We have about two weeks left of school, but are already lagging in the morning and losing our sense of time and place. Yup, our brains have switched to summer mode. Who wants to do anything “regular” with the temperatures that we’ve had anyway?! I am readying the house for round-the-clock eating habits; it’s a lot like spring cleaning but with 100º temps and a house full of bodies in mind. The freezer has been cleared to make room for smoothie supplies and popsicles. The spice drawer has been stocked for the kazillion meals that are on the horizon. The pantry has been re-organized to make room for summer preserves and easy access to snacks. Coolers are at the ready for carting groceries back to the house (if you’ve tried toting anything that requires refrigeration home in Texas heat, you understand). Next on my list is assessing our grilling capabilities and making that magical wish list of summer preserving projects. Bring on the tomatoes and okra and watermelon!
What do you do to get ready for summer? Does your kitchen do more work over the summer?
aneelee 
Hi! Have you seen JBG advertising their bulk tomato sale? I’ve made freezer jams and butters in the past, but have never attempted canning anything from tomatoes. I’m intimidated by all the peeling required. I’m trying to do the math to figure out how much salsa I’d make from the 25 pounds of tomatoes from JBG and how long it would take me. Do you have any experience to share regarding this? Do you preserve salsa? If so, how many pounds of tomatoes do you use, what is your yield and how long does it take you? Thanks!!
I have seen the tomato sale and I am so looking forward to my first pickup on June 1! I don’t usually preserve any of my salsas but from peeking at my recipe books can see that you get about 4 pints for every 3 lbs. Try starting with a small batch of tomatoes (maybe 10 lbs) so that you can see how long it takes you and how much salsa you end up with. Might take away some of the fear element. Be sure to peek at my post from last summer so you get a sense of what 40lbs yielded. It’s a lot! https://aneelee.wordpress.com/2012/06/27/40-lbs-279-tomatoes/
Thanks for the great info and encouragement!