Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Tomato Harvest

Even with the Hornworms we are delighted to see a bumper crop of fruit ready for the picking.
Tomatoes are not just for summer. This is the best time to start your canning for winter stores of home grown tomatoes.
Top Tips for Freezing..
We recommend medium size fruit that are slightly firm and unmarked.
Rinse well, place into freezer bags and freeze.
When you are ready to use remove tomatoes and run under a warm tap to remove the skins.
Canning Tomatoes..
Place five 1 litre jars in a canner, bring to the boil and set timer for five minutes then add lids and boil for another five minutes, then remove canner from heat. Remove jars from canner. In each jar place a teaspoon of salt and a clove of garlic.
Use plum or paste tomato varieties. Use a sharp knife and make a cross on the bottom of each tomato, place them in a bowl and pour boiling water over the top.
Leave for several minutes till you see the skins peeling away, remove skinned tomatoes from water and place into jar. You need to pack your jars tightly with fruit. Pour boiling water over the top leaving 1/4" headspace. Place lids on top, and return jars back to the canner. Bring the water back to the boil and keep it on a boil for another 10 minutes. Remove all jars from canner and let cool. As long as the lids pop your tomatoes will keep for up to a year.

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