Veggies have their place in the freezer. I love having diced onions and bell peppers at my disposal for quick meals. I love having fresh corn in their to toss in a dish, or broccoli, or beans and peas... There are certain veggies that are best kept in the freezer. For those, I choose to give my valuable freezer space. The other produce is getting canned! ..And this is the good kind of canned of course.
Does canning sound scary to you like it did to me? Let me ease your fears. It's pretty easy.
I started with this:
I saved these and the cucumbers for salads:
I picked some of this fresh basil:
and some of this oregano.
Then the canning process began.
1. I "blanched" my tomatoes. By that I mean I dropped them in boiling water for about a minute, then pulled them out and dropped them in a sink of ice water.
2. I peeled them. That's why I blanched them. The peeling basically peels of with a gentle rub!
3. I sliced them in half and cut the core from each half, then diced up each tomato.
4. Mash them a little with a hand held masher or a fork, just a little.
5. I add chopped basil and oregano. The best way I've found to chop basil is to roll a few leaves up together and slice it. Oregano, you just slide your fingers down the stem to gather the leaves then chop. {obviously this step is optional - if you have it and if you plan to use this mixture for a tomatoey Italian or Mediterranean dish} - that's right, I said tomatoey.
6. Pour the tomatoes into a jar, clean the jar lip to make sure there is no excess on it. It will cause your jar to not seal well and spoil your sauce.
7. Then put them in a "bath." That means boiling water up to the lid but not over it for about 10-15 minutes. The lid should seal. If not immediately, just flip the jar upside down and let it cool, when you flip it back over, it should be sealed. I've read putting a tbsp of lemon juice will guarantee a good quick seal because it raises the acidity in the jar.
2. I peeled them. That's why I blanched them. The peeling basically peels of with a gentle rub!
3. I sliced them in half and cut the core from each half, then diced up each tomato.
4. Mash them a little with a hand held masher or a fork, just a little.
5. I add chopped basil and oregano. The best way I've found to chop basil is to roll a few leaves up together and slice it. Oregano, you just slide your fingers down the stem to gather the leaves then chop. {obviously this step is optional - if you have it and if you plan to use this mixture for a tomatoey Italian or Mediterranean dish} - that's right, I said tomatoey.
6. Pour the tomatoes into a jar, clean the jar lip to make sure there is no excess on it. It will cause your jar to not seal well and spoil your sauce.
7. Then put them in a "bath." That means boiling water up to the lid but not over it for about 10-15 minutes. The lid should seal. If not immediately, just flip the jar upside down and let it cool, when you flip it back over, it should be sealed. I've read putting a tbsp of lemon juice will guarantee a good quick seal because it raises the acidity in the jar.
Here are some banana peppers (they have a better color in person, the pic doesn't do them justice). They are MUCH easier than tomatoes, just boil vinegar, and add to sliced peppers! That's IT! Close immediately and flip over, to seal them.
Do jalapenos the same way! Here's a close up of the lid too. You can use any jar with the standard Mason size mouth. Just add this lid in conjunction with the lid that came with it and make sure this lid seals down (meaning the button in the center doesn't pop back up when pressed). You can buy a dozen of the lids for about $2 and keep reusing your jars!
One note from someone who learned the hard way. When handling japs, USE GLOVES!
In about an hour, I had this:
