• Tomatoes - 6 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 purple onions, finely chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
• 1 sweet red bell pepper (or green) seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 4 cups tomato juice

• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 6 or more drops of Tabasco sauce to taste
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Step 1 - Selecting the tomatoes

It's fun to go pick your own and you can obviously get better quality tomatoes!  

At right is a picture of tomatoes from my garden - they are so much better than anything from the grocery store. And if you don't have enough, a pick-your-own farm is the pace to go!  At right are 4 common varieties that will work:

Top left: Beefsteak	Top right: Lemon Boy, yellow
Bottom left: Roma, paste-type	Bottom right: Better Boy

The picture at left shows the best variety of tomato to use: Roma; also called paste tomatoes.  they have fewer sides, thicker, meatier walls, and less water.

Also, you don't want mushy, bruised or rotten tomatoes!

Step 2 - Removing the tomato skins

Here's a trick you may not know: put the tomatoes, a few at a time in a large pot of boiling water for no more than 1 minute (30 - 45 seconds is usually enough)

then....

 Plunge them into a waiting bowl of ice water.

This makes the skins slide right off of the tomatoes!  If you leave the skins in, they become tough and chewy in the sauce, not very pleasant.

Step 3 -  Removing seeds and water

After you have peeled the skins off the tomatoes, cut the tomatoes in half.  Now we need to remove the seeds and excess water. 

Step 4 - Squeeze of the seeds and water

Just like it sounds: wash your hands then squeeze each tomato and use your finger or a spoon to scoop and shake out most of the seeds.  You don't need to get fanatical about it; removing just most will do. Another way to do it is to cut each tomato in half, across it, instead of lengthwise. Then just shake the seeds and juice out.

Step 5 - Drain and dice the tomatoes

Toss the squeezed (Squozen? :) tomatoes into a colander or drainer, while you work on others. This helps more of the water to drain off.  You may want to save the liquid: if you then pass it through a sieve, screen or cheesecloth, you have fresh tomato juice; great to drink cold or use in cooking!

Next chop them up - I like 1/2 inch size cubes. 

Step 6 - Separate the chopped tomatoes into 2 parts

Keep about 1/2 cup apart to add at the end.  Put the rest into the food processor, chopped or blender.

Step 6 - Prep the other stuff for the food processor

I use an electric chopper (food processor) to dice the seasonings fairly fine, about 1/8 inch cubes. You can separate about 1 cup of it before it gets too finely pureed, so you can add it at the end to give it some chunky buts.

• 1 purple onions, finely chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
• 1 sweet red bell pepper (or green) seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Step 7 - Mix ingredients in the pot or large bowl 

Mix and the put them

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 6 or more drops of Tabasco sauce to taste
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Taste and if you like it spicier, you can more Tabasco.

And if you like your Gazpacho thick, add more tomato paste.  If it is too thick, add tomato juice!

Step 8 - Fill the jars, ziploc bags or other containers and refrigerate

Fill non-metal, non-reactive storage containers, cover them tightly and refrigerate overnight, allowing flavors to blend.

Other Equipment:

From left to right:

1. Jar lifting tongs 
           to pick up hot jars
2. Lid lifter
           - to remove lids from the pot 
           of boiling water (sterilizing )
3. Lids
          - disposable - you may only 
          use them once
4. Ring 
         - holds the lids on the jar until after
         the jars cool - then you remove them, save them and reuse them
5. Canning Jar funnel
         - to fill the jars

 

Home Canning Kits

This is the same type of  standard canner that my grandmother used to make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and spaghetti sauce. This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts for years: the canner, jar rack, Jar grabber tongs, lid lifting wand, a plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer, and the bible of canning, the Ball Blue Book. It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. You will never need anything else except jars & lids! To see more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here!For more information and current pricing:



 

Lids, Rings, Jars, mixes, pectin, etc.

Need lids, rings and replacement jars?  Or pectin to make jam, spaghetti sauce or salsa mix or pickle mixes?  Get them all here, and usually at lower prices than your local store!

Get them all here at the best prices on the internet!