Tomato Paste

Tomato Paste 

16 pounds Plum or paste tomatoes cubed 

3 cups sweet pepper, chopped 

2 bay leaves 

2 tablespoons salt 

3 cloves garlic 

Bottled Lemon juice or citric acid 

Combine all ingredients in a 6 quart pot and cook slowly over medium heat for 1 hour, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Remove the bay leaves and press the mixture through a food mill or sieve, return the mixture to the pot and continue to cook for another 3 hours over medium low heat stirring often. 

Pour the hot mixture into your canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space, add 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice or 1/8 teaspoon citric acid to each half pint jar 

Process the filled 1/2 pint jars in a water bath canner for 30 minutes from the point of boiling. Use any unsealed jars in 2 weeks 

To check for sauce thickness, put a spoonful of sauce onto the center of a plate. Wait for 60 seconds and see if any water sepps from it, if so, cook for 30 minutes more and recheck.