canned tomato soup

Yesterday morning, I made my first batch of tomato soup. (I made the juice the night before, but mixed up the soup and canned it yesterday.)

I got home from school with the intention of working out or making tomato juice for more soup. In reality, I got on facebook, checked my e-mail  and watched how-to hairstyle videos on youtube. And then ate a cookie. Good gracious, I need some motivation! On hot and humid days, turning on the oven and cooking over the stove isn't my favorite, but we have so many tomatoes I need to get moving!

Some of you have asked for my tomato soup recipe. This recipe comes from my mother-in-law. WARNING! It does have sugar and butter in it. You can try to experiment with substitutes, but spread out between several quart jars, I'm sure it's a lot better for you than a jar of soup from the store.

This is one of my favorite things to enjoy canned. I think it is a close second to pickled beets (which I'm going to can with my Mom next week!) My husband loves canned peaches the best. A perfectly ripened peach preserved in light syrup in the middle of Winter is pretty fantastic, I have to say. Ok, back to the soup, here is how my mother-in-law wrote it out on my recipe card:

Tomato Soup

8 quarts of tomatoes, made into juice*
Put in a large kettle and add:
1 stick of butter
3/4 c. cornstarch mixed with 1 c. water
1/4 c. vinegar
1/4 c. salt
1 c. sugar
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 t. parsley

In a blender, mix:
1 stalk (rib) of celery, cut into chunks
1 onion, quartered
1 green pepper, seeded and quartered
2 c. water

Add this mixture to the juice and bring it to a boil.
Boil for 15-20 and pour into hot jars. Use hot lids and secure with a ring.
This recipe makes around 7 quarts of soup.
(I only got 6 1/2 quarts yesterday. The half quart jar is in the 'frige and we'll eat that sometime soon.) Process the quarts in a hot water bath for 20 minutes.

To serve, pop the top, pour into a pot, heat and enjoy! This soup is not concentrated, so don't add any extra water.

*To make tomato juice, core and quarter tomatoes. Put tomatoes in a large stock pot with a cup of water. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once tomatoes are softened, carefully ladle into a food mill. The food mill separates the skins and seeds, resulting in fresh tomato juice.

Last year, I canned 30 quarts of soup (a few we gave to my husband's Grandma because she loves it so much.) I have a few more batches to go, but all the work is worth it. Winter in PA can get pretty cold and this paired with a grilled cheese sandwich is my favorite way to warm up. <3