ha! 

Comments

Mama Pea said…
I admire all the products you're making from your garden's tomato bounty. There really are endless products one can make from tomatoes.

You may have a hard time explaining to some people that you're just removing the nail polish from your toes when they come upon you with a half bottle of vodka in hand. ;o}
Mama Pea, ha ha ha! Thanks for the laugh. Oh, and I wouldn't want to waste that vodka on my toes either. I would chose the rubbing alcohol and make the extracts and tinctures with the vodka, ha ha!
Kim said…
I am so happy that the Good Lord has blessed you with all the tomatoes this year. It is hard work but so heartwarming to know it is in the pantry waiting to become family meals. We love tomato basil soup and when I can it I lay the leaves on a cutting board and use my pizza cutter to chop it!
Kim, thank you so much for that tip on cutting up the basil! That would make it so much easier. I am so thankful for the tomatoes and everything else we are getting this season. I can't believe it, but I hope we get many more tomatoes.
Sam I Am...... said…
I'm playing "catchup" with you not "ketchup". LOL! I can't believe I have missed so much! I would love the name of a safe nail polish. It must be such a wonderful feeling to see all you've accomplished in all those jars! Congratulations to you!
Sam I Am, it's Mineral Fusion, and Pacifica. There are many more brands out there that have no harsh chemicals.

Popular posts from this blog

Apples and Tomatoes Oh My!

  The early morning weather here has been downright chilly.  One morning it was 42 degrees.  Flower beds have been weeded.  The herb garden is next in line, but I do need to figure out what to do with all the rosemary plants I planted in the actual vegetable garden.  I have not mastered keeping them alive all winter indoors.  They will not survive the winter if left outside. Did any of my blog writing followers locate a better "blog" platform online?  Just curious if anyone is moving from blogger. 

Under the Weather ~ What's Growing?

  I have not been around in blogland much, due to being under the weather after I pushed myself way to far one day.  I have to remember we cannot do it all in one day.  Thank goodness for teas and tinctures, and healing foods (and rest).  We are feeling better. As for our blogs being used for advertising on many websites, and so forth (I can't see any other reason for the source of views: howstuffworks, dominospizza, mayoclinic {not the blog readers interested in my actual blog}) the numbers continue to climb.  I have not found a way to "opt" out either.  If any of you find a new way to avoid this, blog elsewhere, find a new platform etc, please be sure to share.   If your blog has ads, you are are not going to complain, ha ha!  You are probably making a bucko-bucks with all these visitors to your blog. Okay, back to the update post . . .

16 Weeks Until Christmas

  It's not hard to believe that we are traveling closer to the winter holidays.  I'm trying to focus on enjoying every single day until then, but I am fitting in a few snippets of holiday preparing.  Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year.  It's hard to believe it's the last day of August. I have not yet gotten rid of the links to all the advertisers using my blog posts, but again, still working on it. However, my profile has gone from my blog, and while I am in settings, it is not able to add as a "gadget" to the blog.  Weird things are happening.   Google had a data breach recently as well, so gmail users were advised to change passwords.  Not sure what else is going on, but just in case you are wondering why my "profile" is not on my blog any longer.   Okay, back to the Christmas countdown post . . .