Continued from previous blog.... This picture shows the waste from 3 x 12 litre buckets full of tomatoes after they have passed through the machine once. (not finished yet).....
Next shows the "gutsy" stuff that comes from the skins after passing through 3 or 4 times. You put it through until no more pulp will will come out. By now the stuff in the tub should be reasonably thick.
After 7 times this is all that remains. Discard this into the rubbish bin because if you put it in the compost you'll get "feral" tomatoes growing everywhere ! Believe me, we left compost in our bin for 4 years, went to the Territory to work, when we came back..used the compost....thats when we discovered how long tomato seeds remain viable !!
Using 2 jugs, one for the tub and one for pouring into bottles. That way avoids too much mess. We use 375ml. bottles, or a little over 1 and a half cups full, which is ample for 2 people. Pour from the jug in the tub into the bottle jug the exact measurement, avoiding any spill over. Then all thats left to do is cap the bottles using beer tops with plastic inserts and Popeye's trusty bottle capper. The job is ALMOST complete. Place the bottles into the preserver and slowly bring to the boil. Hold on simmer for 1 hour and the job is done....for another couple of years...I hope. 45 bottles !! I use it for pasta sauces, soup etc. Yesterday I think I had a brainwave!! (note the, I think) If I wanted to make sauce (ketchup) why couldn't I cook the pumpkin,or apple and onions, spices etc, in the vinegar until they are soft enough to pulp through this machine, open a few bottles of tomato puree, mix it all together and finish the cooking process until the sauce is done? Food for thought, no pun intended. LOL
Some add spices and salt to their juice before the bottling but I prefer to keep mine "clean" and add seasoning as required to whatever dish I am cooking.
I do use this machine for other things as well. Crab apple paste, Quince paste are simple to do. Just cook the unpeeled fruit with enough water to almost cover until the desired colour shows in the liquid. Strain through muslin (I use the same trusty sacks that are used for the tomatoes, boiled before use.) Save about 1 litre (pint) of liquid for paste use the remainder for jelly. Put the fruit through the pulper and mix the saved juice through it add sugar and cook till done !! Yum-yum, delicious with goat cheese!! The machine also doubles up as an excellent wine press
Now here's hoping that this all comes out on Blogger the way I intended. She says taking a DEEP breath.
2 comments:
WOW am I ever impressed. That is a magnificent toy you have there:-) I am so envious of all your tomatoes. We don't grow many tomatoes over summer because of fruitfly problems but I have heaps and heaps of cucumbers on at the moment......meet me half way and we can share a salad ;-) I really like your idea of using the beer bottles for bottling....I have been saving glass salad dressing bottles for my next batch of sauce, which is an expensive way to collect bottles!!!
Hi Linda, I think you should move to SA, fruit fly pops up here once in a blue moon but is quickly dealt with. I'd love to meet you half way but the strict restrictions against bringing any fruit or veg over the border has squashed that idea. :-)
Those beer bottles have been in use for many years, some still have the labels on...beer that has not been made for years! They are treasured because the beer these days comes in a screw top bottle while the older ones have a rim. They are cleaned out after the sauce has been used and stored for the next time.
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