Canning
Tomatoes:
A how-to via poetry
Way too much
red on my kitchen table.
Lumps of juicy
flesh lay ripening
on metal trays,
pleading to be devoured
or
dealt with,
and
quickly,
for these
tomatoes are ripe and ready.
First, to peel
and put in jars:
Set in sink, let the spray bounce
back
and tiny droplets SLAP
your face as you clean
and core
each one.
Place in bowls, listen for the SLOP
of the water boiling
in the tea pot
on the stove;
Pour over waiting fruit.
Palm each tomato
once surfaces CRACK,
remove skins, carefully
SLICE
the meaty part into
chunks,
and SLIDE
into waiting jars.
Second, to boil
seals to jars in water bath:
Set lids on jars, seal-side on clean
lips,
and SCREW rims over
lids—
not tightly!
Gently place in rack
in canner
Cover with warm water
Heat to boiling
Wait patiently
for over an hour
Hear the BAM
of the canner’s lid
RATTLE
against the pot as steam
escapes;
Add more hot water
to keep jars immersed,
watching and waiting,
TAPPING toes,
until the BUZZ
of the timer alerts you.
Third, to
complete the seal:
CLAMP heads of jars and—
without tilting—
Bring each glass marvel to rest
on towels
Wait for 24 hours and listen for the
POP of each jar lid
as your bounty is safely
sealed,
safely kept,
Wanting a winter’s day
that calls for warm
soup.
by Julie S. Paschold
aka Tansy Julie the
Soaring Eagle
Julie S. Paschold: Poet, Artist, Agronomist from Nebraska. Author of Horizons (won 2024 Nebraska Book Award) & Human Nature. Semi-finalist in Kate Sommers Memorial Prize, honorable mention in two Writer's Digest contests. Resident Poetry Instructor at Omaha’s Lauritzen Gardens. Volunteer for the Human Library Organization. https://medium.com/@jpaschold or https://jpaschold.blogspot.com/ .