Sunday Dinner & More Canning

Happy Monday! It was a crazy weekend....well part of it. Saturday was crazy, but Sunday was a very much needed rest day! I'll start off by telling you about our supper that we had last night. I had a Boca burger with fresh green tomato salsa on top. This salsa was from the 2nd recipe (more about the salsa in a bit). We had fried green tomatoes and onions. I tried the fried green tomatoes a different way this time. I took my mom some green tomatoes the other day and asked her if she was going to fry them. She said she needed an onion first. She had me puzzled as to why she needed an onion until she explained that she likes to fry the onions in with her tomatoes. So, this time I diced the green tomatoes with some onion and then threw them in a baggie with some flour, cornmeal and some seasonings. For the seasonings, I used salt, pepper, basil, and oregano. No measuring done this time though. The fried green tomatoes and onions were great. Moms know what they are talking about! :o)



We also had fried potatoes....yes, it was a fried Sunday night, and everything was great. I used some Red Robin seasoning on the potatoes after Tony finished frying them. If you've ever been to Red Robin and sprinkled this stuff on your fries, then you know how good it is. If you haven't, you have got to try it! The last time we were in Red Robin, we asked if they sold it, and what do you know....they did. Of course we had to buy some and it was only $3.50 for a big jar! :o)

Okay, on to the canning that I did on Saturday. First we had a lot of the Roma's to ripen, so I made some tomato sauce out of those. Most of the day was spent on the green Roma's though. This salsa recipe was very different from the first one. This one was more seasoned. You can really taste the spices. On that note I am really undecided as to which one I like the best. I just can't pick a favorite. My mother-n-law on the other hand liked the 2nd one the best, because it's not as spicy. She said the first one was hotter than the 2nd. So far the 2nd one has the top rating. :o)

The jar of salsa on the left is the first recipe which called for red bell pepper. I think it looks prettier than the 2nd recipe, which is the jar on the right. The first one is sweeter tasting. I'm very excited about both of them. I think they both turned out great. Especially for my first canning experience. Now I can't wait until next year, because there will be a lot more canning going on. :o)

Here's the link to the second recipe, which I doubled. Of course I used green Roma tomatoes instead of the tomatillos. This is the recipe that Food Snobbery is my Hobbery recommended. It's yummy! http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_salsa/tomatillo_green_salsa.html

Here's the recipe to the first salsa that I made.

2 1/2 lbs green tomatoes, peeled and chopped

3 yellow onions

1 1/2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped

2 large red bell peppers, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup lime juice

1'4 cup vinegar

1/2 tablespoon salt

1/4 tablespoon cumin

1/2 tablespoon dried oregano leaves

1 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon sugar

Combine everything in a large stock pot, mixing well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

To continue canning, bring salsa back to a boil.

Ladle salsa into hot sterile jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Wipe lids and jar edges clean before tightening lids and placing them back into the boiling water.

Process (boil) jars for 15 minutes.

Remove carefully and let sit for 24 hours. Leave about an inch in between the jars, so they will cool better. Check the lids to make sure they are all sealed. Refrigerate any unsealed jars.

~Peace~