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Tis the season…of tomato canning! From stewed, to soup, to salsa and Bloody Mary mix, these luscious beauties are Mother Nature’s most versatile fruit. Even better is the fact that we can preserve their savory goodness throughout the year!
But let’s face it, canning tomatoes can be hard work and time consuming! So here are three simple steps to make it easier and quicker (I’m going to assume you know the basic steps of canning tomatoes): |
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1: Place a dish st/drainer (whatever you prefer to call it) in your sink. |
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2: Fill your sink* with cold water and ice cubes-about 3 inches deep |
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3: Cut an X in the top of the tomato before blanching, just deep enough to score the skin |
Here’s how these simple steps help simplify the task.
After you remove the tomato from the hot water (I use a big, slotted spoon) place it in the sink with cold water and ice cubes. Then, after the tomatoes have sufficiently cooled, lift the strainer out of the water and move to the other side of your sink and let the water drain. Next, you will notice that your tomatoes now have four little ‘tabs’. Grab two of the opposite tabs and voila`, the skins slide right off! This is so easy that you can safely recruit the little ones to pull the tomato tabs.
*If you have a single basin sink I suggest placing the drainer in a plastic dishpan and filling that with the water and ice.
For those of you living the down home lifestyle, check out our Dr. Connie’s Natural Solutions. Our safe, all natural products utilize the power of natural elements to care for your home, farm, pets and livestock. Indeed, Dr. Connie’s is a truly holistic lifestyle solution! When it is time to plant again, give our Dr. Connie’s Vegetable a try. And if you aren’t dehydrating the tomato skins, be sure to add them to your compost bin and treat it with Dr. Connie’s CompostPlus.