Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>
> Thanks for asking. Ida Know the answer. I've never made them before.
>
> I'm pretty sure that the tomatoes I used to make them (and the other
> tomato "stuff" that I entered) were from a box of "salsa" tomatoes -
> hydroponically grown somewhere around here. These "salsa" tomatoes were
> so marked because they were less than perfect in appearance. Not
> bruised, just less than perfect looking to someone's eye. Whatever;
> they were less expensive than the equivalent amount if bought by the
> basket.
>
> The recipe that I used is called the Minnesota Tomato Mixture. It was
> developed by the food scientists here at the U of MN so as to be safe
> for waterbath processing; it is a very carefully measured combination of
> tomatoes, green pepper, celery, and onions. I measured very carefully.

> Here's the recipe from the U of M Extension Divn site:
>
> TOMATO MIXTURE
> Home canners frequently request recipes for canned mixtures of
> tomatoes, celery, peppers and onions. In preparing such mixtures, it is
> important that the amount of ingredients with pH greater than 4.6
> (peppers, onion and celery) do not reduce the overall acidity of the
> mixture.
>
> If the ingredient proportions of the following recipe are followed
> carefully, the tomato mixture may be safely canned using the process
> method and times given for tomatoes. Do not add any more pepper, onion
> or celery than called for in the recipe.
>
> Minnesota Tomato Mixture (for 7 pints)
> 12 cups tomatoes, peeled and quartered
> 1/2 cup chopped pepper
> 1 cup chopped celery
> 3 teaspoons salt
> 1/2 cup chopped onion
> See note below regarding acidification
> Simmer the vegetables for 10 minutes. Pack into
> clean, hot canning jars. Leave a one-half inch headspace. Apply two-piece
> canning lids and process. For 7 quarts, double the recipe and process.
> Recommended Process
> Boiling Water Bath: Pints - 40 minutes
> Quarts - 50 minutes

[snip rest of process and potential uses for product]

Thanks for all the details. Gives me a definite direction to follow
now that is pretty much 180° from where I was. In the few times I've
tried these I was trying to recreate a taste memory from childhood and
was missing it. So I added additional things each time I tried. Now
I'm going to go back and subtract things -- lemon juice, sugar, herbs,
bread cubes. As it happens today was Farmers Market day and I picked
up some good tomatoes. Not enough, but enough to do a little
experiment with. -aem