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Preserving and Canning Fruit and Vegetables: Tomatoes

Stewed Tomatoes. - These keep very easily even in the common screwtop jar. Hence such jars may be set aside for tomatoes and the more modern styles used for canning other vegetables. In this case observe that the tops and rubbers must first be sterilized by placing them in cold water. Bring to a boil and boil for ten minutes. Handle as little as possible, especially the inside of the top or inner edge of the rubber.

Fill the jar with the cooked tomatoes while steaming hot, put on the rubber, screw the top down firmly, invert it and let it stand in that position until cold. To prepare the tomatoes, wash and plunge them in boiling water for five minutes. Now dip for a moment in cold water, pare, slice and place them in a preserving kettle over an iron ring or tripod. Heat slowly and stir frequently from the bottom. Bring to a boil and then boil thirty minutes. Put in sterilized jars and seal.

Whole Tomatoes. - Use 8 quarts of medium sized whole tomatoes and 4 quarts of sliced tomatoes. Prepare the sliced tomatoes as for stewed tomatoes. Boil twenty minutes, rub through a strainer and return to the fire. Now pare the whole tomatoes and put them in sterilized jars. Pour over them the stewed and strained tomatoes until the jar is full. Put the uncovered jars in a moderate oven on a pad of asbestos, or in a shallow pan of hot water and cook for half an hour. Remove, fill to overflowing with boiling hot strained tomatoes and seal. Any strained tomatoes left over may be canned for sauces.

How to Open a Jar.-Run a thin knife blade under the rubber next to the jar and press against the jar firmly. If this does not let in enough air to release the pressure on the top, place the jar in a deep saucepan of water, bring to a boil and keep boiling a few minutes. It will then open easily.