As long as I can remember, my Mom has canned tomatoes at the end of every summer. This summer she informed us that she wasn't going to do too much canning this year, and that if we wanted our own stash for the winter, we would have to do the canning ourselves. A bit harsh to cut the apron strings like that, but there you go!Essex County, just south of Detroit, Michigan, is full to the brim with produce this time of year and the perfect spot to buy tomatoes (Leamington is the tomato capital of Canada). I ended up with 2 bushels of Roma tomatoes for $8 each. My Mom loaded up my car with extra jars and lids she happened to have stashed away (barely made a dent, believe me!), and I felt a surge of confidence that, yes, I too could "put up" summer's bounty and enjoy it throughout the year. What a great feeling.
Upon arrival home, the tomatoes were left in boxes in the garage until I was ready to start. By Friday, I was beginning to wonder if there would ever be a perfect day for canning, so I informed Alan that Saturday was for tomatoes, and that was that. I had several conversations with my Mom and my sister about methods, getting started, etc. Saturday morning 7:15am - Mom calls. "How are the tomatoes going?" I just laughed and told her I would get to it soon. She warned me that it would take all day and that I better get moving.
I think it was around 10:30am when I started bringing the jars and the tomatoes into the kitchen. My sister recommended that I put all the jars and in the dishwasher and run it, therefore saving myself the time of washing each jar by hand. I had just started the dishwasher. Scrap that idea, I would wash them the old-fashioned way. Note to self: put them in the dishwasher next time. My hands were red and raw before I even began any of the important stuff! Next step was washing the tomatoes. It was at this point I realized that my kitchen could not possibly hold all of the tomatoes at one time. This was really turning into a production. Next coring and then scoring the opposite end so that the skins would come off easily after their blanching in boiling water. It was around this time that Alan asked if I would be able to cut the grass while he and the kids were out running errands. Oh Alan...
A phone call to Lori revealed that the big pasta pot I had borrowed from my neighbour was not going to cut it. I was going to cold-pack the tomatoes in their jars and then process the full jars in vigorously boiling water for 15 minutes. Turns out, canning pots have a wire rack thing inside of them which keeps the jars from having direct contact with the bottom of the pot most of the time. It was Lori's prediction that if I used this ordinary pot, the heat would break the jars. I tore my apron off and ran out the door, finding exactly what I needed at our local Home Hardware. I also picked up a 5-piece canning utensil set (I wonder how I would have gotten the jars out of the boiling water safely if I hadn't bought the utensil set??).
Back in the kitchen, things were humming along. I started blanching the tomatoes, shocking them in cold water, and peeling the skins off. I had decided that I would dice my tomatoes as opposed to leaving them whole. Lori used a European Tomato Press that makes a lovely sauce, just like in the old country, I bet. I bought it for my Mom several years ago and it had never been out of the box. Right after my Mom cut us loose, Lori declared that she would like to take the press home and use it for her tomatoes. I really think it should have been my call, since I bought it in the first place, but Lori insisted.
My first batch was in but I had put 4 large jars in the pot and they still weren't covered with water. Maybe they weren't supposed to be? I called Lori again. She told me they had to be covered with boiling water and that it would probably be very close to the top of the pot. She wasn't kidding. It was around this point that I called Lori's house for something else. Her husband Jake answered and he said Lori was feeding Hugh, could he help with something? "Oh, not really... Are you sure she doesn't have a free hand?" Jake's comment was something about us sisters being like magnets; you could try to keep us apart but it was very difficult! After that phone call, I noticed that every time I tried to call their house, the message centre would pick up on the first ring. I think Jake did something to the phone to stop the insanity! I should have known he was reaching his limit when he answered the phone, "Bernardin Hotline. How may I help you?"
The second batch went in and after a while I lifted the lid to see how the boil was coming along. There were tomatoes floating in the water. I had a hard time comprehending this development as the tops of the jars looked perfectly fine. I lifted the jars out of the water and found that two large jars had the bottoms broken right off. Not a good sign. What had I done wrong? It was fruitless calling Lori's house, so I called my Mom. She was in the middle of a Scrabble game with my Dad and our neighbour, Auntie Carol, a super-canner herself. I explained what had happened and my Mom said very matter-of-factly, "It's probably because those jars are old." Well, thanks for giving me your old jars, Mom! "Here, talk to Auntie Carol." she says. I explained what was happening and Auntie Carol tells me, "That's why I don't cold-pack my tomatoes anymore. You lose too many in the process." In the background I hear, "Yeah, me too." from my Mom. Turns out, Mom and Auntie Carol cook their tomatoes first and then fill very hot, sterilized jars. Seems much easier than all this rolling boil stuff, but I had gone with the method that Lori had recommended and she was no longer available for comment!
I continued on, using more of the smaller jars. As I worked, I would hear the occasional "pop" sound come from the jars. That popping sound is like music to a canner's ears. Each time, I would raise my eyes heavenward and smile. Now, time was flying and it was getting to be dinner-time. I hoped no one would notice that it was past 7 o'clock and we hadn't eaten yet. Finally, Alan & the kids pulled rank. I was barely finished, and certainly not cleaned up, and they were waiting in the car. We headed over to our local pub for a well-deserved beer and dinner.
It is now Sunday morning and the dishes are still not washed. I have a large bowl of tomatoes I need to turn into something today - maybe pizza sauce. I am happy with the results of my first try at canning. I'm pretty sure that all of the jars sealed and now I just need to find a place to store these little works of art. I have learned why my Mom loves canning, and I now understand that when she gives someone a jar or two of her canning (be it jam, tomato sauce, relish, etc.), it is her way of saying that she cares about you. With that said, don't be offended if I don't push a jar of tomatoes into your hand the next time we meet - I'm feeling more than a little attached to my tomatoes at the moment!
*What I put into each jar along with the tomatoes: 1/4 t. cider vinegar, 1/2-1 t. kosher salt, 1-3 basil leaves. For more detailed instructions, contact me directly!
