I'm starting a separate thread derived by this question from aem:
In article .com>,
"aem" > wrote:

> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> > Well, lemme tell you that I was sweating a bit as I perused the list of
> > ribbon winners on the State Fair website. I didn't check my entries in
> > numerical order and there were sure a lot of fourth place placings. :-0(
> > Then it got better. "-)
> >
> > Here's the poop on my twenty canning entries: [snips]
>
> Fifteen ribbons for twenty entries, now that's a lot of rewards for
> what is obvously a lot of work, too. Very well done.
>
> Maybe when you have a spare moment you can tell us what you do that
> makes your stewed tomatoes prize-winning. That's something I've tried
> a number of times, always resulting in okay/good enough but never
> really outstanding/worth the trouble. -aem

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

NOTE: Current instructions from the USDA for canning tomato products
include extra acid (lemon juice, citric acid, or vinegar) to ensure a
product with a sufficiently low pH to be safe for waterbath processing.
This recipe, as developed many years ago at the U, did not/does not
include the addition of acid. I asked one of the Extension Divn
specialists about that and she asked the Food Preserving Weenie Emeritus
about it and he said this about that: that: "In the vast majority of
the times, the pH is below 4.6 without adding acid. However, to
increase the safety, lemon juice or citric acid could be added as well.
I think because the research at the U of MN on this is dated and newer
varieties of tomatoes have been released, that we should go entirely
with the USDA recommendations of acidification and methods soon -
assuming we are going to continue the home food preservation program.

As for now, I would suggest to Barb that she give her folks options of
risk from low to a little higher but still acceptable risk: USDA
methods and recipe: MN Method with acidification; MN Method."

I opted to add 1/4 tsp of citric acid to each jar before I filled the
jar.

I made 2/3 the recipe and got 4 pints out of it, I think.

Now, whether or not YOU think this mixture is "outstanding/worth the
trouble" is up to you. :-) I don't know. I'm not a connoisseur but I
thought they tasted mighty fine. Promising, even. "-)

Probably not as swell an answer as you were looking for but it's the
best I've got right now.
_________________________________________________

RECIPES TO USE WITH MINNESOTA TOMATO MIXTURE
Tomato Hotdish
1 pound hamburger
2 cups cooked macaroni
1 pint Minnesota Tomato Mixture
1/2 cup cheese
Brown hamburger, add Minnesota Tomato Mixture and boil for 10 minutes.
Add macaroni, mix
and place into casserole dish with cheese and cover. Bake 30 minutes at
350 degrees.
Remove cover and bake 5 minutes more to brown cheese

Sloppy Joes ( Makes 6 to 8 sandwiches)
Heat or simmer 10 minutes:
1 pound browned hamburger
Mix with 1 pint Minnesota Tomato Mixture
Add tomato-hamburger mixture to 6 to 8 buns.
Top each with a slice of sharp process cheese.
Chili Bean Soup
1/2 pound browned hamburger
2 cloves garlic with toothpick in for easy removal
1 pint Minnesota Tomato Mixture plus 1/2 cup
water or tomato juice
1 tablespoon chili powder ( to taste)
1 can kidney or chili beans
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed (optional)
Combine the above and simmer 15 minutes. Remove garlic. Serves four and
pass the
crackers.
Speedy Spaghetti (takes about 1/2 hour)
Brown 1/2 pound hamburger
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 pint Minnesota Mix
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 12-ounce package spaghetti, cooked
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
Combine hamburger, Minnesota Mix, juice, herbs and salt. Simmer covered
15 minutes. Place hot, drained spaghetti on serving dish. Pour sauce
over spaghetti. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese or other hard cheese.
Serve with hard roll or garlic toast and green salad. Makes 4 servings.


Best Ever Pizza
1 package roll mix
1 teaspoon oregano or Italian seasoning
1 pint Minnesota Mix
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 pound hamburger, browned
Prepare dough by package directions omitting rising. Divide dough in
half and roll on floured surface to make two 14-inch circles. Place on
ungreased baking sheet, turn edges. Combine Minnesota Mix, browned
hamburger, oregano and spread on dough circles. Bake in hot oven (450
degrees) 10 minutes. Remove from oven and top with cheese. Return to
oven 10 minutes longer or until crust is done.

Serve at once. Makes two pizzas.

Other toppings can be added to the sauce as desired along with the
hamburger or omit it, such as crisp fried crumbled bacon, sausage,
chopped onion, green or ripe olives sliced, or anchovies.

Tamale and Chili Bake ( 6 servings)
1 pint Minnesota Mix
1/2 pound browned hamburger
1/2 cup water
1 garlic clove (on toothpick for easy removal)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 pound sliced sharp process cheese
2 15-ounce cans tamales

Combine the mix, hamburger, water, chili powder, garlic and bring to a
boil. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove garlic. Remove wrappers from tamales and
place in a two-quart greased casserole. Top first with sauce mixture
then with cheese. Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) until bubbly hot,
about 30 minutes. Serve with pineapple salad.

--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://jamlady.eboard.com
http://web.mac.com/barbschaller

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

In article . com>,
"aem" > wrote:
(snippage throughout)
> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> >
> > Thanks for asking. Ida Know the answer. I've never made them before.

> > The recipe that I used is called the Minnesota Tomato Mixture. It was

>
> > Here's the recipe from the U of M Extension Divn site:
> >
> > TOMATO MIXTURE
>
> > 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)

>
> [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

A note of possible interest. I use citric acid instead of lemon juice
because it adds no flavor, just acid. The amounts of vinegar to use if
that were your acid of choice is, IIR, twice the amount of lemon juice.
THAT adds taste, no thanks. A *pinch* of sugar isn't a bad thing - it
seems to enhance many vegetables. I thought about adding herbs but I
don't know what the judges would think about something that's not quite
so plain for what the lot describes (Tomatoes with Peppers, Onions, and
Celery).

I'm thinking Hotdish for supper, using the pint that they opened and
judged. :-) Nothing you'd eat, I'm pretty sure.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://jamlady.eboard.com
http://web.mac.com/barbschaller