I like to can produce and do a fair bit of canning every year. My favourite veggies to can, though, are tomatoes. I peel them, reduce them to a thick chunky sauce, then put them up in quart sealers. We eat a lot of them during the year, and I love opening the jar in the winter and smelling that summery goodness of ripe tomatoes. Each year, I look for Roma tomatoes in season, when they’re on sale. They have less juice in them, so they reduce into sauce more quickly, and their thicker skins make them easier to peel. (In an ideal universe, I’d grow my own Roma tomatoes, but my garden isn’t sunny enough for tomatoes. Buying local produce is the best solution.)
Yesterday, the 25 pound boxes of local Roma tomatoes were available and on sale at the supermarket. I was very excited. I’ve been waiting for them for a few weeks now. Next week, they’ll probably be gone. I bought six boxes, only realizing when I got home that this meant I have 150 pounds of tomatoes.
I canned two batches last night, which is 14 quarts, and only used a bit more than one box. Hmm. I’ll make salsa, too, as we also eat a lot of that (and Mr. Math will seed and chop the hot peppers for me) but I’m thinking this morning that I just might have over-purchased on the tomatoes. Either way, there’s a lot of peeling in my immediate future.
Do you can tomatoes? Do you can anything? What’s your favourite homemade pickle?
Deborah Cooke & Her Books 
I do can tomatoes Deb only I cold pack them whole for using all winter long and we grow them ourselves. In the late fall I’ll make my mother in law’s Green Tomato Pickle recipe for gifting at Christmas.
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I enjoy fresh produce, but haven’t tried to can them. Maybe, since I am not working any longer, maybe I will try that this Fall.
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I also put up tomatoes when I can. Last year my PSH planted two (Yes, that’s just 2) tomatoe plants. He has a major green thumb and uses organic compost/fertilizers. We got over seventy (70) tomatoes off of those two plants. It was amazing. I made sauce, diced fresh for salsa, partial stewed chunks for chili and general recipes and then de-seeded, steamed and blended some for fresh Bloody Mary mix. It was wonderful to have through the winter months.
Haven’t done any pickles other than simple sweet vinegar chips. I like dill and bread and butter pickles best. Anyone tried Wickles? They are wicked hot pickles.
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I wonder if you could dry roast the tomatoes 9maybe with soe garlic?) in the oven, then preserve them in olive oil?
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Yes, you can dry roast or fire roast. I like the flavor of fire roasted peppers. The oil takes on that smoky flavor.
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