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Show V j FARM NOTES I j BY HYRUM STEFFEN j j Beaver County Agent J Nutrition Expert Urges Housewives House-wives to Can Tomatoes As the Utah tomato crop rapidly rapid-ly approaches its peak, Miss Elna Miller, nutritionist for the Utah State Agricultural college extension exten-sion service, urges housewives of the state to can large quantities of this vegetable and outlines proper canning methods. "It is from tomatoes and tomato juice that we receive most of our vitamin C supply during winter months," she said, "and although tomatoes are one of the easiest vegetables to can at home, care must be. taken to protect the vita, mine content, usually destroyed by careless cooking and canning procedures." pro-cedures." Firm, fully ripened tomatoes, free from blemishes are recommended recom-mended for canning by the nutritionist. nutri-tionist. Tomatoes should be used as quickly as possible after picking, pick-ing, for the longer they stand the greater becomes the vitamin loss. Pick off the stems and wash thoroughly 4n slightly soapy or softened water, followed by a clear rinse. This removes all soil particles, the nutritionist stated. "Scald the tomatoes in 'boiling water, using a wire basket or cloth square," Miss said. "Leave in the boiling water just long enough to crack the skin and then plunge immediately into cold water." After placing into clean hot sterilized jars or cans, add tomato juice, or boiling water if there is not sufficient juice from the tomatoes, to-matoes, and fill to level one-inch below top of pint or quart jar and one and one-half inches below top of two-quart jars. Use a spat, j ula or flexible bladed knife to re- lease the captured air. Air em-1 bedded with the tomatoes adds to vitamine C destruction. , Season with one teaspoon of , salt for each quart of tomatoes or' add one tablespoon of sugar if de-, sired. ' After sealing the bottles or can, process in a water bath or pressure cooker. A pressure cooTc-er cooTc-er is not necessary to make canned tomatoes safe, but it may be : used if desired, Miss Miller point-' point-' ed out. Length of processing time i in the water bath varies with ele-,vation. ele-,vation. At the 4,000 foot level, ' process approximately 32 min-, min-, uets, and increase the time two i minutes for each 500 foot eleva-; eleva-; tion increase. ! "Do not use the open kettle or !oven method for tomato canning," I Miss Miller warned. "Destruction of vitamin C. content is too great in these methods. All jars should stand right side up to cool after canning. Rubber ring jars can be inverted after they are cool to test for leaks, but self-seal jars must never be turned turn-ed upside-down, as the seal may be broken. Self-seal jars are tested for leaks by tapping the top with a knife or spoon, for the sound will tell whether the top is sealed tightly or not. |