THE. Tomato. Soup. The only recipe you'll ever need.

That's how I feel after I make my Gr. Grandma Brown's tomato soup. 
I just. don't. want. to. share.

My Great Grandma Brown's Tomato Soup. 
Ah! 
It's my ultimate comfort food. 

It's the only tomato soup I grew up eating. The stuff from the grocery store just tastes vile! This is sooo much better but the last few years it's been tough to get enough tomato juice to can enough to last a whole year. I've tried substituting store bought juice for the juice I get from my own tomatoes but it just isn't the same. 

I've blogged about making Running Soup a few times in the past, about once a year if I get a chance to make any. I've made it in big batches and in small batches. 

If I have a chance I'll always make a BIG BIG batch! 

Now THAT is a lot of soup! 

I ended up with 14 quarts today! Not too shabby considering I've scrimped and saved tomato juice all summer long. 

Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for dinner tonight!! Nothing better on a cold windy day like we have in SW Kansas today. 

Now for the dishes. 

I don't even mind the pile either because it just means that I have my tomato soup! 

Great Grandma's Tomato Soup

7-9 qts. of tomato juice

2 bunches of celery

6 onions

3 green peppers

10 or so large carrots (or a couple bags of baby carrots)

1 t black pepper

2 sticks of butter (not margarine)

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. flour

1/4 c. salt

Chop and puree all veggies and add to tomato juice. Boil for 30 minutes. Pull out a few cups of juice and allow to cool. Blend the remaining ingredients into the cool juice with a blender then return to hot soup. Cook 15 more minutes.

While soup is place canning jars and lids upside down in a few inches of boiling water to sterilize. Fill jars, one at a time, with hot soup. Wipe rims and fasten lid and ring. Sit on counter to allow it to self seal. Leave jars sit for 24 hours before moving. 

Note: The open kettle method of canning isn't FDA approved but my family has been doing it this way for at least four generations and none of us have died yet from eating this soup! This is the way I learned to can this soup, it's always worked for me and I'm not changing now.