Blanching Tomatoes

Cup of Yum
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. To a large bowl, add cold water and plenty of ice for an ice bath.
2. Thoroughly wash your tomatoes. Remove the core from the tops of the tomatoes and use a very sharp knife to cut a shallow "x" at the bottom of each tomato.
3. Blanch the tomatoes in the boiling water for 30-60 seconds. Then, immediately place them in the prepared ice water for about a minute.
4. After the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, transfer them to a cutting board. Peel the skins using either your hands or a paring knife.
5. Seed and dice the tomatoes. You will have about 3 cups of diced tomatoes.

Tomato Bacon Jam

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, fry the bacon pieces for 6-8 minutes, or until crispy. Once the bacon is crispy, remove from heat and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
2. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease. To the bacon grease, add the chopped onion and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until softened.
3. Once the onion is cooked, add the crumbled bacon, tomatoes, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, salt, ground mustard, and apple cider vinegar.
4. Mix together and bring to a gentle boil.
5. Continue to boil for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens with very little liquid remaining.
6. Remove from heat and serve warm or cold.