Crushed Tomatoes

Hot Pack--

Wash tomatoes and dip in boiling water for 60 seconds or until skins split. Then dip in cold water, slip off skins and remove cores. Trim off any bruised or discolored portions and quarter.

Heat about 1 pound of the quarters quickly in a large pot, crushing them with a wooden spoon. This will draw off some juice. Continue heating the tomatoes, stirring to prevent burning. Once the tomatoes are boiling, gradually add reaining quartered tomatoes, stirring constantly. These remainig tomatoes do not need to be crushed. They will soften with heating and stirring. Continue until all tomatoes are added. then boil gently 5 minutes.

In each jar put:
1 Tbsp of bottled lemon juice to pints
2 Tbsp of bottled lemon juice to quarts

If you wan to add salt: (I do not)
1/2 tsp. in each pint jar
1 tsp. in each quart jar

Then...fill jars immediately with hot tomatoes, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rims. Adjust lids and process.

Boiling Water Bath:

Pints 35 minutes

Quarts 45 minutes

Salsa

This is our favorite canned salsa.  John LOVES it!   I got the recipe from my friend, Julie. 

 Salsa

6 pounds ROMA tomatoes
2 onions
8-10 jalapenos (less for a milder...more for hotter...we don't go too hot)
3 green bell peppers
1 1/2 c. white vinegar
2 large garlic cloves
1/4 c. salt (I use canning salt and mix a little course Kosher salt with it)
1/4 c. sugar
1 can 12 oz tomato paste

Core and remove skins from tomatoes (Steam and peel) Chop (however you like your veggies,) all the vegetables and garlic. Put in large pot, with thick bottom. Add salt, sugar and tomato paste. Simmer for 1-2 hours, the longer you simmer, the thicker it will get. Process in water bath or steam canner for *25 min. for pints.

I get about 6 pints from this recipe.

*Original recipe process is 15 minutes, 10 minutes added for altitude adj. 

Plain Jane Choke Cherry Syrup

If you are wanted a super simple syrup, (it is our least favorite, but still good) here you go...

3 cups choke cherry juice
3 cups sugar

Boil 10 minutes. Ladle in jars, wipe rims...put on lids...process 10 minutes in a water bath.

Chokecherry Syrup

This is my second favorite syrup for the chokecherries...John did not like the almond extract in it.

6 cups chokecherry juice
2 cups corn syrup
4 cups sugar
1 tsp. almond extract

Boil juice, corn syrup and sugar together 10 minutes. Add almond extract. Put in hot, sterilized jars. Seal and process 10 minutes in water bath.

Chokecherry Blackberry Syrup

Ok...I tried 3 different recipes to make choke cherry syrup this year....this is our favorite and I will post the other 2 as well.

3 cups chokecherry juice
3 cups seedless blackberry pulp
6 cups sugar
1 tsp. almond extract

Boil juice, pulp and sugar together for 10 minutes. Add almond extract and ladle into jars. Wipe rims and put on the lids. Process in water bath for 10 minutes.

Peach Pie Filling

For some reason I was off on my measurements....this was supposed to make 7 quarts....next time (aka next year) I need to add more fruit. I may not have packed it tight enough when measuring.

6 pints peaches
7 cups sugar
2 cups plus 2 Tbsp clear Jel
5 1/4 cups water
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp. almond extract
1 3/4 cups lemon juice

Wash peaches, peel peaches and cut fruit into 1/2" slices. Put slices in solution while you are preparing all the fruit.

In pot heat about 6 cups water to boiling. Add 6 cups peach slices; return to boiling. Boil for 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon or heatproof sieve and transfer boiled peaches to a large bowl, keep covered. Keep doing until all fruit is boiled.

Using large pot combine sugar, clear-jel, cinnamon and stir in the 5 1/4 cups water and almond extract.

Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and begins to boil.
Add the lemon juice: boil 1 minute stirring constantly. Immediately add fruit, stirring gently to coat. Heat for 3 minutes.

Spoon hot fruit mixture into hot clean sterile quart size jars with 1 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and process in a boiling water canner for 30 minutes.

Made 2009: 5 quarts

Peaches

Halves.
1 quart water to 1 cup sugar.

Made 2009: 44 quarts