Instructions

1. Rinse ripe tomatoes. Remove the stems and any bruised and discolored areas on the tomatoes.

2. Wash the canning jars in hot, soapy water. Rinse them off and place them in a large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. This will sanitize the jars so that they are safe for canning. Place the lids in a separate pot of hot water for 5 minutes.

3. Place the tomatoes into a large pot of boiling water. Allow them to sit in the boiling water for 40 seconds and then plunge them into a bowl of ice water. Allow them to sit in the ice water for 1 to 2 minutes, and then remove them. Slide the skins off the tomatoes.

4. Slice the tomatoes into quarters so that you have 4 qts. of chopped tomatoes. Place the tomatoes into a saucepan on the stove top. Heat the tomatoes to boiling and smash them with a potato masher. Keep the tomatoes boiling vigorously and continue to crush them.

5. Add 3 cups of finely chopped onions, 2 cups of finely chopped celery and 2 tsp. of crushed garlic. Add 1/2 cup of dried basil.

6. Simmer the tomato soup for 15 minutes on the stove top. Pour the tomato soup through a food mill or sieve to remove any seeds. Place the soup back onto the stove top and heat it back to boiling. Add 1/2 cup of brown sugar and salt to taste. Continue to simmer the soup until it reaches your desired thickness.

7. Fill the canning jars with the hot soup. Leave a 1/2 inch of space at the top of the jars. Add 1 tbsp. of lemon juice to the canning jars to increase the acidity level. Place the lids on the canning jars, and then secure the lids in place with screw rings.

8. Process the canning jars at 10 lbs. of pressure for 20 minutes in a pressure canner. You will need to follow the instructions that come with your canner because they vary according to the brand and type of canner.

9. Remove the canning jars from the pressure canner and place them on a wood cutting board. Do not allow the tomato soup jars to touch each other.

10. Remove the rings and allow the jars to cool overnight. Press on the center of each lid gently once they cool. If you notice that the lid pops up and down, then the jar did not process. Store the unprocessed tomato soup jars in the refrigerator and store the processed ones in a cool and dark location for 6 to 8 months.