12 oz canned whole peeled tomatoes = about 2 cups or 1lb fresh blanched tomatoes
Food prep goes a long way even if you do it just the night before or morning of use. I was doing some meal planning and prepping for this recipe called Chana Palak Masala, and it called for a 12 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes that I did not have. In an effort to stay away from canned goods, I looked up how to make my own with the heirloom tomatoes I bought from our co-op’s Farmer Market Wednesdays. Luckily, I read an awesome post from yahoo answers that gave a few pro-tips from someone who cans them. You can see the easy set-up in the picture below: core, cross-cut, boil until skin tears, then dump in ice cold water. The ice cold bath is the key in making the skin come off effortlessly 🙂
I learned that this simple process is called blanching. I reckon it’s just as fast as reaching for a can and opening it with a can opener. This quick and easy process of blanching my heirloom tomatoes is one of many examples of how the co-op institutionalizes my values in our local community and sustainable living. Amen, co-op! (in the non-denominational-omnipotent-universal way that is)