tomato soup

Today is wet and cold.

This is not the kind of day that we desert livers prefer, frankly.

Wednesday was 97 yesterday got up to almost 70 and today the high is in the mid 60’s. But summer is not over, next week we are back in the low 90’s again.

And, just because it is raining does not mean I won’t water the garden. Right now I have two overhead sprinklers spreading water. Those 90 degree days next week will evaporate water very quickly.


At this point of the garden year there are some plants that need a lot of water and some that really do not need any. My system, unfortunately cannot be fine tuned like might be best. Oh well, as they say.

Today I am working on canning tomatoes. Miriam used to do all of the canning and freezing and do it very well. I never paid to much attention, then quite suddenly, it seemed, she was unable, and not only that, but she badly remember how she did it and get a bit upset with whatever I am doing.

While I do not have the experience she had, I did help my mom when I lived at home, and I read. The internet is full of information.

Yesterday I made a big kettle of tomato juice. I had hoped to make it work as soup, but it is way too thin and it would take too long to boil it down, so I’ll can it as Tomato juice. V6 tomato juice.

I added a couple of carrots, half a big onion, several garlic cloves, a couple celery stalks, some basil, which along with the tomatoes make 6!

To be on the safe side, I read, I should use a pressure canner for tomatoes. We have a canner that lacked a gasket for the lid. I found the brand and the model number and visited my local Hardware store.

Amazingly they had just the gasket I needed, and our canner is OLD.

Daughter one taught me another way to make thicker tomato soup, so I’ll also experiment with her technique.

Some day I will be able to stop experimenting. I do know how to can with the water bath system, and I am learning about freezing fruit, but I do continue to learn!

So, today I will stay out of the rain and experiment with canning tomatoes. Wish me luck! Remember that line from a song that says that fools go where angels fear to tread?

That’s me.