As in…. 72 pints of salsa; 45 pints tomato soup; 24 quarts spaghetti sauce; and 3 pints ketchup. Wow. Taya and the children have really put in the hours processing tomatoes this year! We planted about 75 paste-type plants; and 20-25 “eating” plants – heirlooms; cherries; and a couple new varieties to try. We had a good year with tomatoes for sure; and I learned that the Lemon Boy variety is not for us.
The biggest thing I realize each and every year – Taya absolutely hates tomatoes; but she puts them up for us each year anyway. Hours spent processing and canning; for something you don’t even like. That; my friends is sacrificial.
Here is one day’s worth of processing; literally from dawn until dusk.
Step 1 – harvest: I picked about 2 bushels of tomatoes early in the morning. Starting at about dawn. This is the after about an hour of picking.
Step 2 – cut and process: Taya cored and cut all those tomatoes; then the children cranked the Roma food mill to extract the juice for sauce and soup. The “guts” get saved to make Taya’s delicious salsa. Add onions; peppers; spices and cook. MMMMM.
Step 3 – cook: Using our outside stove; the sauce cooks down for several hours to thicken; and meld the seasonings together. Looks delicious.
Step 4 – preserve: In order to enjoy the fresh tomatoes all winter long; we have to run the pressure canner for 90 minutes a batch. Notice how it’s dark outside now…. Literally dawn to dusk. But it’s so worth it.
Another year’s tomato harvest is pretty much over.
I’m pulling out most of the plants; as the determinate plants are pretty much done; and the indeterminates are starting to get hit with late blight. I’m trying the “vehicle method” for making sundried tomatoes with some of the stragglers; but the big rush of the tomato season is over. We’re definitely grateful for a bountiful harvest; and for giving us the skills and facilities to preserve it for the cold months.
