Italian Jarred Tomatoes Two Ways

Ingredients

• 4.4 pounds tomatoes
• 6-8 fresh basil leaves
• 2 glass tight fitting closed jars (with new lids) ((2½ cups / 550-600 ml))

Steps

1. 1

   Clean the tomatoes well in clean cool water. There is no need to use any chemical cleaner on the tomatoes.

2. 2

   Wash the jars in hot soapy water, then rinse well and drain. Place the jars in a large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes.Then drain the jars upside down on a clean tea towel to dry and cool. Here you will find other ways to sterilize the jars.

3. 3

   In a large pot of boiling water add the tomatoes and cook 1-2 minutes. For the puree I cut the tomatoes in half and boiled for about 1 - 1½ minutes. For the pelati I left the tomatoes whole and boiled for 2 minutes, you just want to be able to remove the skin easily, not cook them.

4. 4

   Put the boiled tomatoes through a food mill, the food mill will remove the seeds and skin, place 3-4 leaves of fresh basil at the bottom of the jar and pour the puree on top, leaving about one inch / 2-3 cm of space. Seal the jar well with the tight fitting lid and set aside.

5. 5

   Remove the tomatoes and let cool enough to handle. Then remove the peel, slice in half, remove the seeds and gently squeeze to remove excess liquid but not all. Place 3-4 leaves of fresh basil at the bottom of the jar and add the tomatoes on top. With a wooden spoon push down on the tomatoes to remove any air bubbles before sealing leaving about one inch / 2-3 cm of space. Seal the jar well with the tight fitting lid and set aside.

6. 6

   Place the jars lid side down in a large pot, big enough so they can be completely covered with water, place towels around the jars so they won't break while boiling. Cover with water and bring to a boil and boil 34-40 minutes turn off the heat and let sit in the water, i usually go overnight or at least 8 hours. Remove from the pot and store. Enjoy!