Tomato Conserve

Ingredients

4 pounds firm tomatoes
2 small oranges
1 lemon
sugar
2 sticks cinnamon
12 whole cloves
1/3 cup sliced candied ginger

Preparation

Wash, blanch, skin and slice tomatoes; set aside. Quarter and slice the oranges and lemon, discarding any seeds. Drain any juice that may have formed on the tomatoes and weigh them. Place in a large kettle and add an equal weight of sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add oranges, lemon, cinnamon sticks (broken into several pieces) and cloves. Bring quickly to a boil and skim foam from top. Reduce heat slightly and cook until mixture sheets from the side of a silver spoon, or about l 1/4 hours. Stir frequently. About 10 minutes before conserve is done, add the sliced candied ginger. Pour into hot sterilized jars and allow to cool before covering with a thin layer of paraffin.

Yield: 3 pints

Notes:

Canning by the open-kettle method is acceptable for relishes, some pickles and conserves because these food products contain a large amount of sugar or vinegar, which helps preserve them.

Special note: we no longer distribute eggs or margarine, but have left the recipes as originally printed to maintain their integrity.