I am back in the kitchen! We cancelled our trip last week - my sister's husband had a medical emergency and spent some time n the hospital, and I had an allergic reaction to a post-op med for my cataract surgery. It's been a month that I have not been able to see much at all (I'm mostly blind in my other eye, due to a stroke) and I am so relieved to finally, yesterday, be seeing much better.
So, I got busy and made two 5-gallon pails of tomatoes into marinara and pizza sauce. I agree with Len - process the ripe tomatoes into sauce asap, but if you are too busy, just put them in zip-lock bags in the freezer until you have time or need more sauce. I've learned a new trick! I no longer dip in boiling water and peel -- just core, squeeze out a lot of the seeds and juice, cut into chunks, and whiz with a stick blender. The skins just disappear, but they add so much flavor and, I believe, nutrients. I prefer chunky sauce, so then I add onions, peppers, and celery (handy, since they are ripe at the same time in the garden), simmer a couple of hours, and package for the freezer.
.
