Canning Tomato Soup Base Recipes

Steps:

• Place onions, celery, and tomatoes in a large pot; pour in enough water to just cover vegetables; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tomatoes are tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Pour tomato mixture through a strainer or food mill, discard solids, and return liquid to the pot; stir sugar and salt into liquid.
• Blend butter and flour together in a blender until smooth and creamy; add tomato juice. Blend until smooth. Pour butter mixture into liquid in the pot. Cook and stir over medium heat just until tomato soup is hot.
• Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack the tomato soup into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars into the boiling water using a holder. Leave a 2-inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary to bring the water level to at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a rolling boil, cover the pot, and process for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area, and wait at least 12 hours before opening.

Steps:

• In a 6-quart stockpot or Dutch oven, heat oil, butter and pepper flakes over medium heat until butter is melted. Add carrots and onion; cook, uncovered, over medium heat, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and dried basil; cook and stir 1 minute longer. Stir in tomatoes, chicken stock, tomato paste, sugar, salt and pepper; mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, to let flavors blend, 20-25 minutes. , Remove pan from heat. Using a blender, puree soup in batches until smooth. If desired, slowly stir in heavy cream, stirring continuously to incorporate; return to stove to heat through. Top servings with fresh basil if desired.

Steps:

• 1. In a very large soup pot, sauté the chopped onions and celery in the 1/2 cup of water till tender. Watch that the pieces don't start to burn. After about 10 minutes, add the chopped garlic and cook another 3 minutes. If needed, add a small amount of water to keep it all from sticking.
• 2. Now you can do what you will, but I prefer the food possessor! I pureed my tomatoes with the basil at the same time BEFORE cooking, and then added them to the celery,onion,garlic mix! (IF YOU ARE GOING TO USE THE FOOD PROCESSOR,JUMP TO STEP #5) OTHERWISE PROCEED WITH #3
• 3. Otherwise chop all the tomatoes and add basil (if using), stir well, and cover. Cook on medium until the tomatoes are tender (about an hour). **************************************************** Scoop out about 2 cups of the tomatoes into the colander and, using the back of a large slotted spoon (works best), press down on the tomatoes so that the juice runs down through the colander into the bowl below. Keep doing this until you've pressed all the juice out of the tomatoes. What you're doing is a) collecting juice and b) getting rid of all the skins, which have a very unappealing texture if left in the soup. Now that you have a giant bowl full of tomato juice, put it all back into your soup potand cook over medium heat for a few minutes to heat back up. Take about a cup of the juice and pour it over the butter/flour mixture in your other bowl. Stir well to smooth it out into a creamy paste. Then pour that butter/flour/soup mixture into the big soup pot with all the rest of the juice, and stir well. Cook for ten minutes.
• 4. At the end of the cooking time, taste and add 1 to 2 TBSP of sugar to smooth out the taste.
• 5. (IF YOU PROCESSED YOUR BASE FOLLOW THESE STEPS) Cook on medium for about an hour. **************************************************** At the end of the cooking time, taste and add 1 to 2 TBSP of sugar to smooth out the taste. **************************************************** Place all of the cooked tomato soup back into the processor and blend until smooth,Now that you have a giant bowl full of tomato juice, put it all back into your soup pot and cook over medium heat for a few minutes to heat back up. Take about a cup of the juice and pour it over the butter/flour mixture in your other bowl. Stir well to smooth it out into a creamy paste. Then pour that butter/flour/soup mixture into the big soup pot with all the rest of the juice, and stir well. Cook for ten minutes.
• 6. At this point, you have soup base. You can cool it and store it in freezer bags, or you can can it in a water bath(dont add milk yet) , or you can serve it up on the spot. Whichever way you go, when it comes time to cook and serve the soup, just mix two parts soup base to one part milk.
• 7. If canning........ DON'T ADD MILK YET!!!!! Sterilizing your jars and rings, there are many ways to do this, here is a selection you can choose from, I do mine in the dishwasher ! Much faster! Dishwasher Method This method is great if you're short on time. Wash the jars in the dishwasher and then simply leave them there until ready to fill. Keeping the door to the dishwasher closed keeps in the steam and heat. Remove the jars a couple at a time as needed. Stove Top Method 1.Place your jars in a canner right side up. 2.Then, fill the canner with water, stopping an inch above the jars. 3.Bring the water to a boil and continue boiling for 10 minutes. 4.Reduce the heat and keep the jars in the hot water until you're ready to fill them. Tips: If you live above 1,000 feet in altitude, add one minute of boiling time for each 1,000 foot increase in elevation. Oven Method 1.Preheat your oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure to adjust the oven racks to accommodate the jar's height. 2.Arrange your jars, lids, and bands on the cookie sheets. Leave space between them for the hot air to circulate. If you're reusing Mason jars from previous years, remove the lids and bands from those jars so that everything is open and separated before you put your equipment in the oven. 3.Place the cookie sheets with your jars, lids, and bands on them in your preheated oven. Set a timer for 10 minutes, and do not remove anything or open the oven door before these 10 minutes have elapsed. If more than 10 minutes elapses, that's OK, but 10 minutes at that temperature is all you need. 4.Turn the oven off and leave the jars, lids, and bands in the oven to keep them warm until you're ready to use them for canning. Although 225 degrees is a comparatively low oven temperature, always use oven mitts or thick hand towels to handle anything you take out of your oven.
• 8. in a small sauce pan boil about 2 c of water and remove from heat, place your lids in this water and leave until ready to seal your jars Clean rims of the jars with a hot,clean cloth or coffee filter.
• 9. Fill jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process jars.
• 10. Put in canner & process 30 minutes (start timing when it's at a 'rolling' boil). Remove and set them upright on a towel to set for 12 hours. LEAVE THE RINGS ON, YOU WILL HEAR POPPING NOISES, THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR!!! ONCE JARS HAVE SET FOR NO MORE THAN 12 HOURS, (VERY IMPORTANT) REMOVE THE RINGS, THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO EVER KNOW IF YOUR JARS SEALED PROPERLY,OTHERWISE YOU WONT KNOW YOUR FOOD IS SPOILED UNTIL YOU SMELL SOMETHING HORRID IN THE CUPBOARDS! TRUST ME!!!
• 11. Don't forget to date your jars and use within 3 years!! Enjoy!
• 12. Some people say this isn't long enough in a canner, some people say you should only pressure can this recipe. I'm happy with it and am quite comfortable making it and processing it in this way. If you're uncomfortable with this method use whatever canning method you're comfortable with.The USDA has new recommendations and you can choose which is best for you,pressure canning,water bath and gives new timings of each method to choose from!

Steps:

• Chop onion& celery.
• Place in large kettle w/ just enough water to keep them from burning.
• While this simmers, cut tomatoes (remove stems if not using strainer).
• Add to kettle& cook until tender.
• Place this all through Victorio strainer (or similar).
• Return to kettle.
• Add sugar& salt.
• Cream butter and flour together& mix thoroughly with two cups of COLD juice, until dissolved (or blend together in a blender), to avoid lumps of flour in the juice.
• Add butter/flour mixture to warmed tomato juice. (Add before it's hot, to avoid lumps of flour!).
• Stir well.
• Heat just until hot. (If it gets to a boil, it can make the flour lumpy).
• Just prior to boiling, turn off the burner. (It will continue to thicken as it cools.).
• Ladle into jars& close securely with lids.
• Return to canner & process 20-30 minutes (start timing when it's at a 'rolling' boil).
• Remove from canner & allow to set until sealed (approx. 12 hours) To serve, mix equal parts tomato concentrate to milk, and add 1/2 t. of baking soda per pint as it cooks (1 t. per quart).
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