The Beginner's Guide to Preserving Food at Home - Janet Chadwick [33]
Pour the hot purée into the heated jars, leaving ½- inch headspace. Add citric acid (1/4 teaspoon per pint, ½ teaspoon per quart) or lemon juice (1 tablespoon per pint, 2 tablespoons per quart). Add salt (½ tea spoon per pint, 1 teaspoon per quart), if desired.
Load the canner and process: pints for 35 minutes, quarts for 40 minutes.
purée tomatoes
place lids in water
tips Freeze or can tomatoes whole or in a purée in the summer; make up sauces, soups chilis, ketchups, relishes, and chutneys when the woodstove is going in the winter.
Tomato juice or purée made in a blender or strainer must be heated to boiling and simmered for 5 minutes to remove air; otherwise the jars will not seal properly.
pour purée into jars
lower jar into canner
Canning Raw-Packed Whole Tomatoes
Best finished product
Begin heating water in the blancher, boiling-water-bath canner, and teakettle. Wash tomatoes. Refill the sink or a large pan with cold water. Drop to matoes in boiling water, a few at a time. Scald for 30 seconds. Remove to cold water. Lift tomatoes from the cold water. Peel and core tomatoes.
Add citric acid (¼ teaspoon per pint, ½ teaspoon per quart) or lemon juice (1 tablespoon per pint, 2 tablespoons per quart) to each hot jar. Pack tomatoes in tightly, leaving ½-inch headspace. Add boiling water or juice to leave ½-inch headspace. Add salt (½ teaspoon per pint, 1 teaspoon per quart), if desired.
Load the canner and process pints for 45 minutes, quarts for 50 minutes.
Drying Tomato Slices
Excellent finished product
Wash tomatoes, cut out cores, and slice ¼ inch thick.
Dry in a dehydrator at 120°F for 8 to 10 hours, then turn slices and dry for another 6 to 8 hours, until crisp. Or dry in a conventional oven at 120°F for 18 to 24 hours, until crisp, turning slices and rotating trays once or twice. Or dry in the sun for 1 to 2 days, until brittle, taking the trays in at night.
Cool and package in airtight containers.
tip For that imported Italian sun-dried tomato flavor, pour boiling water over dried tomato slices to partially rehydrate them. Drain. Pack in clean jars and cover with extra-virgin olive oil. Store in a cool place and use within a few months. As long as the tomatoes are completely covered with oil, they will not mold.
WINTER SQUASH AND PUMPKINS
SQUASH AND PUMPKINS FOR WINTER STORAGE should not be picked until they are fully mature and have attained the full color common to their type. Skins should be too hard to be pierced with your thumbnail. Leave at least 1 inch of stem on the fruit when you pick it.
dry squash in sun
wash with bleach and water
leave air space between squash
Storing in a Root Cellar
Best and quickest method
When harvesting squash and pumpkins, leave them in the sun or a warm room (65°F to 75°F) for 2 weeks to cure. This extra time will make rinds harder. Acorn squash should be stored without curing.
Wash the vegetables with a solution of ½ cup chlorine bleach to 1 gallon of cold water. This mixture will prevent bacteria growth during storage.
Store in a dry, well-ventilated area at 50°F to 60°F. Leave space be tween fruit to allow good air circulation.
tips Squash and pumpkins should keep well into midwinter when any excess can be frozen or canned.
Steam squash and pumpkins for freezing when the wood-stove is going in the winter.
Freezing Strained Squash in Boilable Bags
Wash squash; cut in quarters or smaller. Steam until tender, 45 to 60 minutes.
Scoop out seeds. Scoop out pulp into a hand-cranked strainer and purée (or mash with a potato masher).
Pack in 1-pint boilable freezer bags. Add butter and seasoning, if desired. Press out air. Seal bags.
Cool. Wipe dry. Freeze.
Note: Use an ice cream scoop to remove squash seeds and scoop pulp from rind.
cooking tip For best flavor and texture, reheat frozen squash in boilable bags for 20 minutes or in a double boiler or microwave until piping hot.
MIXED VEGETABLES FOR SOUPS AND PURÉES
AT THE END OF THE HARVEST SEASON, you may find yourself with an abundance