If you want to learn some tips on food preparation, hang out at your local farmer’s market and listen. Rudy’s Happy Patch Market, operated by Perry Wellness Center, is an excellent location for this activity, as both customers and staff are friendly and chatty.

Recently, we got recommendations from customer Teresa Mixon about a time-saving technique for canning tomatoes – or other fruits and vegetables. Here’s what she had to say:

“I start with a case of fresh, red tomatoes. I peel, cut, and core the tomatoes. Sometimes I will add fresh okra. Then I wash 14-16 quart canning jars. I set my oven at 225 degrees. I next fill the jars with the prepared vegetables and securely tighten the jar rings. I place the filled jars in the oven for about two hours. When I turn the oven off, I let the jars and oven door stay tightly closed to allow the now canned vegetables to cool.”

She concludes, “It is that simple. I learned about this time-saving canning trick some two years ago from a Mennonite friend.”

Teresa works as a nurse at Phoebe-Sumter Hospital and uses many of her days off to “quick can” tomatoes and other garden vegetables. In the photo above, she transfers her hand-selected local tomatoes to a shipping box for transport.