Stewed Tomatoes

Well, another summer has come and gone and so has gardening season. This year, we were left with an overabundance of fresh tomatoes, and with nothing else to use them for, I made stewed tomatoes, which is very similar to canned Italian style tomatoes. I made this last year and I used it in everything from soups to roasts. If you have lots of tomatoes and nothing to use them for, give this recipe a try!

Ingredients:

10 lbs. tomatoes

1 large onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 hot pepper, seeded and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbls kosher salt plus 1 tsp

1 tbls sugar plus 1 tsp

1/2 tsp dried basil

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In the meantime, score each tomatoes with an X. Once the water is boiling, add the tomatoes in batches for about 2 minutes or until the skins begin to lift. Remove and place the tomatoes in an ice bath to shock them. Repeat with all of the tomatoes.

2. Remove all of the tomato skins and then dice the tomatoes.

3. Place the diced tomatoes, and all of the remaining ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Stir frequently for about 5 minutes, then reduce heat to a simmer and cover for 10 minutes.

4. Remove the lid and allow the tomatoes to simmer for another 5-10 minutes, then ladle into sterilized pint jars. Put the lids on immediately.

5. Cover the jars with a towel and allow them to sit out overnight. The next day, store them in a cool, dry place.

Enjoy!