Canning Tomatoes

Nothing says fall like the yelling and screaming in an Italian household when it's time to can tomatoes. The bountiful tomato harvest is 'put up' in mason jars so spaghetti sauce can be made all winter long.  This is a custom that began once our families settled in America. My grandparents' entire back yard was tilled up and used for planting-they must have tended at least 200 plants in their yard in Lorain. What follows are directions for the Cold Pack, or Raw Pack method. This means that the tomatoes are peeled and then placed into the jars whole, without being cooked first. (Dont you love this picture of my Grandma Delfina canning tomatoes in Montenero in 1980?)

One peck (10 lbs) of Roma tomatoes
Sterilized Mason or Ball jars, tops and lids (rings)
salt

Peel the tomatoes: Cut away any blemishes or spots. Submerge them in boiling water for a few moments. It's ok if the skin cracks. Then, scoop each tomato out into a bowl of ice water. After a moment in the cold bath, lay them out on paper towels. Make a small cut in the end opposite the core, and peel down to remove the skin. Core each tomato, and set it aside. Repeat in small batches for the entire peck.

Spoon the peeled tomatoes into the sterilized jars:you can cut them in half or quarter them if you'd like. Tamp the tomatoes down, so as to leave as little space as possible, but don't go overboard with it. Ladle in enough hot water to fill jar, leaving about 1/2" 'headspace', meaning distance from the filling to the top of the jar. Run a small spatula round the inside of the jar to minimize airspace. Add one teaspoon of salt to the tomatoes in the jar. Wipe the top of the jar and the outside threads clean with an immaculately clean, hot cloth. As directed by the instructions that come with the jars, remove the tops and lids one at a time, right from the hot (NOT boiling) water as needed.  Place lid on jar centering sealing compound on rim. Screw band (ring) down evenly and firmly, just until resistance is met-fingertip tight.

Process jars: Submerge jars into simmering water in a canner (big pot) with an elevated rack specifically for this purpose. Make sure jars are covered with water by about one and a half inches. Bring water in canner to a boil. At this point, place the lid on the canner and set your timer for 40 minutes. When time is up, carefully remove jars from the canner with the special lifter. Stand jars on a clean kitchen towel so they may cool. After 24 hours, check lids for seals. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.