I’d ordered 2 more 20# boxes of tomatoes to be picked up on Friday. They wrote and said they had 1, and probably would have a second by Friday afternoon. After 2 trips to the farm store because I forgot to pick up the red peppers the first time, I had the bought stuff.
My helper friend was here on Friday and we sorted out enough tiny storage onions to equal 16 medium-large onions. We also processed all the old garlic from 2019 and I had more than enough.
So Saturday morning at 6AM I started in. This time I merely peeled the tomatoes and chunked them. But that second box they gave me was full of half ripe tomatoes. One cannot use unripe tomatoes in the Squeezo as it plugs the screen. So I set about 8 – 10# off to ripen. I can use them later in the week to eat or make ketchup. I ended up with about 30# and had to adjust the other ingredient amounts to that.
The peppers I’d bought were the biggest ones I’ve ever seen! I’d needed 8 large peppers, but I didn’t think the recipe meant these monsters. So I only got 6. I forgot when I was cutting them up I’d adjusted for 30# of tomatoes, and used them all.
This time when I used the Squeezo I’d done a good enough job of getting the stuff that plugs the screen out that I never did have to take it off. I did have to scrape the paste from it several times to keep the liquid flowing, but rather that than cleaning it.
I ended up with roughly the same amount of sauce this time, as I’d left the seeds in. I had the tomatoes simmering in 3 heavy bottom stockpots by 10AM. Then I got the other vegetables finely chopped and in by noon. It takes me forever by myself, due to peripheral neuropathy in my hands. I have to go slow and careful as they don’t always do what I tell them. This is when I miss my helper friend!
The pots cooked up much faster separated out compared to the single huge stockpot. No sticking to the bottom this time.
My husband returned with the 4 cases of new canning jars just when I needed them at 3PM and I got the first load of 14 pints in the waterbath canner. The last load of 6 jars finished at 6:30PM for a total of 20 pints.
The first batch was 20 pints also, so now there are 40. I think this will do it for spaghetti sauce. I’ve order 40# more tomatoes for Monday pickup. My helper friend is here Tuesday and I will be doing ketchup.
Sunday we move the pasture pen. It’s to be a cool day again (as was Saturday) but I think I will rest after Saturday’s marathon and just do laundry.