Recipe: canned tomatoes

Makes 7 quarts.

Note: If you're able to can only one food each year, make it crushed tomatoes. They are incredibly useful throughout the winter. Admittedly, this preparation takes time and will make a mess. But it's worth the effort. To ensure that the tomatoes (which have variable pH) are shelf-stable, it is imperative that you add acid to the jar, in the form of either fresh lemon juice or citric acid. Citric acid is sold with canning supplies at grocery and hardware stores. You'll need 7 sterilized quart jars with new lids and rings. From Cathy Barrow, author of "Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Practical Pantry: Recipes and Techniques for Year-Round Preserving," to be published in November.

• About 20 lb. of red, ripe tomatoes, cored, peeled and seeded (see below)

• 14 tbsp. fresh lemon juice or 4 1/2 tsp. citric acid (see Note)

• 7 tsp. kosher salt or fine sea salt, optional

Directions

To peel the tomatoes: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. Cut an "X" in the bottom of each tomato and remove and discard the stem. Place in the boiling water for 10 or 15 seconds — no longer. Use a slotted spoon to quickly transfer to the ice-water bath. The skins should simply slip off.

Bring the total amount of crushed tomatoes to a strong boil over medium-high heat and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Ladle the tomatoes into the quart jars, leaving a ½-inch head space. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice or ½ teaspoon citric acid to each sanitized quart jar (see story at right).

Add 1 teaspoon salt, if using, to each jar. Use a flat plastic knife, a chopstick or a bubbler to stir the tomatoes to dislodge any air bubbles.

Clean the rim of each jar. Top with the warmed lids, and finger-tighten the rims (not too tightly). Process in the boiling-water bath for 45 minutes (see sidebar below). Use the jar lifter to transfer the jars to a clean folded dish towel to cool for several hours.

Label and date the sealed jars. Store in a cool, dark place for up to one year. Refrigerate after opening.

Calories15Fat0 gSodium0 mgSaturated fat0 g

Carbohydrates3 gProtein0 gCholesterol0 mgDietary fiber0 g

Makes 4 pints.

Note: This sauce is rich, sweet and velvety, with a little zing of heat. When you cook it only until it is no longer watery, you should end up with 8 cups. If your canning pantry includes crushed tomatoes, you can use 2 quarts of them, instead of the ripe fruit called for here, to make this sauce year-round. You'll need 4 sterilized pint jars with new lids and rings. The sauce mixture needs to cool for 30 minutes before it's puréed. From Cathy Barrow, author of "Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Practical Pantry: Recipes and Techniques for Year-Round Preserving," to be published in November.

• 2 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled and diced (see below)

• 1 dried ancho chile pepper

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 3/4 c. unsulphured molasses

• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

• 2 tsp. hot Spanish smoked paprika (pimenton)

• 1 tsp. powdered mustard

Directions

To prepare poblano peppers: Roast on an aluminum-foil-lined baking sheet at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until the skin has blistered. Let cool before peeling and seeding.

Toast the ancho pepper over a gas stovetop flame or in a small, dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and flexible, about 1 or 2 minutes. Discard the stem and seeds; dice the pepper.

Place the ancho pepper in a large, heavy-bottomed nonreactive pot along with the crushed tomatoes, onion, poblanos, jalapeño, garlic, molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika and powdered mustard, stirring to incorporate. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook at a lively boil for about 15 minutes; the mixture will be saucy, with a deeper brick-red color. Remove from the heat; cool for 30 minutes.

Working in batches, purée the sauce in a blender until smooth. Return the sauce to the pot and return it to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to avoid scorching.

Ladle the sauce into the sanitized pint jars, leaving a ½-inch head space. Use a flat plastic knife, a chopstick or a bubbler to stir the sauce in the jar to dislodge any air bubbles.

Clean the rim of each jar, top with the warmed lids and finger tighten the rings (not too tightly). Process in the boiling water bath for 35 minutes. Use the jar lifter to transfer the jars to a clean, folded dish towel to cool for several hours.

Nutrition information per 1/4 cup serving:

Calories45Fat0 gSodium15 mgSaturated fat0 g