Tomato Soup!!!

Today I finally made a dent in my tomatoes....I used about 18-20lbs to make my canned tomato soup!  YUMMY!!!  I got this recipe from one of my very favorite cookbooks.....

The best thing about it is that I found it at Goodwill a few years ago and only paid $1.50!  It's a GREAT book, and has wonderful pictures of Amish life!!  Anyway, this is the recipe they use to can tomato soup, and ever since I first made it, my family LOVES it!

So, I had to weigh out 18lbs of tomatoes......

My little scale can measure up to 6lbs!  (see my little "jewels" in the sink, waiting to be washed?  They will be next!)

I peeled them and cooked them up with parsley, yellow bell peppers (from my garden), onion and garlic.....

Then I added yummy celery (a MUST!)......

After simmering for about an hour, I ran it all through my (new!) food mill (remember that post?? :-).....

It didn't take as long as it used to, now that I have a large food mill!

After I had all the puree in the pot, I whisked in the special ingredients - the ones that give it a special flavor, and make it nice and thick....

.....flour, brown sugar (I used plain sugar and molasses), cinnamon, cloves, allspice -- weird, I know, but it works!!

Then, it calls for a stick of butter!.....

You can't tell, but that pot is huge!!  I'm going to end up with 15 pints when I get done!

All that's left is to fill the jars, and then process them.....

.....and finally....VOILA!!! :-D

The soup is done!!!
When I serve this, I mix one jar of soup with a can of cream of mushroom soup and a can of milk - it's creamy and delicious!!

So, I started this around 10am, and these jars got onto the counter at about 5:30pm....that's a full day!  But oh-so worth it!!!

I guess I'll make pickles tomorrow - it's time to do something about all those cukes in my fridge!! ^-^