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Tomatoes and Salsa
Tomato Mixture – Minnesota Style
Home canners — Here is a researched tested recipe to home can a mixture of tomatoes, celery, peppers and onions. University of Minnesota Extension developed this tomato mixture. It was reviewed and tested by the National Center for Home Food Preservation. The tomato mixture may be safely canned using the following recommended boiling water bath process method. Use the canned tomate mixture in stews, soups, and Minnesota "hotdishes."
IMPORTANT: Acidity levels are critical to a safe product. DO NOT INCREASE the amount of pepper, onion or celery from what is stated in the recipe. DO NOT USE tomatoes that are soft, overripe, decayed, or tomatoes harvested from dead or frost-killed vines.
Minnesota Tomato Mixture
Yield: 6-7 pints
For food safety and to prevent botulism poisoning, measure carefully.
Ingredients
- 12 cups tomatoes, peeled and quartered
- ½ cup chopped pepper
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 3 teaspoons salt
- ½ cup chopped onion
- Bottled lemon juice or citric acid
Procedure
- Wash tomatoes, remove stems and cores. Peel and quarter tomatoes.
- Wash peppers, celery and onions. Chop.
- Combine tomatoes and vegetables together and simmer for 10 minutes.
- To clean, hot canning jars, add ¼ teaspoon citric acid or 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice to each pint jar; add ½ teaspoon citric acid or 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice to each quart jar.
- Add tomato mixture to the jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove excess air from the jar by running a spatula or bubble-freer between the mixture and the side of the jar.
- Wipe jar rims, and cap with properly pretreated two-piece canning lids and process (see below). For 6-7 quarts, double the recipe and process.
overripe, decayed, or tomatoes
harvested from dead or frost-killed vines.
Recommended Process
Boiling water bath
Pints, 40 minutes
Quarts, 50 minutes
