No matter how you pronounce tomato, one thing is certain, the little red orbs are ripening like gang busters ’round here! Hence the subject of today (AND next weeks) DoAhead Dining!

There’s really nothing more DoAheadish than canning. (doaheadish- doo əˈhed: to perform an action in advance. Ish-a suffix added mostly for fun but it also transforms the word from a verb to an adjective.)

Now before you close this post and say to yourself, “She’s lost her crackers…I DO NOT can!” stay with me. This take on what to do with tomatoes isn’t hard and it is delicious.

My sweet Mama made homemade pizza sauce for our crew for years. Her staple was Mrs. Wages pre-mixed seasoning. I’ll show you how to take your tomatoes and turn them into the worlds best pizza sauce in three easy steps.

Step #1 Clean Tomatoes

I add a little organic veggie cleaner from the supermarket to a sink full of cold water. Let the tomatoes soak for a few minutes, rinse and then lay out to dry. We laid ours out on cookie sheets and let them ripen a few extra days in the house (keeps the grasshoppers at bay!)

Step #2 Blanche and Puree the Tomatoes

Place your clean tomatoes in boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove from water with a tongs or large, slotted spoon. Let cool for a moment-the skin will slip right off. Core the tomatoes and puree in a blender.

Step #3 Add Seasoning and Boil

Mix in the Mrs. Wages seasoning (it also recommends the addition of a little sugar), boil and stir. You are now ready to can your yummy concoction!

Canning tomatoes is a cakewalk!

Fill a sterilized jar with the freshly cooked pizza sauce. Leave about a 1/2″ of space from the top of the jar.
Put the flat tops in boiling water (it softens the rubber ring around the edges). Place the flat on top of your filled pint jar and twist on the ring. (Be certain to make sure there are no food remnants on top of the jar when you place the flat top on. This would create a barrier and keep the flat from adhering…end result, no seal!)
Next, place your filled and “lidded” pints in a roaster that contains approximately 2 inches of hot tap water. Put the roaster of filled pint jars in an oven preheated to 350 degrees.
Leave in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Make certain the contents of your jars are boiling.
Remove the pints from the roaster and place on the counter to cool. (I lay out a bath towel so the the hot jars don’t burn my counter top.)
Listen for the “ping” of lids sealing as the pints cool! Once cooled rub your finger along the flat lid. If it’s not concave it probably didn’t seal. Be safe and refrigerate. Consume within a week.

Ba-da-bing, Ba-da-boom! You’ve got homemade pizza sauce!!!

Come back next Wednesday and DoAhead Dining will feature stewed tomatoes. If you thought the pizza sauce was a no-brainer you won’t want to miss this one. It’s even easier than the pizza sauce (no blanching required!)

Your DoAhead Friend,