Sumer is Acumen In

(copyright-free vintage produce labels from Dover).

I ate the first baby tomato yesterday.  By this time next month we will be drowning in them, which prompted a meander through some old recipes.

CHILLI SAUCE. -- Chilli sauce is a well-known relish in which ripe tomatoes, red or green peppers, and onions are combined with spices and vinegar.  Although not so many vegetables are used in this relish as in those which precede, it merits a place among the canned foods prepared for future use.

2 qt medium-sized ripe tomoatoes
2 red or green peppers, finely chopped
2 onions, finely chopped
2 c. vinegar
1/2 c. sugar
1 Tb. salt
1 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. ground cinnnamon
2 tsp. celery salt.

Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water until the skins loosen.  then remove the skins and stem ends, chop the tomatoes, and put them into a preserving kettle with the chopped peppers and chopped onions.  Heat gradually to the boiling point, add the vinegar, sugar, salt and spices, and cook slowly until the mixture is quite thick.  This will require from 2 to 3 hours.  then put the hot sauce into sterilized bottles or jars, seal, allow them to cool, and store.

GREEN-TOMATO PICKLE. -- A pleasing relish may be made from green tomatoes after the frost has come in the fall and tomatoes on the vines will not mature.

3 qt green tomatoes, sliced
2 qt onions, sliced
1 qt vinegar
1 pt water
1 Tb salt
1 1/2 lb brown sugar
2 Tb cinnamon
2 tsp cloves
2 tsp allspice
3 Tb celery salt
1 Tb mustard seed

Select firm green tomatoes, wash them, and slice them.  peel the onions, and slice them into slices of the same thickness of the tomatoes,about 1/4 inch being perhaps the most desirable.  Mix the tomatoes and onions, sprinkle them generously with salt, and allow them to stand for 24 hours.  At the end of this time, pour off any excess liquid; then pour a small quantity of fresh water over them, and drain this off, also.  To the vinegar and water, add the salt, sugar and spices.  Heat this mixture to the boiling point, pour it over the mixture of tomatoes and onions, and put into jars.  Seal the jars while hot, allow them to cool, and then store.

TOMATO CATSUP. -- As a condiment to be served with meats, oysters, fish, baked beans, and other foods high in protein, catsup finds considerable use.  This relish, which is also called catchup and ketchup, may be made from both vegetables and fruits, but that made from tomatoes seems to be the most desirable to the majority.

1/2 bu ripe tomatoes
1/2 c salt
1 lb brown sugar
2 qt vinegar
1 Tb ground cinnamon
1 tsp Cayenne pepper
2 Tb celery salt
2 tsp ground cloves

Remove the skins from the tomatoes by blanching and cut out the stem ends.  Then slice the tomatoes, put them into a preserving kettle over the fire, cook them until they are soft, and force them through a sieve to remove the seeds.  Remove the pulp to the preserving kettle, add the salt, sugar, vinegar and spices, and cook the mixture until it is reduced at least half in quantity.  Pour into sterilized bottles, seal, cool and store.

The Woman's Institute Library of Cookery, Volume Five.  Published by the Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences, Scranton, PA, probably in the late teens or early twenties, and available as a free download from Project Gutenberg.  If you are tempted to try any of these, read up on home canning safety from a modern resource such as the Ball Blue Book people.