I've been canning tuna in 10 oz jars. I did 16 plain and 14 smoked two weeks ago. We picked up more today and I'll be canning the plain tomorrow while half is smoking.
Now that my crazy "part time" summer job that turned into 60 hours a week is over I can finally get canning again! Started off with 5 pints of crushed tomatoes, now cooking down 12 pounds of tomatoes that will be sauce tomorrow, and picked up another 25 pounds of tomatoes that roomie doesn't know about yet for soup, sauce, or crushed. Also have some green tomatoes to do something with. Just got a fancy new all in one slow cooker, so needing to figure out different ways of doing some of these things, but will be really happy to have them if we have a winter this year.
And it looks like we will have a winter this year... although maybe not too much snow out here in the Pacific Northwest... They are calling for La Nina which means little winter precipitation. I hope they are wrong.
I didn't get the everything done yesterday, as I thought. It took me the entire day just to prep all the ingredients for a triple batch of salsa. I'm canning it today- have 18 pints so far, and a bit more in the pot. Now I need to start prepping the marinara sauce with the last of the tomatoes. Then can or dry the jalapenos and hungarian black chilis.
Here's the marinara recipe I'm trying today... I need to weigh my tomatoes to find out how many batches I can make Marinara Sauce
By Monica Servings: Makes 8 cups Ingredients
· 2 28-oz. cans unsalted whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped; OR, 8 c. (4 lbs.) coarsely chopped fresh plum tomatoes that have been blanched and skinned
· 2 tablespoons olive oil
· 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
· 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
· 2/3 cup dry red wine
· 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
· 1 6-oz. can tomato paste
· 1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
· 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
· 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf marjoram
· 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (or 1 tablespoon dried basil)
· 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried parsley)
· 1/2 teaspoon sugar
· 1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt (to taste)
· 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
In large stockpot, warm olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook approx. 1 minute--don't let the garlic brown. Add tomatoes (include liquid in canned tomatoes), wine, vinegar, tomato paste, oregano, thyme, marjoram, basil, parsley, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring everything to a boil, lower heat and simmer uncovered for 40-60 minutes, until mixture is desired consistency. Taste & add salt, if needed. This is a chunky sauce. For a smoother sauce, blend with an immersion hand blender or food processor. May be frozen or canned.
To can, ladle sauce into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Process in water bath 35 minutes for pint jars or 40 minutes for quart jars.
I opened one of the smoked tuna for hubby's lunch and treated it just like regular canned tuna. Added the sweet relish and mayo. I don't like sweet relish in my tuna. I ate a few bites of this. It was so good!