Tomatoes are coming on like crazy! In the last week, I have put up many quarts and pints of diced tomatoes, salsa and tomato soup. The big ones, colorful ones and the Roma tomatoes are so delicious and plentiful in the garden right now. Talk about a yummy garden!

A gardener’s life sure gets busier when the produce is ready to be harvested and preserved. We continue to be busy with our jobs and extra activities. And when tomatoes are coming on strong, you lose a few hours of sleep, while working hard in the kitchen. You contemplate how crazy you are, because you can buy tomato soup and salsa in the store. However, it is NOT the same, when you are opening up a jar of homemade canned tomato soup on a cold January night! You know exactly what was put into the soup and know how much hard work it contains. A girlfriend and I were recently talking about how much work it is during canning season, but we both agreed canning our own food reaps too many benefits not to do it. The flavor is out of this world!

Here is my traditional tomato soup recipe, well, it’s actually been past on to me by my mother in law. And I believe she got it from the Kerr Canning book. However, this year I used mostly roma tomatoes, which are not as juicy as other tomatoes, so I reduced the thickening agent, flour and butter to 5 Tbsp each and only added 4 Tbsp of sugar. The flavor is out of this world, and it is reduced fat and calorie. I also added some additional basil and oregano when I added the salt and pepper. I encourage all of you to try this recipe and enjoy the fruits of your labor!
Happy Harvesting!
Wendy

Tomato Soup
14 quarts ripe tomatoes
7 medium-sized onions
1 stalk celery
14 sprigs parsley
3 bay leaves (I sometimes use up to 6)
½ to 1 cup basil
14 Tbsp flour
14 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp salt (I add 2 Tbsp and taste it, before going to 3)
8 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp pepper

Wash and cut up tomatoes. Chop onions, celery and parsley. Add to tomatoes along with basil and bay leaves. Cook until celery is tender or about 2 hours. Put through sieve. Rub flour and butter into smooth paste and thin with tomato juice. Add to boiling soup; stir to prevent scorching. Add salt, sugar and pepper. For smoother consistency put through sieve again. Fill clean jars, leaving one inch of head of headspace. Put on cap and screw band on tightly. Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Yield: about 10 quarts.