Tomatoes

I bought tomatoes at the Amish market last weekend dreaming of fresh tomato sauce in the dead of winter.  But then I had to get them to that usable stage in this miserable heat.

This is a very easy way to do that.  No peeling or seeding, just cook the diced tomatoes with some onions and garlic and seasonings of your choice.  Put it all in a slow cooker and cook for a long long time.  I had to use my big old Nesco slow cooker and I cooked them uncovered set on 220 for 24 hours.
 Then I use my stick blender to puree the whole batch.  I added fresh basil and let it simmer for a couple more hours stirring it occasionally.  Don't cover it!

 Place 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in each sterilized jar and fill them with sauce leaving 1/4 inch of space at the top.

Place them in a boiling water bath making sure the tops are covered by 2 inches of water.  Cover and let them bubble away for 35 minutes.  Turn off the burner and let them sit for 5 minutes then remove them from the pot and let them rest on a towel until you hear them all seal.  Mine sealed before I took them out of the water bath.
 The sauce is ready for winter.  So am I.

Comments

It will all be worth it in February!

Thank you for the information, they look lovely.
How long would you say these will keep?
sweetlocal said…
Great method- I'm going to give it a try!
Anonymous said…
I think I'll do this in my slow cooker too! Your home must have smelled wonderful while this was cooking :-)

Have a great day!
Christer.
Laura said…
yummy! i'm wondering could you freeze instead of canning?
blessings
~*~
Susan said…
Oh, to have a slow cooker that size! I have been trying to make headway with my tomato mountain, but have to do it in my small slow cooker. It will be worth it in February, right?
Leanne said…
oh yes your house would of smelt wonderful. I bet you are looking forward to winter
Unknown said…
This sounds like a great recipe - I think I will try this! Nice photos!
Guillaume said…
Gosh I love slow cooking!
Nellie said…
Absolutely yummy! Great work!
1st Man said…
What?? That's it? I mean I'm sure it was work, but it looks so easy!??! I had no idea but dang if I'm not wanting to get some tomatoes now! Thanks for sharing!!
1st Man said…
P.S. I think we have that exact same Nesco roaster (it is turkey size as i recall, was never sure what else to do with it, ha). Thanks again!!
Herbalgirl said…
That's such a brilliant idea and so easy. Will be trying this. I'm sure my slow cooker is smaller but I'll just do smaller batches.
Mary Ann said…
Okay, I am buried in tomatoes right now, and have not had time to process them... thank you! I'm going to let the slow cooker do it for us! :-)
HOW I love the way you do things Joyce. I wish I had your energy. I really do!! No tomatoes... but I love hearing how you made your sauce. I used to do that..or rather my husband did most of it. I loved opening the pantry and seeing it full of sauce and whole tomatoes. Beautiful. I've gotten lazy I guess. But your way looks so easy.
chickpea678 said…
You're like a frontiers woman!