Tomato processing
Decided to try the Mrs Wages "Pasta Sauce" mix since we are so happy with the chili base mix. I couldn't find any reference in the blog about trying the pasta mix before.
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| The tomatoes from last weekend harvest |
Pasta Sauce
I had about 23 lbs of tomatoes from the harvest and a number of expired canned tomatoes (store bought from before when we had the garden) to use. I decided to make the pasta sauce out of our own tomatoes. I used the vitamix, as per-usual process, and while doing that I had an idea.
I have been collecting the apples and pears that have been taken off my trees (pears taken early because I was afraid the weight of the fruit would break the tree down, and the apples because the freaking birds would peck them to pieces before I could get any!). The I have been leaving the fruit out to ripen, but the damage from the various factors is not being good to them and they are spoiling faster than ripening. I figured, since the vitamix pulverizes things so completely, why not just add those fruits to the tomato sauce for sweetness? I mean, the recipe calls for adding sugar anyway, why not fruit? So I tried it. Unfortunately, the fruit wasn't too sweet so I ended up adding sugar anyway, but the fruit did extend the sauce! You cant taste the fruit in the sauce at all. Katherine even tried it (I didn't tell her I had added the fruit). She commented that the sauce was a bit off; I agreed, but I think that the flavors are off simply because its a different mix than we would normally use. It would have tasted "off" even if using only tomatoes. Anyway, the taste is not bad, and since I am the one to use most of the pasta sauce I seasoned it to my tastes. By using the fruit, I 1) saved the fruit from spoilage waste, and 2) extended my tomatoes - maybe important depending on the weather for the next couple of weeks (tomatoes may not be getting any more on if it stays this dry!).
I got 10 pints of pasta sauce canned.
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| The pasta sauce with apples. Tastes fine! |
Chili Sauce
I found a bunch of commercially canned tomatoes downstairs. The cans had expired but still looked good. So I used these cans to make my chili base sauce! Like before, I added some fruit! You can't tell the difference in flavor at all!
I got 11 pints of chili base canned plus a half pint in the fridge.
Plain tomato sauce
With the remaining harvested tomatoes I just whirled the tomatoes up in the vitamix good, boiled them for 10-25 mins and then canned them in quart jars with a half-teaspoon of citric acid for safety. One of the jars didn't seal because of a flaw in the jar lip, so I had to re-can later using 2 pint jars.
I got a total of 6 quarts of tomato sauce canned this way and a half pint that I mixed with the left-over chili base in the fridge.
Green Beans
After I canned the tomatoes I snapped the green beans I had picked last weekend. I did the usual pressure canning process and got 4 quarts and 1 pint of green beans canned.
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| Hot packed, as usual. I think I may have rushed them a bit though. The liquid level in the jars is a bit low. They will be fine though. |
Eggplant
Katherine sliced, breaded, and baked the eggplant from last weekend. I don't know yet if she is planning on freezing it or making another eggplant-parmesan. Sorry, no pictures of the eggplant after processing.
Broccoli frozen
I blanched and bagged the brocoli from last weekend. It was between 1-2 Cups. I usd the new seal-a-meal gadget with one of the reusable bags. It took me a while to figure out how to use it correctly, bug I finally got it bagged, vacuumed and frozen. Slow going on the broccoli preservation, but it is adding up!
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