Hi Sharon!

I
use the chunkier stewed tomatoes for Chile and soups and casseroles, it's great
to have around. Depends on the tomatoes how thick the sauce gets, some are more
juicy than others. Some years I've had to cook it down quite a bit after
opening other years not at all.

OK here goes on the tomatoes. I make three types, for all
of them I use well ripened tomatoes. Fill a large pot with water and bring to
the boil. Place the tomatoes in the boiling water for a minute or two, until
the skin splits then plunge them in cold water. This makes peeling really easy.
Cut out the core end and peel them. Place the peeled tomatoes into a large pot
and smoosh them up with your hands. For the Italian and Herbed tomatoes I take
a stick blender to the smooshed tomatoes. You can use a food processor instead.
I don't worry about the seeds.

Here are the ingredients for every 24 cups of smooshed tomatoes.
You can decrease the amounts of veggies but DON'T increase. I never put garlic
in when canning , although many people do. The only
times I have ever lost any jars is when I used garlic so I'm phobic about
adding garlic!!! I add the garlic when I use the sauce.

Stewed tomatoes

24 cups smooshed tomatoes left chunky
1 1/2 - 2 cups celery, rough chop
1 1/2 - 2 cups green pepper, rough chop
2 cups onion, rough chop
2 TBSP coarse salt
12 TBSP bottled lemon juice

The amount you use is based on personal taste I like less celery and
pepper than onion but really it is a matter of choice. Just don't go past 6
cups total veggies to 24 cups of tomatoes.

Plain Italian Tomato Sauce

24 cups smooshed tomatoes whirred smoothish
2 cups finely minced celery
2 cups finely minced onion
1 1/2 cups finely minced carrot (use just one for a bit less sweet I
use 1 1/2)
12 TBSP bottles lemon juice
2 TBSP coarse salt

Note: For one batch I sub hot peppers for some of the carrot and celery, just
so I have a piquante sauce as well.

Herbed Tomato Sauce

24 cups smooshed tomatoes whirred smoothish
4 - 5 cups chopped herbs of your choice
12 TBSP bottled lemon juice
2 TBSP coarse salt.

I use Basil, oregano and parsley but you can use only one or two or
three and you don't need to use equal amounts, in other words you can go 2/3
basil 1/3 parsley.

For all of them bring to a rolling boil and then lower heat to a high
simmer , you want to see some action but not a full boil. After coming to the
boil a foam will form, skim it off.

Place your jars in the dishwasher , when the jars are done so is the sauce. I
generally cook about an hour , you can go longer. I don't like to cook less
than an hour 'cause I want some thickening to take place while canning so it
doesn't need to much cook time when I use it.

Fill jars as normal. HWB for 30 minutes.

I usually can about 3 bushels of tomatoes. It is easy if you do them 1/2 bushel
at a time. FYI I usually get about 9 - 10 quart jars to a 1/2 bushel and a 1/2
bushel will yeild about 40 cups of tomatoes, so you need a bit more than 1/2
bushel , but just a bit, for two batches.

Good luck! Nothing like opening a jar of fresh tomatoes in the middle of
February!

Sharon

that's all I found - gosh I hope you find them. Especially that CHILE sauce!

Oh Thanks Stacy!! Thats one of the things I was pissed about losing was the quantity info. That's all I need for tomatoes. Thanks again.

I am sure I shared the Chile Sauce with someone 'cause I recall calling it Elaine's Chile sauce which was the name of the lady I got the recipe from. I'd call her but she's been dead for a long time!!!

I know it's an 11 Q basket of tomatoes, 2 red and 2 green peppers, plus 1 hot pepper, 1 bunch of celery, couple of Spanish onions, cider vinegar, sugar, pickling spice, then I get iffy on the other spices...ginger , cinnamon, maybe allspice. You think after 30 years you could do it with your eyes closed!

But I can't and I'm sick to my tummy about this.

Sharon,

I cut-and-pasted your Chili Sauce from Elaine a while back. Here it is. I don't think I have your Bread and Butters but I'll check. If not, it's likely Annie does.

Carol

Elaine's Chile Sauce
11 Q basket of field tomatoes, peeled and smashed
7 cups white sugar
4 1/2 cups cider vinegar
2 bunches of celery, chopped
4 small hot peppers, chopped
4 large sweet peppers, 2 green , 2 red, chopped
4 large onions, chopped
1 TBSP ground ginger
1 TBSP cinnamon
5 TBSP coarse salt
2 TBSP Pickling spice tied in a cheesecloth bag
Simmer/low boil chopped veggies with tomatoes for 2 hours then drain off 2 cups liquid. Add everything else EXCEPT sugar and simmer another 3 hours or even more, until nice and thick. Add sugar 1 hour before canning.
Fill pint jars and HWB for 15 minutes.
Note: If time is tight I make right up to the add sugar part, refrigerate overnight and finish the next day.
Posted by Sharon (Chase) on CF

Sharon, you sent me the same info and recipes that Stacy posted above. You did send me this follow up info while you were doing tomatoes last year. I sure hope you find your book....maybe it's up at the cottage???

I am doing down some tomatoes this AM so took note of a few things. I'm doing
1/2 bushel and it resulted in 40 cups of tomatoes. I get approz 10 jars to the
half bushel. A double batch of the recipe as I gave it to you would need 48 cups
of tomatoes , so slightly more than a 1/2 bushel. but not much.

Forgot to mention a few things......and probably will recall more!

I sub hot peppers for some of the carrot and celery in one batch of the Italian
sauce. So I have a spicy one and a regular one.

Also after it comes to a boil it will develop some foam which you should scrape
off.

If I think of more I'll let you know.

Sharon

Thank you readinglady!!!!! That was the one recipe I knew I would never be able to duplicate...I love you!!!!

David thanks for those extra notes.....it rounds the tomato recipes off perfectly.

Now if the Bread and Butters would only show up, if not I think I can find them at Cathy's, at least I hope I can.

The book also had several relish and other pickle recipes I like but the 4 special special are my dills, tomatoes, chile sauce and bread and butters.

Sharon, I'm late to this party too. I had your dill pickle recipe and the chile sauce recipe, I will look for the bread and butter recipe tonight when I get home. I don't think I have it because I don't make many pickles, but I'll look, maybe I'll get lucky.

Annie

Do you need these?
Diane's Home Cookin Chapter: Pickles, Relishes & ChowChows

Chase's Dills
=============
I have no idea what exactly makes these pickles so good so I am religious about
following the steps to the tee!

I make these a bushel at a time, each bushel yields about 50 jars. If using
less than a bushel you can usually count on between 6-8 dills (cukes) per 1
quart jar, depending on size

Use 3" to 4" cukes that have just been picked. I get mine at the market and
always insist on cukes that have been picked that morning or the day before at
the earliest.

Place the cukes in ice cold water (I use my bath tub!!) and add a bag or two of
ice to the water. The cukes should stay in the ice water for a minimum of 2
hours but no more than 8. Refresh the ice as required.

I make the brine in great big batches using this ratio:

2 cups white vinegar
6 cups water
1/3 cup coarse pickling salt

For each jar of dills you will need 2 nice size garlic cloves peeled and cut in
half (4 pieces) and two dill florets. Use the dill heads not that fluffy stuff!
So if you are doing a bushel....that is 50 jars so you need 100 dill florets
and 100 garlic cloves. Leave the cukes whole.
. Now here is where the canning police and I part ways. This is how I do
it and have for 30 years but it is not according to the guidelines .
You'll need to make your own choice but I am convinced this is why they
are so crisp.

I sterilize my jars using the sani cycle of the dishwasher (you could
boil the jars instead) When they are really hot, almost at the end of
the cycle I place them in a oven at 150 degrees to keep them good and
hot.

Make the brine and bring the brine to a full and rolling boil.

Place the rings and lids in a large saucepan with water and bring them
almost to the boil. Then turn down but keep them hot.

Place the cukes, garlic and dill in the hot jars. I do garlic, dill,
cukes, garlic, dill. Pour brine over the cukes. Only do 2 jars at a
time, leave the rest in the oven to keep them hot.

Wipe the rim really well, this is critical to sealing, and place lid
and ring on and screw to finger tight. Let sit 6-8 weeks before eating!

Here is what I think is most critical:

Fresh cukes Ice bath Boiling hot brine Very hot jars Clean rim

So as a recap of ingredients

1) Make the brine in the quantity you need , just keep making it 2)
Count on 6-8 medium size cukes to a jar 3) 2 large florets of dill to a
jar 4) 2 large size garlic cloves, cut in half, ( 4 pieces) per jar

Pickled Sausage - Chase's
=========================
2 teaspoons coarse pickling salt
2 cups vinegar
1 cup water (use less or for a a tarter taste)
knackwurst
sliced onions
red pepper flakes to taste
several cloves of garlic peeled and sliced
. Bring first three ingredients to a boil. Place the sausage in a non
reactive container with a lid (I use a great big jar).Add the rest of
the ingredients.~ Cover all with the brine and refrigerate for several
day~

Exported from Home Cookin 5.5 (www.mountain-software.com)

Hey, we can all use a little more love. I'm glad to help. I'd be devastated if I lost my recipes with all those precious notes.

Sorry I didn't find the bread-and-butters in my files. I have the dills but I see that's already posted. I'll bet, though, that someone on the CF will come through for you.

Carol

Diane thanks for the sausage recipe I forgot about that one. It is another I've had for a million years. Which reminds me my pickled eggs recipe is in the book too : (

Last year I change my pickled beet recipe so I have that one on line. There are a few relishes that I like but to be honest don't make very often.

I really need the Bread and Butter recipe, they are so good, at least I think so!

I really need the Bread and Butter recipe, they are so good, at least I think so!

So do I, Sharon! I really, really, really hope you find your recipe book!

Linda

Sharon, here's a few tried and true that I like. Hope they come close to your originals.

Bread & Butter Pickles

This is my friend, Dianas recipe. She got it from her sonÂs ex-girlfriend. This is the best recipe IÂve tried. Makes 12 pints

Ingredients

4 quarts sliced cucumbers
1 ½ (+) cups sliced onions, go heavy
6 large garlic cloves
â cup canning (or Kosher) salt
4 trays of ice cubes
5 cups white sugar
1 ½ teaspoons turmeric
1 ½ teaspoons celery seed
2 tablespoons mustard seed
3-4 cups white vinegar

In a large tub or bowl, mix first 4 ingredients. Place the ice cubes on top of the cucumber mixture. Let stand for 3 hours. This procedure is to help make the pickles crisp.

After 3 hours, drain water  do not rinse. Take out all the garlic cloves (donÂt worry if you miss one. ItÂs ok to pickle it. The garlic may turn a greenish blue in the pickling solution do to the acid in the vinegar).

In a large non-reactive kettle (stainless steel works well), mix next 5 ingredients. Stir occasionally and bring up to a rapid boil. Add the cucumber mixture. Bring back up to a boil. Put heat on low. Ladle quickly into hot, clean jars, leaving ¼" headspace. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands on finger tight. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Chili Sauce

This is an old-fashioned type of food. Used as a relish for hotdogs and hamburgers. This is out of the Ball Blue Book. This makes 6-8 pints.

Ingredients

4 quarts chopped, peeled, cored tomatoes (about 24 large)
2 cups chopped onions (about 2 large)
2 cups seeded, chopped sweet red or green peppers (about 4, or use a combination or both)
1 hot red pepper, finely chopped
1 ½ cups sugar
2 ½ cups vinegar
1 tablespoon canning (or kosher) salt
1 tablespoon celery seed
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves

Combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil an cook gently for an 1 ½ to 2 hours. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. Ladle quickly into hot, clean jars, leaving ¼" headspace. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands on finger tight. Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

Spaghetti Sauce (Chunky Basil Pasta Sauce)

This is my spaghetti sauce recipe that I can. It doesnÂt need to be canned. Put any extra in the freezer for a later date. The recipe comes from Small-Batch Preserving by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard. This makes 8 cups.

Ingredients

8 cups (2 L) coarsely chopped peeled tomatoes -- (about 9-12 tomatoes or 4 lb/2 kg)
1 cup chopped onion -- (250 mL)
3 cloves garlic -- minced
â cup red wine -- (150 mL)
â cup red wine vinegar (5 % strength) -- (75 mL)
½ cup chopped fresh basil -- (125 mL)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley -- (15 mL)
1 teaspoon pickling salt -- (5 mL)
½ teaspoon granulated sugar -- (2 mL)
1 6-oz/156 mL) can tomato paste

Combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, wine, vinegar, basil, parsley, salt, sugar and tomato paste in a very large non-reactive pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until mixture reaches desired consistency, stirring frequently.

If canning, remove hot jars from canner and ladle sauce into jars to within ½ inch (1 cm) of rim (head space). Process 35 minutes for pint (500 mL) jars and 40 minutes for quart (1 L) jars in a BWB.

Hints, tips, tricks and how to cheat
If the sauce is too tart, add a tablespoon of sugar or grape jam. If you are not canning the sauce, try omitting the vinegar and upping the red wine to 1 cup total. Use a wine you like to drink. I have used white wines before as well as white zinfandel. Red wines that work well are Black Opal Merlot, Little Penquin Merlot, Yellow Tail Merlot, Marcus James Merlot, Swedish Hill Svenka Red. The sauce also freezes nicely.

Have you checked the old posts-- might find some there.

Thanks for the idea Diane, I searched and searched but no luck.....but it was a great trip down memory lane!

Sharon, did you ever find your book? I just ran across this recipe that I got about 30 years ago from my ex mother-in-law. She made really good pickles and I totally forgot I had 3 of her pickle recipes in an old recipe box!
Maybe it's close to yours?

Bread & Butter Pickles

5 medium cukes
3 medium onions
1/4 c salt
1 c vinegar
1/2 tsp celery seed
1 c water
1/2 tsp mustard seed
3/4 c sugar
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp turmeric

Wash cukes and cut in thin slices. Peel & slice onions, combime with the cukes. Add salt, let stand 2 hours. Drain. Heat vinegar, water, celery seed, mustard seed, dugar , ginger and turmeric to boiling. Add cukes and onions. Boil slowly until tender. While hot, pack into sterilized jars and process 10 minutes in boiling water bath.

Linda

Sharon,
Here's the recipe I use. I got it from a friend who's Mom has made them for years.

Bread & Butter Pickles
3 white onions sliced thin
4 qts pickling cukes - approx 24 cut into 1/4" slices
Mix and pour over cukes and onions the following:
4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 tbsp turmeric
1/2 tbsp celery seed
1/2 tbsp mustard seed
1/4 cup pickling salt this salt doesn't make solution cloudy
4 cups white vinegar
Divided into 2 1 qt jars.
DO NOT COOK..
Put into refrigerator
Let stand for two (2) weeks before using. Shake the jars two to three times a day for the two weeks. Enjoy. They are crisp and tasty!!!

Thanks for the recipes Linda and Lynda. No sadly the book has not shown up.

Linda I did end up using a recipe Carol ( Readinglady ) posted for me on the Harvest Forum and they are remarkably close to mine. I recall you wanted the recipe so here it is the one I used (which is now my recipe LOL)

Bread and Butter Pickles (Readinglady)

INGREDIENTS:
4 quarts sliced medium-sized cucumbers
6 medium white onions, sliced
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1/3 cup salt
5 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
2 tablespoons mustard seed
3 cups vinegar, 5 percent acidity

PREPARATION:
Slice unpeeled cucumbers thin. Add sliced onions, peppers, and whole garlic cloves. Add salt and cover with ice. Mix well. Let stand for 3 hours. Drain well. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over cucumber mixture.

Bring just to a boil (Do not let boil, bring just to the boil and remove from heat). Transfer to hot, sterilized 1-pint jars. Seal and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes (20 minutes for 1,000 to 6,000 feet altitude). Adjust seals and store in a cool dark place for a few weeks before using.

Makes about 4 pints.

NOTE: Carol's recipe called for garlic I omitted becasue my original recipe did not use garlic)

Sharon, I bet you will find your notebook in an out of the way place where you put it when cleaning up for unexpected company. Did you check all the chest of drawers in the bedrooms? Under the front seat in your vehicle?

You can not believe where I find some stuff. The last time we moved I could not remember where I had packed all the remotes. I remembered that I put them all in the same place and in something that I would use right away after moving. WELL, I finally found them, in the cat carrier! Who would have thought!

Michelle

Thanks, Sharon, I did save that recipe from the harvest forum, too. Just figured one more couldn't hurt!

I think Michelle is right. You're going to find your book when/where you least expect it! I sure hope so anyway!

Linda

OMG, Sharon! I read your Stewed Tomatoes recipe and decided to try it out on a batch. I always put green onion and green pepper in my stewed tomatoes but added your suggestions of lemon juice and celery and OMG.......the lemon juice makes a HUGE difference and so good!

Michelle

Sharon, if you're the least bit superstitious, try turning a glass over and leave it in the cabinet upside down. My grandmother used to do this and she swore that it worked. I found my diamond tennis bracelet after it was misplaced for over a month. May sound silly, but a few days ago I was packing Jodie up for a camp trip and then I couldn't find my favorite reading glasses, turned the house over looking for them and last night Jodie came in with them telling me I had left the glasses in her room by her tv. I know I checked her room for them. At least a dozen times. Weird but I found them! and I thought I wasn't superstitious!

Michelle glad you like the tomatoes, will soon be time for me to start mine.

Dishes....I have a bit of a problem...I store all my glasses upside down....so I turned one upside right LOL. Hell you never know and I really want my book back!

LOL, good luck, Sharon! I'll keep my fingers crossed you find it soon!