CANNED TOMATOES-CANNING A FAMILY TRADITION

Hi everyone

This has been a busy time for us here in Arizona.  We have been canning for weeks now.  It is a family tradition on both sides.  My Mom and my grandmother all canned and preserved food. 

As a girl in the 7th grade, my mom made me stand and stir tomato sauce.  I could not think of anything more boring to do at that age.  She also had us help on other things she was canning from her garden. 

There was a basement in the home we were living in at the time.  When it was all done my mom took my sister and I down there.  There were on the shelves all the canned jars full of food that we had help do.  She then began to tell us if we were ever in a blizzard that we had plenty of food.  I WAS HOOKED.  I thought it looked beautiful.  I have enjoyed putting food up every sense.  My sister also wants to garden when ever she can.

Now on my husbands side.  His grandmother did a lot of food preservation.  His grandparents lived through the depression and had orchards and a garden. 

When we raised our kids we lived on 5 acres.  My husbands uncles and his dad would work together to put food up. 

The picture above is of my son, grandson, and husband cutting tomatoes and getting them ready to can.  They are carrying on their family tradition.

Today I canned the tomato sauce at my son's home while my husband and son went and did some work.  We still have more tomatoes to can, but it will be a family affair.

I imagine there are lots of families out there that do the same.  They also must find it rewarding to see their basements or pantry full of homegrown canned and preserved foods.

As for my IC restrictions - tomatoes are on my NO LIST.  Sometimes IC Bladder patients can get buy with lower acid tomatoes.  As you can see I am canning orange tomatoes.  I have canned yellow tomatoes too.  For the most part I use my "NOMATO SAUCE' - NANA'S TWEAKED.

Nina