Picked some madders while ago. This is about 2 Bu. off 1/2 of the plants in the bigger patch. Alternated picking the other half about 5 days ago. Two smaller patches are being used for table fare and giving away. Will sort these. Real ripe ones and ones with bad spots will be made into Juice, Tomatoe and Veggy Juice. Firm ones will be made into Pasta Sauce and Salsa.
Got em culled out, ones that should be worked up today, about 1/2 Bu. All cored, bad spots cut out and in big pots on the stove cooking down. Takes about 30-45 min. Then into a big juicer, a motor (with holes and a big wooden pestle). Mash the cooked down fruit and extract all the juice. It prevents the seeds, peals and such out of the juice. After all the juice is extracted back on the stove to cook some more. Then its into the canning jars with a teaspoon of lemon juice and a table spoon of salt ( I use Kosher, but canning salt will do also, but no table salt) in each quart. Then into the hot water bath to boil.... Wall-aye ..... fresh canned tomato Juice. This batch will be done tonight. To make salsa and pasta sauce is a longer process with more steps. On to that tomorrow.
Got 14 qts. + 1/2 cup. Already out of the hot water bath. The lids were poppin and sealing as I took them out. Will let them cool overnight then date & label the lids tomorrow. Its gonna be pasta sauce tomorrow. We can some and freeze some. Good for all kinds of dishes .. Spaghetti, lasagna, manicotti, or any kind of pasta. Will make two different batches, one REAL SPICEY for me and a milder (more bland) for the wife.
Pasta Sauce is about ready to simmer for bout 2 hours. Have around 28 lbs of tomatoes diced up, LOTS of onion, LOTS of Marconi Green Peppers, and of course 8 large Hot Banana Peppers. Will add Garlic, Oregano, Parsley. Should make about 28 Pts. I reckon. Think I will hold out enough to have Pasta and Meat Balls for supper ....
