TOMATOES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 14, Issue 347, 15 February 1946, Page 22

TOMATOES

AKE the best possible use of tomatoes. Eat them raw-one good-sized ripe tomato will give you about half the necessary daily quota of vitamin C as well as a fair amount of vitamin A. If you can pick this good tomato fresh off your own plants and eat it while still warm from the sun; that is probably ideal. Moreover, tomatoes do not lose very much vitamin value in cooking, so that you only need to eat a bit extra when cooked to get as much value as before. Do not peel or cut them in advance, but just immediately before serving raw in salads or in cooking.

Tomato Juice

_A small glass of tomato juice is an excellent start for breakfast, luncheon, or dinner. Just cut up tomatoes roughly and put into saucepan with very little water. Cook on low heat until pulpy, stirring and mashing frequently. Then strain carefully, add salt and sugar to taste, and chill before serving.

To Keep

After.straining the juice, bring it back_ to the boil and then fill it into heated jars or bottles, cover loosely and sterilize in water bath at boiling point for 30 to 40 minutes. Seal thoroughly airtight.

Tomato Cocktail (American)

(1) Four cups of cut-up tomatoes (about 2lb.), 1 cup water, a handful of celery tops, or some chopped outside stalks, 1 teaspoon salt, % teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon sugar, 4 or 5 cloves, 14 teaspoon Worcester sauce, 2 teaspoons lemon juice. Combine all except the lemon juice, and boil slowly for 20 minutes. Press through sieve, and force as much pulp through as possible. Add lemon juice, and chill before serving. May be bottled and kept several days. (2) Three cups tomato juice, juice of a large lemon, a little finely-grated rind, 2 teaspoons sugar, pinch of. cayenne, 1 dessertspoon Worcester sauce if liked. Allow to stand for half-hour, Chill thoroughly, shake well, and strain. Orange juice may be substituted for lemon, or a little of both used.

Pulping Tomatoes (for winter use)

This is a most useful way of preserving tomatoes-including imperfect or very ripe ones, so long as not overripe or at bursting point. Cut away any bruises. Boil the cut-up tomatoes without water in a greased (buttered) pan until thoroughly pulped. Then strain, reboil for 10 minutes, and bottle straight from the pan, into heated sterilized bottles, sealing each one immediately as it is filled to overflowing. Some people prefer to sterilize the bottles of pulp ‘in water bath at boiling point for 30 minutes as an extra safeguard; but it should keep quite well if ladled in boiling, until bottles are overflowing, and sealed properly,

| Pulp for Soup

The bottled tomato pulp is excellent for soup in winter. It can be thinned with water or milk, and flavoured with onion and seasoned with pepper, salt and a

dash of powdered ginger. If using milk (cream of tomato soup), bring it first to the boil with a slight thickening of cornflour, and then stir it gradually into the heated tomato pulp.

Bright Red Pure Tomato Sauce

Twelve pounds ‘of Tipe tomatoes, 3oz. allspice, 3lb. brown sugar, 142 pints vinegar, 3o0z. salt, Wash and cut up tomatoes, tie spice in a muslin. Put all into pan and boil 3 hours, Stir frequently. When cooked put through colander and bottle. Cork down when cold, A great favourite.

Tomato Souffle

Pour boiling water over 1lb. tomatoes and they will skin easily. Pour sufficient boiling milk over a large, fairly-thick slice of bread for it to absorb, Add pepper, salt, chopped parsley and finely cut bacon or ham. Beat all the above ingredients including tomato, till smooth -then add two beaten yolks of . eggs, (mixing well), and lastly, the two whites beaten to a stiff froth, Fold these in, rather than beat. Place in buttered piedish, and bake 20 minutes, or longer, in hot oven, Serve immediately. (Usually 30 minutes in a wood range.) ‘Time depends on the oven; watch the centre of the souffle, and if thet is well set, it is usually done.

Tomato Paste (with breadcrumbs)

Skin and cut up lb. tomatoes, and simmer in small saucepan with Yoz. of butter for 5 minutes. Add 2oz. of sliced packet-cheese, 1 beaten egg, 4oz. soft breadcrumbs, pepper and salt to taste and a little grated onion. Beat well together. Stand saucepan in another pan of boiling water and cook slowly until it thickens. Do not boil. Pot in small jars. Will keep (if unopened) for a week or so, The breidcrumbs may be omittted.

Tomato and Passionfruit Jam

Four pounds ripe tomatoes; 13° cups of passionfruit pulp; 5lb. sugar. Skin and cut up tomatogs and put into pan with passion pulp. Boil half of the passion skins until inside casing is soft and scoop it out with a spoon. Add this to the mixed fruit, and the 5lb. sugar. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring frequently. Then boil fast till it will set when tested.

Mock Raspberry or Strawberry Jam

Skin and cut up 4lb. tomatoes, add 3lb, sugar and the juice of 1 or 2 lemons and bring slowly to boil, stirring frequently. Boil gently for approximately ’2 hours or till it will set when tested. Remove from fire and stir in 1% bottle of raspberry or strawberry essence--a little more or less according to taste. Do not add essence while boiling or the flavour will be lost.