Ground Tomato and Pepper Base for Winter

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you can ground tomatoes and peppers? Gather all the ingredients. This is best made at the height of vegetable season, so use fresh, garden-grown tomatoes and peppers.

2. Step 2:

   

   Wash the tomatoes and peppers, cut out the stem ends, and seed the peppers.

3. Step 3:

   

   Run the vegetables through a meat grinder.

4. Step 4:

   

   Peel the onion and chop it in a blender. I recommend a blender rather than the meat grinder for the onion—it won't turn watery, and the finished dish has a smoother texture with small bits of onion.

5. Step 5:

   

   Combine everything in a heavy-bottomed pot—our base won't scorch while it cooks in a pot like that.

6. Step 6:

   

   Add the sugar.

7. Step 7:

   

   Add salt.

8. Step 8:

   

   Set it over low heat and cook for 40 minutes, stirring constantly.

9. Step 9:

   

   You can cook it longer to reach the thickness you want. Tomatoes vary in how watery they are, so just make sure the finished base doesn't come out too thin.

10. Step 10:

    

    Sterilize the jars however you like. I microwave jars with a little water in them for 5–7 minutes. You can also sterilize them in a 210°F (100°C) oven for 15 minutes, or put a spoon in each jar (so it doesn't crack), fill with boiling water, let it sit 5 minutes, then drain. Or just hold the jars over steam—whichever method suits you. Boil the lids for 5 minutes.

11. Step 11:

    

    Spoon the hot tomato-pepper base into the jars and seal them tightly or roll them up. No further processing is needed—store this base in a cool place.

12. Step 12:

    

    Enjoy!