Canning Tomatoes

Set out your tomatoes and get an idea of how many jars you'll need. This takes some experience. If in doubt, prepare more jars ahead.

A great resource and timeless! Start by getting your jars and lids out, inspecting and washing the jars, immersing them in boiling water for a minute or two, then let them air dry.

If you can by colors, blanch the tomatoes also by color. Immerse in boiling water about 30 seconds until the skin starts to crack. Remove with a wire lifter and immerse in cold water. 

This part gets a little messy. Take each tomato from the cold water, cut out the core and the skins will slide right off. Depending on your preference, leave whole of cut into chunks. Use a wide mouth funnel over each open jar and place the tomatoes into the boiled and cooled jars. Some people like to add 1 teaspoon of salt to each jar, but we do not do this. Remove the funnel and use a wooden spoon handle to remove trapped air bubbles by carefully pushing it up and down a few times between the tomatoes. 

While this is going on, set a lid rack into boiling water and boil the lids for 5 minutes. Take a magnet tool and remove the hot lids, one at a time, and place each over the top of the jar opening. Wipe the jar threads, then place metal screw bands around each jar, tightening lightly. 

Tomatoes do not have to be canned by pressure method but instead do best with boiling water method. Fill the canner about halfway with water and start to get it hot but not boiling While the water heats, place the jars into the elevated rack so they sit up partly out of the water. We use a Victorio, Stainless Steel Multi-Use Canner.

As the water gets hotter and starts t boil, lower the rack to the bottom position. The water should cover the tops of the jars one to two inches. Add more water if necessary. 

Once the water is boiling and at the right height level, put the lid on the canner. This hot water bath canner has heat canning zones based on your location's altitude. As I am located on the East coast near the ocean Zone 1 is the correct choice for my location.  Process the jars for 45 minutes in temperature/pressure zone for your altitude.  If your canner does not have a altitude zone indicator, simply use a gentle but steady boil. 

Remove the jars with a rubber padded wide-mouthed jar lifter/tongs (shown in the photo next to the canner on the stovetop, also seen is a tool to measure the depth of the water above the canning lids).

Place each jar on a towel to cool and dry. Label the lids with contents and date! Now they go on your storage shelf and all ready for soup, stew, chili, pasta sauce, etc.