HOW TO PRESERVE TOMATOES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 22, Issue 553, 27 January 1950, Page 22

HOW TO PRESERVE TOMATOES

RUIT or vegetable, the tomato | has become one of the most popular, and most versatile, articles of food. Very rich in Vitamin C, as well as supplying mineral salts, it is really valuable, and does not lose much vitamin value in cooking. Of course, raw tomatoes are the best. But be sure to preserve plenty for the rest of the year. Remember that tomatoes, like pears, need longer sterilising than fruit-keep them in the water-bath a full half-hour after the water has cometo the boil, and see that it really is boiling all the time. Start them in the water-bath of cold water, and see that it takes 142 hours to come to boiling point, as it is this slow heating which makes sure that the bacteria and moulds are killed throughout the fruit. Have the water either completely covering the jars, or up to their shoulder and the water-bath covered to. keep in the steam. Have the tomatoes pricked to stop them bursting, and. covered with boiled and cooled water with 1 teaspoon of salt and sugar to every pint. Leave an inch of space between the solution and "the top of the jar. Tomatoes for bottling must be ripe but firm-it is useless bottling over-ripe fruit. Easy Oven Bottling Select firm, just ripe tomatoes. Prick with a sharp fork. Place in rows on a baking dish, without any water, and cook in a moderate oven near the bottom, until just soft, not broken. By cooking at the lower part of the oven they will not brown or change colour. ‘Then lift carefully into hot jars and overflow immediately with boiling water, sealing down at once. If, preferred, this boiling water may be slightly salted for flavouring, but the boiling kettle will do just as well. ‘Another Method Pack tomatoes in. jars, first pricking a little with a sharp fork. Grade them so that each jar contains those of practically the same size, for small ones cook more quickly than large, and if they are mixed some wjll be whole and some mushy. This applies to all fruit preserved whole. Fill up about half-way with salted water. Put lid on jar loosely and sterilise in oven until cooked and the skin just cracking. Oven about 250 degrees or Regulo 1. Take out jars one by one and fill up % inch from the top with boiling water, Seal immediately. Have the kettle all ready boiling, and work fast. Pulping Tomatoes This is a most useful way of preserving any less perfect tomatoes-or, indeed, any at all-so long as they are not over-ripe. Cut them up roughly and boil in a buttered pan, without water till thoroughly pulped. Then strain. The pulp may,then be reboiled 10-15 minutes and boftled straight from the pan in heated sterilised bottles, sealing each immediately, one by. one, keeping the pulp boiling as you work. Or, you may bottle the strained pulp, seal the jars, and then sterilise in waterbath for 30 minutes at boiling point. In

this case you need not start with cold water bath and bring slowly to boil, because the pulp has already been well boiled. It is advisable to use small jars so that the whole will be used when opened. Tomato Pie Line a buttered piedish with slices Taw tomatoes. Cover with a layer jof thin slices of onion, and next put) a layer of breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with pepper and salt and put dabs of butter on the breadcrumbs. Repeat.the whole process, pour about a % cup water over; and bake in a moderate oven, approximately 34 hour. Filled Tomatoes Cut tops off tomatoes and scoop out the pulp. Mix pulp with chopped celery, and fry in butter. Mix in some breadcrumbs, some onion juice, black

pepper, and a tin of fish, flaked up. Fill tomatoes. and pile on top. Bake in oven in dish for about half an hour, Leftover fish may be used instead of tinned. Super Fried Tomatoes Slice 6 medium-sized ripe or green tomatoes about 1% inch thick. Dip in mixture of 1% cup fine, dry breadcrumbs or flour, 1% teaspoon salt and a little pepper. Fry in a small amount of fat till brown on both sides. Alternatively, dip the tomatoes in beaten egg, then in flour or breadcrumbs before cooking. Red Tomato Chutney , Three onions, 14 oz. light brown sugar, 2 dozen large ripe tomatoes, 2 oz. preserved ginger chopped finely, 6 goodsized tart apples, 6 oz. raisins cut fine, 3 large lemons skinned and cut up, 3 oz. salt, 1 oz..garlic, 242 pints vinegar. Slice tomatoes, sprinkle with salt, leave all night to drain. Add apples, onion, rind of 1 lemon, and vinegar. Boil till tender, put through colander. Add remaining ingredients. Boil 3. or 4 hours, Tomato Sauce Eight pounds sliced tomatoes, 3 large onions sliced, 3 large cooking apples cored and cut up, but not peeled, 3 oz. salt,e 2. lb. light. brown sugar, 1% oz. cayenne, 3 0z. whole spice, 4% oz. each cloves and ground ginger, 1 quart vinegar. Put all spices in muslin bag. Boil all together. 3 hours, then strain and boil again for 30 minutes. The second boiling is absolutely necessary. Cork or seal tightly.