We live in a predominantly Italian town…well we did but we have now moved 5 minutes north and this town is predominantly Jewish with a few Italian's thrown in for good measure…
All around our streets right now you can see wooden crates (no I was not quick enough to take a photo) out ready for pickup by the trash guys.
The crates hold these -
Well imagine my delight when I woke to find my neighbors setting up and prepping for a day of Tomato Sauce bottling.
First it is a three step wash process.
Then the tops are taken off (and thrown in the compost!)
Then they are thrown into the (lobster) pot and heated over the gas burner (we are SO bringing one of these home)…
and then the fun begins. Take one 20th century cordless drill and insert it into the side of a 15th century meat mincer … yes yes… we had one of these growing up but I seem to recollect that my siblings and I were the cordless drills!
The stewed tomatoes are then minced. Pulp going one way….
and sauce another.
The sauce is then poured into crystal clear jars that shined in the bright sunlight. Lids placed and they in turn were boiled to finish the process. They looked like great big jars of red candy!
Now you may ask where are the rest of the photos…well unfortunately Max chose that moment to ride his scooter on the road…so I guess you will have to use your imagination.
I can only hope (and pray really really hard) that my neighbor will take pity on me and my obviously perceived lack of education in the art of tomato sauce bottling, and drop a finished jar in sometime this week.
I will report back.
1 comment:
This is so interesting to me! Growing up in a large Italian family, I NEVER saw anyone do this. Gravy was made ALL the time, or at least once a week (in our house on Monday or Tues cos Tuesday was macaroni (not pasta) night. However, it was made in weekly batches and froze for several meals. I do know that my great grandmother made her own tomato paste on a huge screen in the sideyard. But my boss's mother in law does this major tomato sauce canning, so I had heard of it before. Be very, very good to them, which probably will consist of sending Max over to have his cheeks pinched by the nonnas, and they will give you a jar or two!(the word verification is "undiati", which must be Italian for ....something!)
Post a Comment