We started with 4 boxes of tomatoes, each box weighed 25 pounds. Yes, that means we processed 100 pounds of tomatoes in a day. (And by we I mean my friend who is also the only other person under 60 I know who loves preserving.)

We boiled our locally grown tomatoes after slashing an X on the skin so we could easily remove the peel.

After 60 seconds of getting hot and bothered in the peel boil we tossed them in the ice bath and told them to chill the heck out! Then we (mostly my canning-literate friend) peeled and seeded them.

Then we chopped, and chopped, and chopped.

Part way through the peeling and seeding and chopping we realized the GIANT puddle that appeared on the kitchen floor could be prevented. Behold, the inclined plane, which slopes right into the sink. Why didn't we think of this before?! This process was SO messy. It was not remotely glamorous and the work was backbreaking. I could not imagine trying to take this on alone.

When we were finished chopping, and the baby was down for his nap and the big-boys were playing in the basement we set up three HUGE pots with fresh herbs and chopped onions. Tomatoes are tasty but herbs make them betta!

The chopped tomatoes were SO juicy and soupy. We didn't want to cook them down for 10 hours so we squeezed and drained them before loading them into the pots. Seriously, if you have a papercut or a blister DO NOT do this. It burns!

It smelled SO SO GOOD while this was cooking, but it was 90 degrees outside so the kitchen was like the 4th, or maybe 5th circle of hell.

Alright, everyone outta the pool. 31 jars. 100 lbs. splatter everywhere. we were literally elbow deep in tomato pulp at times. But it's all so pretty, and yummy!