Image | Formats | julia chews the fat

My half-Italian upbringing has led me to believe that certain things are normal: buying an entire prosciutto, pitting 15 pounds of olives in one sitting, knowing all the nicknames of the numbers in Tombola and all the lyrics to “Volare”. Never having to use canned tomatoes from the supermarket is another one of those things that I’ve always accepted as normal; it’s only as I’ve gotten older that I’ve come to appreciate how special this is.

If you’ve tried your hand at tomato canning, you are well aware that it is a laborious endeavour – nothing glamorous here. But it’s dead simple and really rewarding. Our family does it around mid-September, when the tomatoes are at their very handsomest. One big batch (100 jars or so) will last us for the year.

If you decide to take this on as a project in the near future, here are a few steps to keep you in check:

: Start with 2 bushels of San Marzano tomatoes.

: Pick out the funny-looking ones and make jokes about how they look like people you know.

: Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for a couple of minutes.

: Diligently remove the “occhi” (eyes) of each tomato and peel them with your favorite Nonna.

: Reserve the peel. You will use it later.

: Halve each tomato, then cut into thirds.

: Dump tomato chunks into the biggest (sterilized) vat you can find.

: Press the reserved peel through a grinder to make tomato paste (alternately, use your hands to squeeze the peel and extract the leftover pulp). I have no idea where you would buy this device in Canada. All I know is that this one came from someone named Pina in Italy and cost 5000 lira (about 5 bucks). Obviously it’s old – the price was given to me in lira.

: Add the tomato paste to your big vat of tomatoes.

: Find the biggest & deepest stove-top saucepan you have. Fill it with tomatoes, leaving about 2 inches from the top. Add a good handful of coarse salt.

: Stir them lovingly. The rules of stirring resemble the 101 of relationships: don’t be neglectful (they will stick to the bottom), but don’t be too clingy (they won’t reach the right temperature). Either extreme will compel your tomatoes to cheat on you with your best friend.

: Once the tomatoes have reached a boil, let them go for about 10 minutes. Be sure to stir every so often (see “the rules of stirring”).

: Prepare your army of sterilized jars & lids.

: Check to make sure there are no leftover water droplets from the sterilization process. You want dry jars.

: Add a few leaves of fresh basil to each jar. Every second or third jar, take in a deep breath. You’ll remember why basil is so rad.

: When discussing how much basil to add to the jars with Nonna, remember that no matter what, she is always right. Using Italian gestures to reinforce your point will not help.

: Get your jars near a sink & prepare one with a funnel.

: Carefully ladle hot tomato mixture into each jar, leaving some space at the top.

: Quickly screw on each lid. Not too tight though – screw band down evenly and firmly, just until resistance is met (“fingertip tight”).

: Always keep a glass of vino handy for when things get a little tense in the kitchen.

: Find old blankets or towels to line the boxes in which you will put your finished jars. You may run into old items such as sheets you turned into protest banners. Use them – they will make Nonna laugh.

: Place finished jars in your blanket/towel-lined boxes. Move to an area that will not experience severe fluctuations in temperature. You want these babies cooling down slowly.

: Pour a drink for you & Nonna. You’re done.

***Note: months after this was originally posted, I took a workshop offered by a former pastry chef, turned entrepreneur/canner-extraordinaire who instructed us to process the jars after they were filled, as you would do when making pickles and jams (i.e putting them in a pot of simmering water and allowing them to boil for 30-40 minutes). Though our family has never done this (and no one has ever died, or been sick from botulism), it’s an option that you may choose to incorporate in your canning project. Search the web for more detailed info.