And into the soup they go.
Bay leaf from the garden will season, along with freshly snipped marjoram, thyme and parsley. The herb garden has done well despite cooler nights. I dressed the bed with hay and leaves. This is the first year I've had bay leaf in the garden. Boy have I ever used it.
Finally, canned yellow cherry tomatoes from the pantry. The only thing I haven't grown are the lentils and the sherry finisher.
Life is good.
5 comments:
Mmmm, wish you could send a bowl of that over here. We've had a gale blowing for 24 hours and what feels like an inch of rain in the same period.
Being serious, you call it "canning", Brits call in "bottling". Mum used to bottle loads of fruit when we were small but I don't remember her keeping tomatoes. Anything I read online about bottling vegetables warns of potential botulism because of the temperatures used (not high enough to kill toxins). Any recommendations of where I can do more research would be much appreciated, many thanks.
Yikes, that does sound like bone chilling weather.
Canning tomatoes has a very long history in my family, and so far, no poisonings. Try this URL over at Ball, a manufacturer of canning jars for over 125 years.
http://www.freshpreserving.com/recipe.aspx?r=149
Do you ever read Tigress in a Pickle's blog? She's very entertaining. Here's an URL to her tomato canning process.
http://tigressinapickle.blogspot.com/2011/10/tigress-canned-tomatoes-sauced.html
When it comes to canning, "cleanliness is next to godliness." Sterilize containers in boiling water. Always ensure the water covers the lids completely in water canners during processing. Pressure canners bring the heat up to high temperatures if you are worried about that.
Pack the jars well and eliminate any air bubbles. Clean the rim with a clean towel before sealing.
Good luck!
Also, here is an entry from MissVickie.com about some common canning errors, and the reason why lemon juice or citric acid is added to bottled tomatoes. Hope this helps. ~ Dawn
http://missvickie.com/canning/canning%20errors.html
Dawn, thank you for so much information, such a generous response. I will certainly follow up the links you have shared.
Encouraging others to experience the joys of food preservation is time well spent. :)
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