My dining room table has this tendency to become an extra surface for things that I just want out of my way and I don’t have a specific place for yet. Anyone else have a place like this in their house? Or am I alone in my own very disorganized world?
I justify it because we use the dining room maybe ten times a year so the table is actually a good place for unwrapped Christmas gifts (although this will have to change once there are children…), frames that need to be hung, and, most recently, completed canning jars.
I snapped this picture of the cans on the table with my phone last week and posted it to my personal Facebook page.
The comments that it produced included words like “painful,” “yikes” and “work.” I was even told that I deserved a cocktail.
I won’t sugar coat anything; Canning is quite a bit of work.
And, I am not going to lie, I was kind of dreading getting started this year.
When canning, my kitchen is a mess, which tends to have a spiral effect on the rest of the house. Maybe it’s because canning also is a pretty good free-time suck as there is just a little time window when enough tomatoes are ripe so I feel like I “gotta get it done!”
But, about two weeks ago, I just did it. And, in that first batch, I remembered why I love it.
Canning makes me feel proud and accomplished. Canning makes me look forward to winter knowing that I will have my preserved summer tomatoes. And, even though canning is quite a bit of work, it also is pretty fun.
What may have helped fuel my excitement was that I started this years canning season with my favorite recipe: Marinara Sauce.
This marinara sauce is everything that is good in this world. Ripe tomatoes. Fresh herbs. Garlic. Red wine.
Seriously, the flavors together are like Italy in a jar. It’s so good. And, not to mention, really easy. I have this recipe memorized and often make double batches.
This marinara is great for pasta, lasagna, chicken parmesan, pizza, and you can even make it into a meat sauce with sausage or ground beef.
- 6 pounds whole plum tomatoes
- 2 TBS. Olive Oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 2/3 cups dry red wine
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 6oz can of tomato paste
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- Clean tomatoes. Place tomatoes about 5-6 at a time in a pot of boiling water just until their skin splits. Immediately place in bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Remove the tomatoes skin, core the tomatoes and roughly chop. Place chopped tomatoes, including juices, into a large bowl.
- In a large stock pot heat olive oil.
- Add olive oil and pepper flakes and cook until just fragrant.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and their juices into the pot. Then add all remaining ingredients to the pot stirring until combined.
- Bring sauce to a boil and then simmer for about an hour, uncovered.
- Ladle the sauce into hot and sterilized canning jars.
- Leave 1/2 inch headspace.
- Process in a boiling water bath for 35 minutes if using pint jars, 40 if using quarts.
- This sauce will be chunky, but if you would like a smoother texture you can run an immersion blender through it.
- The sauce can also be frozen if you prefer not to can.
I have always enjoyed canning tomatoes in any and all forms. I call some of them my witches brew. So glad you are finding it fulfilling. Nothing like seeing the visible results of hard work. and it tastes good besides!!
“Witches Brew!” I LOVE that! It is true. Got to love hard work that rewards you with tasty food! 🙂 See you soon!
When canning you have to dance in the kitchen. Put on your sneakers because you are going to be on your feet for more than an hour. Put on music to keep you company and moving. TMC is also good- those old movies are great for chopping onions.
I was looking on Pinterest for a recipe for marinara that uses fresh tomatoes and remembered seeing this! So glad I did! You need to share the pizza sauce and tomato soup recipes too!
Thanks, Erika! Last year was all testing… I think I got the tomato soup right though so I will likely do it once tomatoes are ripe!
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