Terrific Tomato Soup and Other Tomato Recipes

Mother Earth News ^ | 1975! | Mother Earth News Editors

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Hillard Green has the right idea. The old adage "Waste not want not" applies for sure in these days of exorbitant food prices. And those of us who grow our own have always known the value of preserving nature's bounty for off-season use.

Since tomatoes are easy to grow and often plentiful, you may find yourself up to your ears in the ripe, scarlet fruit as frost approaches—and a few hints on the preservation of the harvest may be welcome. I've also taken the canning jar shortage into account in preparing this article, and have included some guides to the use of alternative containers (along with directions for a couple of preservation methods which require no jars at all).

Canned Tomatoes

Tomatoes are really a fruit and have always been canned accordingly—by the cold pack method, in a boiling water bath. Until recently, the high acid content of all garden tomatoes made this practice perfectly safe.

Now, however, low-acid varieties of the fruit have been developed, andifyou've heard nasty rumors about the possibility of botulism even in canned tomatoes, these new types are the culprits. If you're putting up such tomatoes, either raise their acidity by adding vinegar or process them in a pressure canner as you would any other low-acid food. The home economist at your county extension office can give you detailed instructions for handling of doubtful cases.

Better still, start with a good old reliable tart variety of tomato and proceed as follows: Prepare the jars for canning according to the manufacturer's instructions; or wash the containers in hot, soapy water, rinse them well, and boil or scald them (I simply dip mine in boiling water and set them aside).

Select only firm, ripe tomatoes, place them in a colander or wire basket, and dunk them into boiling water just long enough to loosen the skins (usually half a minute or so). Remove the fruit from the hot bath, let them drain, and pull off the skins with the aid of a knife (try not to injure the flesh). Then slice the tomatoes — I cut them into quarters — and pack as many chunks as possible into each jar, pressing them down with your fist or fingers. Leave about half an inch of clear space at the top of the container. Add 1 teaspoon of salt (or substitute sugar, if you like) per quart. You might want to experiment with various other seasonings: garlic salt, oregano, basil, etc.

Adjust the lids on the jars according to the maker's instructions and process the containers in a boiling water bath for 35 minutes (or for 10 minutes at 5 pounds pressure in a pressure canner). (Many authorities recommend that pint jars of tomatoes be processed in boiling water for 35 minutes, and quart jars for 45 minutes. For more specific details of canning methods, see a reliable guide such as the Kerr Home Canning Book or The Ball Blue Book.—Mother.) Remove the jars from the canning kettle and seal the lids, if necessary, as directed by the manufacturer.

Glass containers of tomato products should be kept in a cool, dark place and wrapped in paper, if need be, to exclude light.

Tomato Juice

Some folks prefer to can tomatoes and then make juice from the preserved fruit during the less frenzied days of winter. If you want to put up juice at harvest time, however, here's a good method:

Wash, scald and peel ripe tomatoes. Remove their cores and cut the fruit into eighths, simmer the sections to softness, and put the pulp through a fine sieve. Collect the juice andpour it into hot jars to within a quarter inch of their tops. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt per quart and process the containers for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for handling lids.

A possible alternative is suggested by Helen Nearing, who puts up tomato, rose hip and raspberry juices in 1- and 2-quart commercial orange juice bottles (the kind with the spongy plastic ring in the cap (also used to hold prune and cranberry beverages). Her procedure — described in a letter to Organic Gardening and Farming magazine — is to fill the hot, sterilized containers to the top with boiling juice, screw the covers on tight, let the contents cool, and store the bottles without processing them at all. (See"How to Beat the CanningJar Shortage (And Come Out Ahead!), below,for further details on using recycled jars.)

Sauces

Many delicious tomato mixtures such as chili, taco, or vegetarian spaghetti sauce may be canned if you have sufficient jars. (Some of these products may also be frozen.)

To put up a favorite sauce, just prepare the food as you would for immediate use—but cook it a little more briefly than usual to allow for the heat of processing. Pour the hot mixture into hot jars and process the containers for 45 minutes in a boiling water bath, or for 10 minutes at 5 pounds of pressure in a pressure canner.

Many sauce recipes call for not only tomatoes and spices but onions, celery, and peppers—all low-acid vegetables. Until recently, most cooks canned such combinations by the boiling water bath method and served them with confidence, knowing that the finely chopped or ground additional ingredients had been thoroughly penetrated by the acid tomato juice. These days, if you're not sure of your 'maters' acidity, processing in a pressure canner is the wisest course. If you plan to include any vegetables other than those I've mentioned, it's best to follow a good canning guide's recommendations on method and timing.

Sauces and other tomato specialties are often reduced to the desired thickness by "cooking down." If done over direct heat, this process requires constant watching and stirring to prevent the ingredients from sticking to the kettle. An easier method is to pour the juice or pulp into shallow pans, skillets, roasters, etc., place the containers in a 350° oven, and stir the liquid every 15 or 20 minutes until it reaches the consistency you want— which should take 1 to 3 hours.

The oven cooking-down method takes much of the bother out of recipes such as the following, which makes a spicy product that can be used as a catsup, steak sauce, flavoring for baked beans, etc.

Mary JeanColby's Chili Sauce

Enough ground ripe tomatoes to fill a large mixing bowl 1 or 2 medium-sized green peppers, ground 1 or more medium-sized onions, ground 1 cup vinegar 1 1/2 cups sugar, honey, or molasses 2 tablespoons cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon allspice 1/8 teaspoon cayenne (red) pepper 1/4 teaspoon cloves Salt to taste

Cook down all ingredients to the desired thickness (this recipe makes a sauce, remember, not a paste). Pour the product into clean, hot jars, process the containers 10 minutes in a boiling water bath, and seal them — if necessary — according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Soup

The following recipe produces a concentrate, which is diluted before serving to make — as Ruby says — "a creamy, flavor-filled soup."

RUBY HOOPS' REGAL TOMATO SOUP (Yield: 10-11 pints)

6 medium onions 1 bunch celery 8 quarts cut-up tomatoes 3/4 cup sugar (or honey) 1/4 cup salt 1 cup butter or margarine 1 cup flour

Chop the onions and celery and put them into a large kettle with just enough water to start a good boil and prevent scorching. Add the tomato pieces and cook the vegetables until they're tender. Then put them through a food mill to remove seeds and chunks, and return the pulp to the kettle along with the sugar and salt. Cream together the butter and flour, add the well-blended mixture to the boiling purée, stir thoroughly, and continue to simmer the combination until it thickens slightly (to about the consistency of thin gravy). Pour the product into hot jars and process them in a boiling water bath for 45 minutes, or in a pressure canner for 10 minutes at 5 pounds. At serving time, empty the concentrate into a saucepan, add 2 pinches of, soda per pint, warm the tomato mix slightly, and dilute it with an equal amount of milk or water. Then heat the soup to eating temperature.

Continues at link...

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Tons of tomato information here. Don't let a one go to waste! ;)

"You tell 'em I'm puttin' up 'maters for th' winter, that's what. People might laugh at such stuff as this, but I'll tell y', I'm not about to let 'em rot." —Hillard Green, quoted in The Foxfire Book

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I’m going to make Ruby’s Tomato Soup out of some of my harvest this season. Won’t that be yummy on a winter night with a grilled cheese sandwich? Yum! :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Garden Ping!

[JRochelle]

I have one of these, a must for anyone who makes tomato or applesause.

http://www.everythingkitchens.com/back_to_basic_foodstrainer.html

[Red_Devil 232]

Thanks Diana!

Weekly Gardening ping to Tomato Recipes

[SouthDixie]

Loved the article, Mother Earth News is a great magazine, Harrowsmith was another informative source of material.
I've made the soup and it is delicious, a nice variation is adding a little onion, a wee bit of rice and a dash of oregano.

[doodad]

We have been enjoying fresh Caprese Salad with out bounty.

Sliced tomato with a slice of goat cheese topped with chiffonaded basil (also from the garden). Sprinkle your favorite good vinegar, salt and pepper and enjoy.

[bgill]

Freeze them - Do nothing but quarter the big ones or leave the cherry ones whole and throw them in a baggie. No fuss. No muss.

Can’t go wrong with salsa.

Tomato preserves. Yes, for those who have never eaten tomato preserves, you don’t know what you’re missing. Yummmy comfort food!

Fried green tomatoes.

The best-est sandwich in the world is cheap white bread slathered with mayo and a thick slice of a warm fresh from the garden tomato..... heaven!

[Red Badger]

Question: My tomatoes make huge vines but little fruit. Blooms but no fruit. What’s my problem?.........

[Red Badger]

Question: My tomatoes make huge vines but little fruit. Blooms but no fruit. What’s my problem?.........

[Betis70]

Wish I had some tomatoes to not let go to waste. As it is they are unlikely to ripen before our first frost.

Local orchards are having a bumper crop though—apples, peaches, probably a few others. I guess all the Spring/Summer rain and now a hot Aug are great for fruits. I wonder how the local vineyards are going to do.

[JoeProBono]

[FrdmLvr]

That’s my favorite combo, too, Diana! Thanks for the recipe, I’m going to try it out.

[njslim]

Wish had some tomatoes this year - heavy rain this spring
caused fungus which killed all the ones I planted

[sweetiepiezer]

Here is an old recipe I used in the 70’s
MOCK STRAWBERRY JAM

1 c. ripe tomatoes
6 oz. raspberry Jello
1 tbsp. blackberry Jello
2 1/2 c. sugar

Boil tomatoes, add Jellos and sugar. Boil 10 minutes on medium heat. Pour in jars.

[GOPJ]

Here’s a fast easy tomato soup

1 tsp butter
4 tsp medium salsa
1 can tomato soup
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup heavy cream

Melt butter, add salsa - cool for 1 minute - add tomato soup and water. Heat to boil. Stir in heavy cream. Serve.

[GOPJ]

Here’s a fast easy tomato soup

1 tsp butter
4 tsp medium salsa
1 can tomato soup
3/4 can ( use tomato soup can) water
1/4 cup heavy cream

Melt butter, add salsa - cool for 1 minute - add tomato soup and water.
Heat to boil. Stir in heavy cream. Serve.

[Quix]

THANKS BIG.

Don’t have the bumper crop I expected but love options.

Blessings,

[Mrs. Don-o]

Red Badger, I had the same problem this year: huge jungly tomato plants covered with luxurious foliage, but little fruit. I think I know what the problem(s) were:

• too much nitrogen, specifically, too much compost which was made from principally coffee grounds. Good stuff, that, but unbalanced. It could have used more potassium, phosphorus, and other minerals. The compost needed more stuff like banana peels, a handful of wood ashes, a sprinkle of epsom salts. Or I could have invested in a good, all-around tomato fertilizer.

• Too much water, especially early on.

• Not enough sun, particularly because the trees on the morning-sun side have gotten so big and dense over the years that this spot is no longer the best for growing fruiting crops.

My solution next year will be to use a more balanced compost/fertilizere combo, hold off on the watering, and locate the tomatoes in the sunniest part of the back yard. In the semi-shady placs I'll plant greens which appreciate a bit of shade in the hot midsummer, like swiss chard, which did beautifully for me even up next to the house where they were in shade in the afternoon.

[BenLurkin]

Nice.

Say....any idea why our corn doesn’t have very many kernels?