Italian Jarred Tomatoes Two Ways

1. Clean the tomatoes well in clean cool water. There is no need to use any chemical cleaner on the tomatoes.
2. Wash the jars in hot soapy water, then rinse well and drain. Place the jars in a large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes.Then drain the jars upside down on a clean tea towel to dry and cool. Here you will find other ways to sterilize the jars.

FOR THE PUREE AND OR PELATI TOMATOES

1. In a large pot of boiling water add the tomatoes and cook 1-2 minutes. For the puree I cut the tomatoes in half and boiled for about 1 - 1½ minutes. For the pelati I left the tomatoes whole and boiled for 2 minutes, you just want to be able to remove the skin easily, not cook them.

FOR THE PUREE

1. Put the boiled tomatoes through a food mill, the food mill will remove the seeds and skin, place 3-4 leaves of fresh basil at the bottom of the jar and pour the puree on top, leaving about one inch / 2-3 cm of space. Seal the jar well with the tight fitting lid and set aside.

FOR THE PELATI

1. Remove the tomatoes and let cool enough to handle. Then remove the peel, slice in half, remove the seeds and gently squeeze to remove excess liquid but not all. Place 3-4 leaves of fresh basil at the bottom of the jar and add the tomatoes on top. With a wooden spoon push down on the tomatoes to remove any air bubbles before sealing leaving about one inch / 2-3 cm of space. Seal the jar well with the tight fitting lid and set aside.

FOR BOILING THE FILLED JARS

1. Place the jars lid side down in a large pot, big enough so they can be completely covered with water, place towels around the jars so they won't break while boiling. Cover with water and bring to a boil and boil 34-40 minutes turn off the heat and let sit in the water, i usually go overnight or at least 8 hours. Remove from the pot and store. Enjoy!