Yes, the Villaware/Weston/Roma mill needs no pre-prepping of tomatoes. They may just mention that for those who don't have the Roma. I like to cut the toms in half and scoop out some of the liquid and seeds, not necessary to blanch, peel or anything else. The reason I dig out some of the liquid and some seeds is because I like a thicker sauce to begin with as opposed to cooking it down just to boil out the excess water. I would not saute the vegetables, as oil isn't something you want in a home canned sauce. Instead, you an use a non stick pan with a light spray of PAM. For garlic, it can also be roasted in the skins and then squeezed out into the sauce. Adding citric acid is VERY NECESSARY too, as it will help to insure that the sauce is acidic enough on its own to be safe to can in a BWB. Peppers and onions can be dried and then they soak up the liquids to help reduce the water, but they also don't affect the acidcty level very much. Celery also can be sauted but like the onions, with nearly no added oil. For mushrooms, I would nuke them several minutes in the microwave and the drain, then add to the sauce. Make sure that any added ingredients that could affect total acidity, are not exceeded in their amounts. Herbs are OK to add, but I prefer a couple of whole fresh basil leaves, or leave out basil until its heated and served. Oregano or thyme are OK to add however, either fresh (use more) or dried.

I am so hoping that my tomatoes do well enough that I can do my own spaghetti sauce. I froze enough tomatoes that I have made lots of sauce but I didn't can any as I was dealing with the cancer, lung surgery and chemo right at the time all the tomatoes were coming in. I certainly won't complain though because today is my 70ieth Birthday and without all that, I probably wouldn't be here. My sweet husband helped me a lot or I wouldn't have been able to get anything done. I am so excited about it this year. At this point my tomatoes look fabulous...but as we all know...that's just today...tomorrow they could all be dead or dying.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Hope you have many more birthdays too.

For a really good taste, try adding a handful of the special tomato fertilizer offered by Gardens Alive. I find that its almost mild enough for tomatoes to actually grow in a pot of it alone! In any case, the fertilizer has given me many big toms and that sweet juicy flavor. The fertilizer is also great for pepper plants too. If you see any tomatoes that seem to get brown sunken ends opposite the stems (blssom end rot), its due to a deficiency in calcium within the plants. The remedy is to spray all the foliage with a mix of water and a small amount of calcium chloride. The same CC used as a crisping agent for cucumber pickles. There is a bottled product for the the BER too. Because I like to grow many long narrow and pointed plum and paste type tomatoes, these tend to get a brown sunken end on a few early maturing ones in the high heat and rapid growth times. Now, when I plant the tomato plants in the garden, they get a dose of the special tomato fertilizer and a little calcium carbonate mixed in (also from GA) and added to the planting hole. My sister, some years back, commented about the odd flavor of my toms, and said it was like tasting some odd chemical. She has a very keen sense of smell and taste. That was when I used to use Miracle Grow. Never again. Since then, my tomatoes have always been really good, no matter what kind I grew. I am speaking of over 200 plants in one growing season. That makes a LOT of sauce! I have not put up any more tomatoes, for 3 years now, as I have enough in jars to last me another 8 years or so..

Hope you start getting some good toms there. One of my favorites is an oxheart. Its very meaty with very little liquid. Not a lot of strong flavor, but mixed with other varieties it helps to keep a nice thick sauce with lots of pulp. My sauces are thick enough to be eaten with a fork in most cases.

Ken

Thanks Ken for the wishes. I always look forward to your advice...I did add a supplement to my tomatoes...I have to check and see what it was...today I can't remember...LOL but I think it was Calcium...

If I do process the tomatoes raw , should I boil the puree for 20 minutes add my ingredients then bring it back to a boil? I thought an advantage of a Roma food mill was being able to process your tomatoes without having to dip them in boiling water.

You are right, it is a BIG advantage. No way do you have to do the dip and peel. Although I'd suggest you try processing a few of them in the Roma both ways - precooked just a bit skins and all and raw - to see which you prefer. Ken prefers the raw processing but we find a slight pre-cooking makes processing them easier but either way is accepted. ;)

Then you only need to boil the puree alone if you want to cook it down some - make it a bit thicker. Otherwise just add your other ingredients and bring to a boil, jar, and process.

Enjoy your sauce!

Dave

Happy Birthday, Ruthieg! And may you have many, many more.