progress and questions

[Guest guest]

Hi Patti, Sheila et al.

I just wanted to say thanks for the words of encouragement over the past

6 weeks. My son Ben (4 yrs old, ASD) seems like he is really starting to

come out of the fog...great language and social awareness. Thanks for

helping me hang in there.

I am gearing myself up to learn some new recipes and experiment with a

few things. One thing that I have already tried is tomato sauce -- with

blanched and peeled fresh tomatoes that I then coulded into a sauce. It

tasted okay, but I ended up with a quantity equivalent to a jar of

spagettii sauce that cost me about $14-- ouch. I just wanted to check

again-- is there a rule against using tomatoes that have been canned?

That would make it a lot cheaper!

Please let me know..

Regards,

Martha

[Guest guest]

Hi Martha,

<< is there a rule against using tomatoes that have been canned? >>

Unfortunately yes. Tomato products are notorious for having sugar

added. Different batches of tomatoes have varying levels of natural

sugars (depends on growing conditions, nutrients etc.) Commercial

producers will often add some sugar etc. to ensure consistency in all

of their batches.

Couple of ideas:

1. My grocery store often has large bags of older produce. Most

times the tomatoes are just a little softer if not softer and the

stores tend to prefer to sell unripe, firm tomatoes. I take the

tomatoes home and freeze them. When I have enough I do up a big

batch of chili or sauce etc.. I throw them in the freezer whole only

cutting of the stalks and any blemishes. When ready to use I throw

them straight into the pot. If I have to have them without skins it

is easy to skin a frozen tomato - just get a pot of eater boiling and

toss them in - after 1-2 minutes depending on size of tomato and the

number on the pot remove the tomato, cool slightly and pull of the

loosened skin.

2. growing your own. I am up north in Canada and tomatoes grow very

easily with a small plot of soil. You can even get varieties of pot

tomatoes for those who live in apartment buildings that will produce

clusters of fresh tomatoes. Your local nurseries will be able to

tell you the best varieties for your region.

Sheila, SCD Feb. 2001, UC 23 yrs

mom of and