Recipe: Tomato Paste (canning recipe)

TOMATO PASTE
Yield: about 9 half-pint jars

8 quarts peeled, cored chopped tomatoes (about 4 dozen large)
1 1/2 cups chopped sweet red peppers (about 3)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon canning or pickling salt
1 clove garlic (optional)

Procedure: Hot Pack

Combine first four ingredients and cook slowly 1 hour. Press through a fine sieve. Add garlic clove, if desired. Continue cooking slowly until thick enough to round up on a spoon, about 2 1/2 hours. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. Remove garlic clove and bay leaves.

Pour boiling hot paste into hot half pint jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel; adjust two-piece metal canning lids. Process in a Boiling Water Canner.

Recommended process time for Tomato Paste in a boiling-water canner.
Style of Pack: Hot / Jar Size: Half-pints

Process Time at Altitudes of:
0 - 1,000 ft - 45 minutes
1,001 - 3,000 ft - 50 minutes
3,001 - 6,000 ft - 55 minutes
Above 6,000 ft - 60 minutes

Source: USDA
This document was extracted from So Easy to Preserve, 4th ed. 1999. Bulletin 989, Cooperative Extension Service, The University of Georgia, Athens. Revised by Elizabeth L.