Summer's Bounty

Last year a friend gave a a huge box of tomatoes.  Unable to eat all of them, we made & put up marinara (see recipe below).  It was so fantastic that when we ran out & had to use the store bought variety we knew we must grow some tomatoes this year.  Ever since we moved in to this house 5 years ago I've dreamed of putting in a garden.  Having grown up on a farm, I know that nothing tastes as good as fresh grown veggies.  This year I finally got my wish and am looking forward to lots of canning!

Marinara
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 cup fresh garlic, minced
28 oz chopped tomatoes (fresh is best, but canned will work in a pinch.  If using canned tomatoes, do not proceed with canning the marinara, use right away or freeze).

(this recipe multiplies up for as many tomatoes as you have)

Cook the garlic in a bit of oil until tan (do not brown), then throw in the basil & tomatoes.  Don't worry about peeling the tomatoes; the peels will come of during cooking.  Cook down until desired thickness.  When the sauce is done, run through a food mill to remove the excess peel and create a smooth even texture, then funnel into clean sterilized jars.  Fill jars to within ¼-inch of the top, seat the lid and ha.nd-tighten the ring around them. Be sure the contact surfaces (top of the jar and underside of the ring) are clean to get a good seal.  Place jars in a water bath covered with at least 1 inch of water. Keep the water boiling. Process the jars in a boiling-water bath for 35 minutes for pints and 40 minutes for quarts.  This processing time is based on the Ball Blue Book's "Seasoned Tomato Sauce."  Remove jars from water bath and let cool, then store.

You are in for a real treat!

For more information on canning, I recommend the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving and http://pickyourown.org/.