In the vein of appreciation, now is the time to prepare for eating local this coming winter.
I cannot tell you how many times I have been so thankful and full of superlatives over how tasty the tomato sauce I made last summer tastes compared with store bought pasta sauces. I made arrangements to buy a bushel of roma tomatoes from Alicia McMillian at the farmers market and spent two days blanching, peeling, chopping, cooking, straining, and canning Conserva di Pomodoro.
My kitchen looked like a disaster zone; my hands were stained, and my were feet tired. I wondered if all this work would be worth it and boy was I rewarded over and over again. I cannot recall how many quarts I set back, but it covered the entire top shelf of my pantry. In addition to tomato sauce, I also canned whole and chopped tomatoes and tomato juice.
I do remember going from grocery to grocery buying Ball jars because they were nearly sold out around Knoxville. The check out gal at Food City had lots of advice for me about canning. It made me wish I had paid more attention when my mom and my granny would get together and can.
The smells in my kitchen those few days took me straight back to riding my tricycle around the basement of my grandparents home, while they worked and chatted, giggled and gossiped. What a gift they were giving their family! At the time I am sure it went unnoticed, as if it were just another thrifty act to make use of the excess of vegetables from the garden.
We take for granted now the easy readiness of food. If you don’t have something, just run to the store and pick it up. We have become accustomed to mediocre flavor, distanced from our food source, and borderline malnourished, by this convenience.
I am no expert on the subject of preserving foods, so I will share some of the resources I have used and plan on using this summer. I want to freeze some berries, corn, and spinach. I want to can lots more tomatoes, green beans, and salsa. I’d like to make jam, apple pie filling and pumpkin puree. Ooh and maybe some pickles!
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art2816.asp
http://www.freshpreserving.com/
http://www.pickyourown.org/canningpubs.htm
I encourage you to set aside sometime this summer, take the extra effort, and preserve some of the local flavor that is so abundant in the summer months, to be enjoyed this winter. I promise you will be glad you did.
Conserva di Pomodoro
only slightly adapted from Biba Caggiano
12 lbs. roma or plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 large vidalia onions, coarsely chopped
3 carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
2 t. sea salt
1 bunch basil, finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
six 1-pint canning jars and lids
In a large stockpot combine tomatoes, onions, carrots, celery, parsley and salt. Cook over medium heat until tomatoes begin to fall apart and veggies are soft, approximately 45 minutes to one hour.
Let cool. Puree mixture in batches in bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade. Over a large bowl,pass tomato puree through a stainless steel conical strainer or food mill to remove seeds and skins.
Return sauce to pan season with salt and olive oil. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer until reduced to a medium-thick consistency. Stir in basil and remove from heat.
Sterlize jars in dishwasher.
Fill a tall stock pot about 1/2 full of water and
start it heating (with the lid on).
Fill sterilized jars with tomato sauce within ¼ inch of the top, and wipe rims clean. ( I like to use a jar funnel) Place lids on jars and tightly screw on rings. Once the water is boiling place them atop the rack inside pot and keep covered with an inch or more of boiling water. Process for 40 minutes, remove and let cool. Relax and wait for the ping, that signals they have sealed.
