Tomato Tidings

In August and September, it's very hard for me to resist putting delicious food into jars. Having canning day with my Mamaw made me want to do even more.  And while I needed to get back to Columbus, my mom had several tomatoes on the vine ready for the picking. Mom and I went to harvest some of these dandies for me to take back and do in my apartment. After all, I conquered tomatoes AND peaches by myself last year, remember?

The sun was shining so brightly that evening, I just couldn’t resist taking advantage of the light at my Mom and Dad’s farm. I sat the gorgeous tomatoes on the deck for a mini photo shoot.

I call this one tomato parade. Ah, pure bliss in the sight of home grown tomatoes plucked straight from the vine just a few minutes before. And the sun, oh the glory of the sun.

And my Mom and Dad’s farm. Oh the beauty and simplicity. The freshly mowed hay fields that made a perfect backdrop for the day’s harvest - alas.

OK, now things aren’t going to be so idyllic. Flash forward a couple of days to life back in the city --- my apartment in Grandview to be exact.  What to do with my harvest?  I decided to do some pizza sauce.  Then, the process began.

 It was time to take care of my gorgeous tomatoes. First things first, operation sudsy jars jar wash 2011.

Splish splash little tomaties!! You need to be all nice and clean for the boilin’ pot.

OK, so the water wasn’t boiling yet. Might as well let these little angels dry off a bit before being plunged into the roaring H2O.

Consider it a day at the spa for tomatoes.

The massacre begins. On the right, tomatoes that have met their fate. On the left, others wait in what appears to be a blood bath of horror and doom.

The weapon of choice. No, I didn’t just commit a murder, despite the look of violence all around the weapon.

Meet the pots! We have big mamma canner on the left and little blue on the right.

The former lush tomatoes have been reduced to sauce and are enjoying their transformation in the boiling pot once again. Meanwhile, on the front burner, lids and rings are getting hot and bothered.

Operation pizza sauce is well underway with only a few victims, uh, jars left to go!

Here they are! Final product – nine jars of pizza sauce. Thank you to the Lawson Farm tomatoes – all gave some, some gave all.