Dog days of summer

The "dog days of summer" Some of the hottest days of the year, is when my garden goes a little crazy & everything ripens all at once.

Earlier this week, I canned 19 pint salsa. Yesterday there was 10 dozen ears of corn to clean & freeze, & today I'm in the kitchen, elbow deep in sauce.

       

My house smells like a little Italian Granny's kitchen :)

The smell of tomatoes, peppers & onions simmering on the stove top has to be one of my favorite things about canning season.

There is something so fulfilling about filling the cellar shelves with home-canned goodies from my garden...& when the snow flies & there are sub-zero temperatures outside, I don't need to venture outside. I just need to head to the basement to do my grocery shopping, Husband can pick up the basics on the way home from work :)

Here are the recipes I used if you're interested...

Salsa

14 cup tomatoes, peeled & diced

3 cup onion, chopped

2 cup green bell peppers, diced

1/2 tomato sauce

3 T sea salt

1 T chili powder

1 T garlic powder

1 1/2 t cumin

2 T organic cane sugar

5 T clear jell

1/2 cup vinegar

-Mix clear jel & vinegar. In a large mixing bowl, mix all other ingredients then add the vinegar/clear jel mixture. put in pint jars & cold pack for 15 minutes.

Pasta/Pizza Sauce

1/2 bushel tomatoes(9 quarts juice)

4 large onions

4 large green peppers 

2 sweet banana(or hot peppers)

2 1/2 cup organic cane sugar

5 T oregano

5 T sea salt

1 T + 1 t black pepper

2 T basil leaves

4-12oz cans tomato paste

6 T flour

1 1/2 cup olive oil

-cut up tomatoes, peppers & onions & place in a large stock pot. Simmer for one hour, then blend in a blender. return to the stock pot. Mix the oil & flour & add to the pot. add remaining ingredients & simmer for 1 hour. pour into jars & cold pack for 1/2 hour.

-If you're gluten intolerant, eliminate the flour & simmer the sauce till it reaches the desired thickness.