late season canning

I spent an afternoon last weekend canning some tomatoes and peaches after finding some recipes that I just had to try. First up, earl grey peach preserves. Sounds delicious and I was right in time, as I nabbed the very last peaches at my CSA farm, supplementing with ripe nectarines. This recipe makes a small batch, yielding about 1 quart, which I love. Small batch canning always feels special to me. Perhaps having a small quantity of something makes it feel extra special, to be savored, versus having a half dozen little jars that seem impossible to get through. I really love the addition of tea to what would be plain peach preserves. Definitely deserving of the "whoa!!!" upon the first taste it. And honestly, I'd take this again over the plain stuff any day.

Next in line, tomato marmalade. Wait, tomatoes plus sugar??? I've never been baffled by a recipe like this one I pulled from an old cookbook (picked up at random at an antique store, of all places). I apprehensively went to my CSA farm and filled up a huge bag with tomatoes in the name of experimentation. The sweet smells wafting from this stuff on the stove sealed the deal and trust me, it's hard to keep from eating this stuff by the spoonful.

Note: if you've never done any canning, you should do some research ahead of time to learn the proper techniques for preservation. Otherwise, these recipes could be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks, or frozen. Check out the National Center for Home Food Preservation as a starting point.

Ripe Tomato Marmalade

9 lbs tomatoes

6 C sugar

1 tsp salt

2 oranges

2 lemons

4 sticks cinnamon

2 tsp whole cloves

1. To peel tomatoes, bring a pot of water to a boil. Have a separate bowl of ice water at the ready. Submerge the tomatoes, a few at a time, in the boiling water for about 30 seconds, until the skin loosens slightly and begins to crack. Remove tomatoes to the ice water to stop the cooking process, then remove to a towel. Using your hands or a small paring knife, gently remove the skins, then core and slice.
2. In a large pan, combine tomatoes, sugar, and salt.
3. Use a peeler to remove the peel from the oranges and lemons. Thinly slice the peels and boil in water for 5 minutes; remove and add to the tomato mixture. Peel the remaining white pith from oranges and lemon, then slice fruit, removing any seeds as you go. Add the citrus to the tomatoes.
4. Tie the cinnamon and cloves into a cheesecloth spice bag; add to the tomatoes.
5. Bring the tomato mixture to a boil. Cook rapidly, stirring to prevent burning, until thickened, at least 45 minutes.
6. Remove the spice bag. If canning, pour the marmalade into hot sterile jars and seal for 15 minutes. Otherwise, pour into a container and let cool before storing in refrigerator or freezer.

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