Stewed Tomatoes- Makes 15-20 quarts
Ingredients:
1 bushel of tomatoes
3 lbs of onions, chopped
1 bunch of celery, chopped, no leaves
1/3 cup kosher salt
Directions:
Take a pot of hot water, bring to a boil. Add tomatoes 6-7 at a time for about a minute or until the skin begins to crack. Immediately put them into a cold water bath. Remove the skin and core, them chop the tomatoes into quarters and place in a large bowl. Continue until all are skinned, cored, and chopped.
Prepare jars, rings, and lids by heating them in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. When the tomatoes are ready, remove jars and lids and place on dry towel. Mix onion and celery together, and put 1/4 cup of the mixture in the bottom of each jar. Fill each jar with as many tomatoes as you can, leaving 1/2-inch of space at the top of each jar. Top with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Use a butter knife to mix everything in the jar. Wipe jar rims with a clean, damp cloth, place lids onto jars, and screw on rings.
Place filled jars in a hot water bath. Return water to a simmer, adding more water if needed to cover the jars by at least 1/2 inch. Bring water to a boil. Cook at a steady boil to process the jars until fully sealed, about 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let jars rest 5 minutes before removing and cooling on a clean, dry towel placed on kitchen counter or table. Check that the lids have sealed, and store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.
