We wait all summer for that first tomato, which we savor, sliced with maybe just a sprinkle of pepper or sea salt. And it is heaven.
Then almost overnight, we can't seem to keep up with the tomatoes even though we eat them with every meal. They start to accumulate along the windowsill in reds, yellows, orange and even green. Inevitably some rot and get thrown out before they can make it into a meal.
Times like these call for recipes that can utilize a lot of tomatoes and even keep them preserved for the day when all those fresh tomatoes become distant memory once again.
Since the rain kept me home yesterday, it was a good day to can the bounty. I was able to use several pounds of beautiful heirlooms that were beginning to turn and make a tangy ketchup and savory tomato jam. Both recipes were pretty simple and I used my pressure canner to seal the jars and store them in my pantry. The nice thing about canning tomatoes is that it can also be done in a stockpot of boiling water with no fancy equipment required other than glass jars, with lids and bands. And if you prefer to skip the canning altogether, you can still make each recipe and enjoy them stored in the fridge.
Tomato Ketchup (adapted from jam it, pickle it, cure it by Karen Solomon)
Makes about 3 cups
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
5 whole cloves
5 cardamom pods, crushed
1 star anise
10 black peppercorns
28 ounces or about 3 1/2 cups of peeled and chopped tomatoes
1 large onion, quartered
2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil, like canola or sunflower
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/3 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar
1/2 cup champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
Freshly ground pepper
Using a piece of cheesecloth, tie the spices (the first six ingredients) into a bundle and set aside.
Process the tomatoes and their juice in a food processor until totally smooth, and set aside all but 1/4 cup. To the remainder, add the onions and puree.
In a large dutch oven (bigger the better, this will splatter), heat the oil to med-high heat. Add the onion puree and the 2 teaspoons of salt and stir well. Let mixture cook for 8-10 minutes, reduce and lightly brown. Add the tomato, sugar and vinegar, turn heat to low simmer and reduce for about 15 minutes, uncovered, with an occasional stir.
Add the spice bundle and reduce for 10 minutes more. When done, it should be a little thinner than commercial ketchup. Stir in the paprika and taste for seasoning, and adjust as needed.
Let the ketchup cool and remove the spice bundle. Refrigerated, homemade ketchup will keep at least two months.
Tomato Jam (adapted from Stir by Barbara Lynch)
Makes about 2 1/2 cups.
4 1/2 pounds tomatoes
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
kosher salt
Stem the tomatoes and coarsely chop them, removing most of their seeds; don't worry if some remain. In a wide, heavy pot over medium heat, combine sugar, vinegar, and 1/4 cup water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and the mixture looks syrupy. Add the chopped tomatoes cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes cook to jammy consistency - about 3 hours. Season to taste with salt.
Jam will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge. Serve at room temperature.
To can both recipes, use a heavy, non-reactive pot (no aluminum, unlined copper or cast-iron), mason canning jars, and two-piece caps (a lid held in place by a metal band).
To sterilize the jars, you can run them through the sterilize cycle of the dishwasher. Or wash them in hot, soapy water and stand them up-right on a metal rack placed in a large stockpot and fill with water to cover by at least an inch. Bring to boil for 10 minutes. Leave the jars in hot water until you are ready to fill them. Place the lids and bands in a small saucepan of water, bring to simmer (not boil) and remove from heat. Leave them in hot water until ready as well.
Ladle the recipe while still hot into the sterilized half-pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. A funnel will help if you have one. Dampen a kitchen towel and wipe the rim of the jar clean. Then, using tongs, fish a lid out of the hot water and cap the jar, and screw on the ring band. Repeat until all jars are filled. Process by placing them back in the pot on the metal rack so they are not touching the bottom or one another. Water should cover the jars by 1-2 inches so add more as necessary. Cover the pot, bring the water to a full boil for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and uncover, using tongs to remove jars from the pot. Place them upright on a folded towel and let them cool naturally.
When the jars have cooled completely, check the seal on each lid. The center should be slightly depressed. Press on the center of the lid with your fingertip - i it stays down, the seal is good. If it pops up, the seal didn't take and you'll need store them in the fridge. Store processed jars in a cool, dark cupboard where they will keep for up to a year.
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