Summer is coming….I think this year we will appreciate it more, savor it more and experience it with a new appreciation.  After the record breaking winter of 2015 and a February so brutal none of us will forget, the fruits and vegetables of summer will be that much more welcome.   One of my absolute favorite summer pastimes is canning.  I love simmering big pots of berries and concocting new combinations of preserves. And then, there is the prime crop of summer, the ripe juicy tomato in all of its sun soaked summer splendor. I am a picky tomato eater…I can’t stand the waxy, gritty, jellied winter varieties and I really will wait all year for the summer ones to arrive to eat one!  Then to extend some of that summer flavor through the winter, I roast them 20 lbs at a time, crush them skin and all, add just a little seasoning, and can them in a way that would hopefully make my grandmother proud.

20lbs of summer tomatoes from your local farmer

Salt and pepper

Lemon juice concentrate

Canning jars and good instructions from Ball’s book of preserves

A food mill and a helpful 5 year old

Half, sprinkle with salt and pepper and then roast the tomatoes at 450 F for 45 minutes. Crush in a food mill and then simmer to cook off extra moisture and thicken. Can according to recommended Food safety guidelines.