| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Tatiana |
Posted - Aug 09 2005 : 10:00:14 AM
I love those canned diced tomatos in juice in the store. They are so convenient. So here is my burning question to you. Is there some really quick way to get those tomatoes diced up, so I can put them up myself? Yes, I could slice and dice with a knife, but I can't be the first person who has sought for some kind of gadget to do this. Any ideas out there?
Tania in Boise |
| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Tatiana |
Posted - Aug 16 2005 : 10:52:54 AM
You are awesome citygoatgirl! You are my kind of friend. I totally agree with the sterile jar/lid issue. Likewise when I can peaches or pears. I put 1/4 cup sugar in the bottom of the jar with enough hot water to disolve. Cram that fruit in and top off with water. Much faster. Less sticky syrup to mess with. I also can on the back porch with one of those big 2-burner heavy propane campstove. That way my kitchen is cool and I get way more done by trying to keep two canner loads going.
Thanks for the suggestions on the tomatos and apples. I know it will go quickly now.
Tania in Boise |
| citygoatlady |
Posted - Aug 14 2005 : 8:51:30 PM
Quick Canned Apples
I never liked making applesauce, then cooking it a long time to can it. It was overcooked.
I just cut up the apples, the same method as the tomato technique I just wrote about. Cut down one side of the core, chop that coreless half.
Then cut slices off the core half, leaving the core to discard.
I wouldn't dream of peeling them! Way too much time. I do wash thoroughly if they were sprayed.
Add cinnamon stick, lemon, sugar if you want.
Then add only enough APPLE CIDER, to weight the jar down in the pot. Don't go filling the jar up the the top, unless you like a lot of juice.
When you eat this it tastes like applesauce, but has only been cooked once.
You can mash it, you can remove the skins at this time if you want, or just serve as chunks. |
| citygoatlady |
Posted - Aug 14 2005 : 8:46:14 PM
Anything I can, I do it the quickest way possible. I won't can anything that is real time consuming. I do about 30 quarts of tomatoes at a time, if possible.
Quick Tomatoes
1. I would never peel them! Same with peaches! Just eat the peels, or chop them fine when you add to the soup etc., or fish them out at that time.
2. Place a cutting board on a rimmed cookie sheet to catch the juices and keep them from splashing all over the floor.
3. To cut the tomatoes the quickest way, first cut in half starting just to the side of the stem area. One half will not have a stem at all, cut that half up in a bunch of pieces and cram into a jar.
4. Now do the half that has the stem area. Cut it all up leaving just a little slice for the stem area. Discard that one small piece (to the chickens).
5. Squash it into the jar too.
6. Fill up jar with all the tomato possible. Juice flows out. Only add the juice, or water, till liquid comes halfway up the jar. More liquid forms while processing. I don't want to can a bunch of water! I do add a tablespoon or two of vinegar to make sure they are acid, because I like the taste, and because I mainly do "cold-packing" (that's the boiling water bath).
7. Process.
Now, for the efficiency, I also do this:
1. I pile all the tomatoes into a canning pot to wash them.
2. I drain them piled in the dish drainer, or right in the other cleaned sink.
3. The bucket for chicken scraps is on the floor to toss in blemishes.
4. The empty jars are placed on a rimmed cookie sheet too, so the drips are contained, and can be used for jar filling. I can go faster without worrying about the drips.
5. I have a couple of pots of water going at once, to can everything in one session. I always write down which pot started at which time, and when to end it. Believe me, I would never remember it!
6. The lids are sitting in hot water. But naturally, it's pointless to sterilize the jars ahead of time if you are doing boiling water bath, or pressure canning. Because you are about to add unsterilized vegs into that jar, making it immediately unsterile. Ten minutes in the boiling water bath sterilizes the jar itself, while the food goes the length of time which it needs.
Good Luck! |
| Fabulous Farm Femmes |
Posted - Aug 10 2005 : 8:44:24 PM
If you got to this website:
http://www.eleanoraskitchen.com/recipes/cantomamartha.html
she gives you a very good way to can your own Roma tomatoes for sauce..and if you follow her direstions and can them, they have cooked for an hour already, and then you just zap a jar for like 2 seconds in the processor later and you have marina base. I have tried it and it works great.
She also has GREAT recipes...saw her on Martha Stewart Living |
| FarrarFarmgirl |
Posted - Aug 10 2005 : 7:48:27 PM
If you are you talking about the wedger or the apple peeler corer slicer item that attaches to the counter, I'm not sure that either would work. Great idea, but the tomatoe is not quite firm enough. However, the food chopper would be great. Since the tomatoes will be prepared by taking off their skins, with just a couple of hits on the handle the tomatoes would be diced to just the right size. The chopper works wonders in so many ways in the kitchen, matter of fact you can make whole meals with just this one tool. It's such a handy item, I can't imagine not having mine. I think you will get the results you are looking for without it being so time consuming.
Tania, email me and I will send you a picture so you can see what I am talking about, unless you are already familiar with products from the Pampered Chef. And if that is the case, I can help you with the purchase of a chopper if you are wanting to give that a try. My email is listed in my profile.
Good luck with your tomatoes, it is nice to have diced tomatoes ready to go.
God bless you always in all His awesome ways.
In His hands,
Lynda
Pray in faith and you will not live in doubt. |
| greyghost |
Posted - Aug 09 2005 : 7:31:15 PM
What about the apple corer/slicer gadget the Pampered Chef has? |
| bushbean |
Posted - Aug 09 2005 : 12:28:10 PM
You could try a dough blender. You would have to roll it both ways but would make quick work of it. Mine is kind of sharp, so works good. |
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