BEST TOMATOS FOR CANNING RECIPES

Steps:

• Chop onion& celery.
• Place in large kettle w/ just enough water to keep them from burning.
• While this simmers, cut tomatoes (remove stems if not using strainer).
• Add to kettle& cook until tender.
• Place this all through Victorio strainer (or similar).
• Return to kettle.
• Add sugar& salt.
• Cream butter and flour together& mix thoroughly with two cups of COLD juice, until dissolved (or blend together in a blender), to avoid lumps of flour in the juice.
• Add butter/flour mixture to warmed tomato juice. (Add before it's hot, to avoid lumps of flour!).
• Stir well.
• Heat just until hot. (If it gets to a boil, it can make the flour lumpy).
• Just prior to boiling, turn off the burner. (It will continue to thicken as it cools.).
• Ladle into jars& close securely with lids.
• Return to canner & process 20-30 minutes (start timing when it's at a 'rolling' boil).
• Remove from canner & allow to set until sealed (approx. 12 hours) To serve, mix equal parts tomato concentrate to milk, and add 1/2 t. of baking soda per pint as it cooks (1 t. per quart).
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