Savory Truffle

A couple weekends ago, my mom and I canned. Mom canned her annual batch of salsa and I (for the very first time) made tomato sauce. Here is how it's done...

Step 1: Go to Minneapolis Farmer's Market. Eat mini donuts.

Step 2: Purchase 25 lbs of Roma tomatoes. Also buy jalapenos, cilantro, peppers, and onions.

Step 3: Blanch, peel, and quarter 20 lbs of Roma tomatoes.

Step 4: Squeeze "guts" out of tomatoes and place into large pot. *Take Advil for aching back.

Step 5: Cook tomatoes. Stir. Stir. Stir.

Step 6: Add onion, garlic, basil, salt, bay leaves, black pepper, red pepper, lemon juice, and red wine to pot. Stir, stir, stir.

Step 7: Pour sauce into sanitized jars. Place sanitized lids and bands on jars.

Step 8: Heat jars in pressure canner. Let cool overnight. Remove bands and rinse jars.

Step 9: Marvel at your results. Clean pantry to make room for jars.

Here is the link to the recipe I used for my tomato sauce: http://www.pickyourown.org/spaghettisauce.htm *Note that I halved the onion, garlic, and red pepper and nixed the celery in the recipe.

Here is my mom's salsa recipe:

12 C tomatoes, peeled
2 green peppers
6 C onions
6-8 jalapenos chopped with some seeds
1/4 C canning salt
1/4 C minced garlic
2 T cilantro

Chop vegetables and put into large bowl and let stand overnight (for spicy salsa).

Drain juice and save. Add 2 cups of Heinz red wine vinegar to the juice and boil until it is thick and creamy like soup (1-2 hours). Stir in 1-2 small cans tomato paste. Mix 2 T cornstarch with 1/2 C cold water and add to tomato mixture. Add 10 T sugar. Add sauce mixture to the vegetables. Ladle into jars, seal lids with bands, and follow pressure canner instructions to seal.

My tomato sauce has yet to be eaten, but I will let you know how it turns out. Mom's salsa is always delicious, so I have no doubts there!