Canning is Fun! Canning is Easy!

I realized something yesterday. Healthy, simple, tasty recipes are hard to find online. There are so many recipes labeled "easy" that call for twenty ingredients and two hours of your time (not including the time spent going to the grocery store getting that one ingredient that no one has in their kitchen.) So I asked my mom for a little guidance. She cooks very simply and she is a very "clean" cook. She gave me a lesson in canning tomatoes in a water bath (and making jam.) She also gave me the easiest way to make a whole chicken. And it's tasty. And it's very "gourmet." And it only requires ten minutes of prep time. I'm not kidding. Here is a link to that very recipe. Try it out tonight. You will not be disappointed. 

So. Canning. Canning is something that my parents have done since... well, since before they were parents. It's something that my husband does. It's something that I used to be terrified of. Not really because I am afraid that my clumsy self will burn or injure myself, but because I hate the idea of screwing something up. I hate the idea that all of my hard work was for nothing. I really hate the idea of wasting precious fruits and vegetables. 

Canning scares me. I've been intimidated not only by my fears of messing up, but also by the aforementioned ridiculous recipes online. 

So here's an easy one for those of you who want fresh tomato sauce. 

What you will need

• Mason jars, lids, and rings (in case you're wondering where you can get these... EVERYWHERE. I even saw some in a pharmacy the other day.)
• A large stock pot and another pot for cooking the tomatoes.
• A blender or food processor.
• Lots and lots of tomatoes.
• Salt.

Directions

1. Wash the tomatoes and cut them into cubes.
2. Put them into a blender or food processor and puree (skins and all!)
3. Once pureed, put the tomatoes into a large pot with a pinch or two of salt and bring them to a boil. Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for an hour.
4. Stir them every few minutes and continuously skim the foam that accumulates on the surface. 
5. Meanwhile, put enough water in your stock pot to submerge most of the jar, but not cover the lid. Put on a separate burner and bring to a boil on high heat. Also-wash your mason jars, lids, and rings in soapy water, rinse, and set aside.
6. After an hour, funnel them into your mason jars and put lids and rings on tightly.
7. Place filled jars into stock pot of boiling water and cover. Boil for 15-20 minutes with lid on pot. 
8. Remove from stock pot with tongs (or one of those jar-grabbers-we do not happen to own one of these) and be VERY CAREFUL. The jars are VERY HOT!
9. If the lid hasn't popped down totally, give it a few minutes (even hours) because it more than likely eventually will.
10. Put the date on the lid and put your tomatoes in your pantry!

Some of the pickles, peppers, tomatoes, and jam we've canned.

Honestly, it's one of the easiest and most satisfying things you can do. Putting good food away for your family. I plan on learning more about this. My husband and I are looking at pressure cookers to do some different canning (including meat) so we can save some freezer space and spend less at the grocery store. We want to rely less on the grocery store, period. We want to be able to trust the food we're putting into our mouths and not question what happened to it while it was being processed. 

Also-if you're interested in reading more about canning from someone who is a pro, check out my friend Monica's blog and follow her blog on Facebook. Not only does she can awesome stuff like mushrooms and homemade coleslaw, she posts delicious recipes all the time, too!