HOW DO YOU MANAGE?

Garden fresh tomatoes

This is the time of year for fresh garden tomatoes. What a nice treat.

If your plants have been prolific, you might be looking for ways to preserve them. An abundance of tomatoes in my friend Norma’s garden prompted her to look for a tomato sauce recipe using fresh tomatoes. All the recipes she could find started with canned tomatoes.

I found the following freezer tomato sauce that she tried and found easy to make and tasty. It was printed in the Sovereign Women’s Institute 75 Years of Home Cooking community cookbook. I have since made it too, and used some for soup and froze the rest.

Read Also

Producers face the reality of shifting grain price expectations

Significant price shifts have occurred in various grains as compared to what was expected at the beginning of the calendar year. Crop insurance prices can be used as a base for the changes.

Freezer tomato sauce

20 medium-large

tomatoes, approx. 8

pounds (3.6 kg)

4 large carrots

4 large onions

1Ú2 cup parsley 125 mL

3 tablespoons sugar 45 mL

3Ú4 teaspoon pepper 4 mL

2 tablespoons salt 30 mL

Cut vegetables into pieces and bring to a boil. Add spices and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir to prevent scorching. Cool slightly. Blend three cups (750 mL) at a time for one minute. Pour into containers and freeze. Makes approximately 16 cups (4 L).

Tomatoes do not need to be peeled.
Thyme, oregano or other spices can be added.
Use in making pizzas, soups, casseroles or spaghetti sauce. For a meaty spaghetti sauce, add hamburger.

Green tomato spread

Earlier in the year a reader was looking for sandwich spread recipes, similar to Kraft’s. The recipes using tomatoes we saved until now, to print in tomato season.

Dear TEAM: My mother always made this recipe and I make it now as well. It is very good. It needs green tomatoes so it’s a summertime job. – D.C., Winnipeg, Man.

Sandwich spread

Grind enough green tomatoes for one pint (500 mL), without the juice. Grind two green peppers and two red peppers. Combine vegetables and sprinkle with one teaspoon (5 mL) pickling salt. Drain off juice in 15 minutes.

Add 1Ú2 cup (125 mL) water and boil until tender.

Grind together five medium sweet pickled cucumbers and add to above vegetables. Keep warm.

Dressing:

1 cup sugar 250 mL

2 tablespoons flour 30 mL

2 tablespoons 30 mL

dry mustard

3 eggs, beaten 3

1Ú2 cup vinegar 125 mL

1 cup sour cream 250 mL

Mix sugar, flour and mustard. Add eggs, vinegar and sour cream. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until smooth and thickened.

Pour dressing over vegetables. Mix well and pour into sterilized jars. Store in the refrigerator.

If you want to process and preserve this product, use a pressure canner just in case the acid content is not high enough to prevent botulism spores from growing.

Follow the instructions with your pressure canner. Even after processing, store it in the refrigerator.

Dear TEAM: I have a wonderful recipe which closely resembles the commercial Kraft sandwich spread, which we like very much. – E.G., Saskatoon, Sask.

Green tomato spread

2 quarts green tomatoes 2 L

3 red bell peppers

3 green peppers

1 pint onions 500 mL

1 bunch celery

1Ú2 cup salt 125 mL

Put vegetables through fine chopper and sprinkle with salt. Let sit overnight. In the morning, rinse with cold water and squeeze out to dry. Add the following to the above and boil for 30 minutes:

11Ú2 cups white sugar 375 mL

1 teaspoon dry 5 mL

mustard

1 cup pickling 250 mL

vinegar

Add one quart (1 L) mayonnaise and mix well.

Pack in sterile jars and store in the refrigerator.

Processing by the boiling water canner method may not be safe. Use a pressure canner if you want to preserve this sandwich spread. Even after processing, store this product in the refrigerator.

Misleading advertising

The Consumers’ Association of Canada, in its newsletter, says the Industry Canada Fair Business Practices Branch fields questions and complaints about misleading advertising and deceptive marketing practices such as price fixing, pyramid scams and misleading scratch ‘n win cards at this toll-free number: 1-800-348-5358.

Pressure canner parts

Thanks to the following readers for addresses where pressure cooker parts can be purchased, as requested by L.A., Hilda, Alta.

Dear TEAM: In reply to the request for a screw-in pressure gauge and a new seal for a pressure canner, in the Aug. 6 Western Producer, we found parts for our pressure cooker (50 years old) at: Andy’s Appliance Repair Co. Ltd., 116 Manitoba St. W., Moose Jaw, Sask. S6H 1P9, 306-693-3468. – N.M., Davidson, Sask.

Dear TEAM: Here is an address for a pressure cooker parts distributor: Pressure Cooker Parts and Service, 28 Chalmers Cres., Ajax, Ont. L1S 5Z9. Send the model number of the pressure cooker and a list of parts needed. They will send you an invoice. You then send the payment and they will send you the parts. This is a bit unconventional but I received the parts I ordered from them. Hope this is helpful. – B.B., Bengough, Sask.

I recommend Bernardin’s Guide To Home Preserving as an excellent cookbook for up-to-date information on home canning. (As is Put a Lid On It!, by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard, mentioned in last week’s column.)

For safety reasons it is important to have our food preservation information up-to-date, and to always follow modern, tested guidelines and recipes. Research on food preservation is ongoing and recommendations do change. Recipes from old cookbooks may not be safe.

To order Guide To Home Preserving, send $6 to: Consumers Services, Bernardin Ltd., 120 East Mall, Toronto, Ont. M8Z 5V5. Copies are also available at stores where you buy home canning supplies.

Bernardin is starting a mail order service this fall. All of their supplies except glass jars and other glass items will be available by mail order. We will print information on this service when it is available.

Vegetable dips

Dear TEAM: I would like some recipes for a base mix for veggie dips, similar to Uncle Dan’s Original Southern dressing mix. I’m sure it would be more economical to make my own. – B.M., Langley, B.C.

Dear B.M.: I was able to locate a package of Uncle Dan’s dressing mix (can be used as a veggie dip) and a cookbook filled with mix recipes, including veggie dips. The cookbook is Make-A-Mix Cookery by Karine Eliason, Nevada Harward and Madeline Westover, published by Bantam Books. The most recent edition was printed in 1995 and sells for $23.95.

I was surprised to see so many mixes in one book. Some are multipurpose, such as Quick Mix which makes dozens of different recipes. In the cookbook there are sauce mixes for main dishes and casseroles; cookie, pie, cake and other baked good mixes; bean mixes; hot chocolate and drink mixes; plus special seasoning mixes and more.

Preparing our own mixes can save money and meal preparation time. A big plus is that we know exactly what has gone into each mix.

Here are two recipes from Make-A-Mix Cookery.

Home style dressing mix

2 teaspoons 10 mL

instant minced onion

1Ú2 teaspoon salt 2 mL

1Ú8 teaspoon 0.5 mL

garlic powder

1Ú2 teaspoon MSG, 2 mL

if desired

1 tablespoon 15 mL

parsley flakes

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl until evenly distributed. Put mixture in a glass jar. Label. Store in a cool, dry place. Use within six months.

Veggie or chip dip: Combine one recipe of Home Style Dressing Mix with one cup (250 mL) sour cream (or yogurt) and one cup (250 mL) mayonnaise.

Salad dressing: In a jar, combine one recipe of Home Style Dressing Mix with one cup (250 mL) mayonnaise or yogurt and one cup (250 mL) buttermilk.

Shake until well blended. Chill before serving. Makes about two cups (500 mL).

Salad seasoning mix

2 cups grated 500 mL

parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons salt 10 mL

1Ú2 cup sesame seeds 125 mL

1Ú2 teaspoon garlic salt 2 mL

1 tablespoon 15 mL

instant minced onion

2 tablespoons 30 mL

parsley flakes

1Ú2 teaspoon dried 2 mL

dill seed

2 tablespoons 30 mL

poppy seeds

1 teaspoon MSG, 5 mL

if desired

3 tablespoons 45 mL

celery seed

2 teaspoons paprika 10 mL

1Ú2 teaspoon fresh 2 mL

ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix until evenly distributed. Put in a one-quart (1 L) airtight container. Label. Store in a cool, dry place. Use within three to four months. Makes about three cups (750 mL).

Veggie or chip dip: Mix two tablespoons (30 mL) of the Seasoning Mix with one cup (250 mL) sour cream or yogurt.

Other uses: Keep in a shaker to sprinkle over baked potatoes, salads, toasted French bread, popcorn or potato, macaroni or egg salad.