Fresh tomato and basil sauce.

Makes 10-15 litres( quarts sauce)

Ingredients

20 lbs. fresh tomatoes

4 tbsp. oil

3 bunch fresh basil

2 medium onions diced fine

1 onion diced fine

1 bunch chopped fresh parsley

3 clove of garlic chopped fine

Salt and pepper to taste

Wash tomatoes in soapy water and rinse well.

Bring a large pot ½ filled with water to the boil.

Blanching tomatoes

Place ¼ of whole tomatoes in boiling water and cook for 5 minutes until skin removes from tomatoes when touched.

Remove boiled whole tomatoes from water and set aside.

Repeat process until all tomatoes have been blanched.

Put tomatoes into a tomato juicing machine and juice all tomatoes. Set juice aside.

If you don’t have a tomato juicer you can remove the skins and place tomatoes in a blender and puree. Set aside all pureed tomatoes.

In a large pot on medium heat add oil. Sauté onions for 5 minutes. Add garlic saute 2 minutes. Add tomato juice and remaining ingredients. Bring tomatoes to a boil and simmer for 1 hour. You can cook longer for a thicker sauce.

Preparation and set-up of jars and canning tools

Set-up a table with a large beach towel on it.

Wash canning jars, lids and rims. Put jars upside down on towel and place lids and rims on towel. Wash jar lifter, magnetic lid lifter and ladle. Place on towel.

Canning tomatoes

Using A Pressure Cooker

Place trivet in bottom of stainless steel pot.

Add water up t the bottom of the trivet.

Put 4 500 ml. jars including lids and snap caps instant pot on top of trivet.

Put lid on and set to steam for 1 minute.

Remove jars, lids and snap caps.

Put hot tomato sauce into jar leaving ¼ inch space at top.

Using a large mouth canning funnel work well to do this.

Place snap caps on top of jars and hand tighten the lid.

Place the filled jars onto the trivet in instant pot. Pour water into stainless steel pot filling the pot until ¼ of the jars are covered in water.

Set instant pot to pressure cook for ten minutes. Remove jars and place on cooling rack.

Repeat process until all jars are done.

Boiling method

Boiling tools and jars.

Use a 12-20 qt. pot for boiling water.

When water is boiling add jars, rims, lids, jar lifter and magnetic lid lifter. Boil for 1 minute and remove jar lifter and magnetic lid lifter using a pair of tongs. Let jar lifter cool down and then use to remove jars. Remove lids and rims with magnetic lid lifter. Place all boiled items towel.

 

Boiling method

Placed jars in boiling water ensuring that the jars and lids are completely covered with boiling water. Boil for 5 minutes. ( 1 litre jars boil for 10-15 minutes)Remove from water using jar lifter and place on towel. You will hear the lids pop (seal) when they start to cool down. Let sit for 2 hours, tighten rims, shake jar vigorously for 30 seconds and then store in a cool dry place.