Enchilada Sauce-hot water bath canning

[Kathy]

Enchilada Sauce Recipe

Ingredients
45-50 cups tomatoes, chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 1/3 cups chili powder
3 tablespoons salt
7 tablespoons sugar
1 or more teaspoons cayenne if you want hot enchillada sauce
1 3/4 cups oil
1 1/3 cups flour

Directions
Place the tomatoes in a large non-reactive pan (stainless steel or enamel).
Heat gently to soften tomatoes.
Run through food mill fitted with fine screen to remove seeds and skins.
Return pulp and juice to the pan.
If the tomatoes are juicy, simmer the sauce for at least 1 hour.
When you have a thick tomato juice, but not yet tomato sauce, add the garlic powder, salt, sugar and chili powder. Stir well.

In a separate pan heat oil and add flour to make a roux.

Blend 4 cups warm tomato juice to roux and mix well. Quickly stir roux paste into boiling tomato juice. Continue stirring to avoid lumps until mixture thickens. If too thick, add water until desired consistency is reached.
Adjust seasonings.
Ladle into hot jars and process 30 minutes in a water-bath canner.

Makes 7 quarts or 14 pints


HALF RECIPE
23-25 cups tomatoes, chopped
1 1/4 tablespoons garlic powder
2/3 cups chili powder
1 tablespoons salt
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 & 1/8 cups oil
2/3 cups flour

Process as above.

yields 7 pints or 3 quarts & 1 pint

[Deleted]

I can't have garlic so I'll leave that out and go for the "or more" option for cayenne pepper.

My tomatoes were an absolute bust last year but I am hopeful for this year. But 45 - 50 CUPS of tomatoes??? I only had one tomato plant produce anything last season...I'd just be happy if I could double my harvest to two plants worth

I notice that there's no acid added and (this is my "newbie-ness" showing through) was wondering if it's okay to be water bathed?

/VM

[Kathy]

Yes, it takes a lot of tomatoes because you're going to be running them through a food mill. ;D Then you'll be cooking them down so for 7 quarts of finished product that still 28 cups-sounds like a lot but it does add up in the end.
I redid the recipe for a 1/2 batch so you'd get 7 pints or 3 quarts & 1 pint. I'm putting it below the full recipe on the same post.


Hmm the acid-I've never added it but I had acidic tomatoes. It wouldn't hurt though, just to be safe.

Here's the formula for the amount of acid to add for tomato products.

This can be done by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid per pint of product.

For quarts, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid.

This may be done by adding directly to jars before filling.

www.canning-food-recipes.com/canning_tomatoes.htm

[dlangland]

You all made me stop and think. I have always canned tomatoes with the water bath but never added anything to them, yet when I think about it, my favorite salsa recipe had a dash of vinegar, I believe. Ah , is that what it's for? Deb

[Deleted]

I lost track of this thread - thank you for halving the recipe, Kathy. I'm not sure I could do 50 cups of tomatoes but I can make 28 cups my goal.

One thing I'm learning about gardening is that each year, the garden seems to pick The Thing That Grows. You can't stop it, you can't kill it and you are awash in whatever vegetable even as everything else in the garden withers away.

Last year for us, it was cucumbers. Holy moley, I thought I was going to explode if I ever even looked at another cucumber again.

But hey, maybe this year it will be tomatoes!

/VM

[Kathy]

Via, wait till the year Everything decides to produce a bumper crop!! I had that happen a few times and lordy was I busy!!

[Deleted]

dlangland said:

You all made me stop and think. I have always canned tomatoes with the water bath but never added anything to them, yet when I think about it, my favorite salsa recipe had a dash of vinegar, I believe. Ah , is that what it's for? Deb

Deb, I am very new to canning (so far, only a few beans) so I am terrified of making everyone sick by doing something wrong. That's the only reason I thought of the acid.

I've read that some tomatoes are really acidic (like the ones Kathy used) but I can't tell if they're acidic or not. I'm guessing they're not or else I would have noticed(?). Unless I can borrow a chemistry set, I'm in the dark.

/VM, who is gardening-impaired but naively hopeful for next year

[dlangland]

viamedia said:

dlangland said:

You all made me stop and think. I have always canned tomatoes with the water bath but never added anything to them, yet when I think about it, my favorite salsa recipe had a dash of vinegar, I believe. Ah , is that what it's for? Deb

Deb, I am very new to canning (so far, only a few beans) so I am terrified of making everyone sick by doing something wrong. That's the only reason I thought of the acid.

I've read that some tomatoes are really acidic (like the ones Kathy used) but I can't tell if they're acidic or not. I'm guessing they're not or else I would have noticed(?). Unless I can borrow a chemistry set, I'm in the dark.

/VM, who is gardening-impaired but naively hopeful for next year

VM...Gardening impaired??? No don't say such things. There is no such thing. If you have any questions we'll be happy to talk it out until we figure it out, hopefully, or we will look it up. Why do you think I love this little head-shaking dude so very much? I certainly don't pretend to know everything, either. I always think gardening, canning, most things are just a matter of trial and error, learn by experience, and we are all here to learn from each other. I honestly never worry much about acidity when canning tomatoes or tomato products, as long as I use red. I always grow some yellow or gold tomatoes, too, but more for fresh use or to use in cooking for they usually have far less acid then the reds. If I have too many, I freeze them. Deb

[Kathy]

Via, just remember if you can any tomato product that has other low acid vegetable in it such as onions, peppers or celery in any quantity and it's not a vinegar based product such as salsa; it needs to be pressure canned.

So something like a V8 type juice would need to be pressure canned just to be safe.

My mother open kettle canned so much and only pressure canned meats, corn and peas. You know, we never got sick but I'm much more cautious plus I think much of todays produce(even homegrown) isn't quite like it was when I was a kid. Maybe it's the soil isn't as fertile or the varieties are different but I'm just more aware of how I process things.
So I only hot water bath and pressure can-no more open kettle canning for me.

[Deleted]

Thank you both for your encouraging words and for sharing your wisdom! I do love gardening so much - it's such a peaceful time when I can let my mind wander while my body works.

I really like to talk garden on the board because I have read a lot but it's good to talk to people who have actually tried this or that and see what their opinions are.

/VM

[Deleted]

It's me again :-)

I didn't get one single cucumber this year. Not a one.

However, I planted a boatload of tomato plants (well, for me, anyway) and it looks like I will be able to achieve my 28 cup goal if I can keep DH out of them

Anyway, I am going to try the enchilada recipe and was wondering if I have to have a food mill. Is there a manual way? Could I press them through a sieve?

/VM

[Kathy]

via that's so funny because I didn't get a single tomato-not one even but the cukes like crazy! I was getting 8-10 nice big cukes a day up until the weather got so hot then no amount of watering could keep them producing.

Before I had a food mill I used a mesh strainer and a wood pestle. It took a bit more work but it did the job.

I can't wait to hear how your sauce turns out! ;D Isn't this exciting-having a shelf of home canned goods to show off to friends and family!

[Deleted]

Thanks, Kathy!

DH swore he would never eat another cucumber after last year's bountiful harvest and harrassed me good-naturedly when I planted 25 cukes this year...

...and then looked all pitiful when I told him the garden varmint had eaten them all down.

I'm excited about the enchilada sauce, too!! I made homemade tortillas for the first time the other day and they turned out surprisingly well. Making enchiladas with homemade tortillas AND sauce will really make me happy!

Now if I could just get my hands on a couple little milk goats...

/VM

[Kathy]

viamedia said:

Thanks, Kathy!

DH swore he would never eat another cucumber after last year's bountiful harvest and harrassed me good-naturedly when I planted 25 cukes this year...

...and then looked all pitiful when I told him the garden varmint had eaten them all down.

I'm excited about the enchilada sauce, too!! I made homemade tortillas for the first time the other day and they turned out surprisingly well. Making enchiladas with homemade tortillas AND sauce will really make me happy!

Now if I could just get my hands on a couple little milk goats...

/VM

Give Kaza another year or so and she should have a few spares!

You're really getting this homesteading adventure going-I'm having fun watching all of the new experiences come together for you!