Canned Tomatoes

Preserve your summer tomato harvest with this easy, step-by-step canning tutorial. Perfect for beginners, it covers everything from prepping tomatoes to safely sealing jars for long-lasting freshness.

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Prep Time 1

Cook Time 45

Course Appetizer, Canning

Cuisine American

Calories 0.1 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

½ bushel fresh tomatoes
lemon juice

Instructions

Start by washing and preparing your jars.
Fill a large pot or water bath canner with water. Bring water to a boil over high heat.
While water is heating, fill a large stock pot with cold water and set aside.
When the water begins to boil, it's time to blanche the tomatoes. Submerge a few tomatoes in the boiling water (about 5-6 at a time). When the skin of the tomato splits, immediately remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and place them in the cold water.
Repeat this process until all the tomatoes have been blanched and start to split.
Once the tomatoes are blanched, take a knife and cut the skins and the center core from the tomatoes.
Place the peeled tomatoes in a large bowl and set aside.
Cut the tomatoes into desired sized pieces and pack them firmly in prepared jars, pressing gently to fit as many tomatoes as possible. Fill each jar to just below the neck.
When the jars have been filled, add 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice to each pint jar. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for quart jars.
Once the jars have been filled, wipe the top of the jar with a paper towel to remove any residue that may have gotten on the rim of the jar.
Place the lids on and hand-tighten the rings.
Place the recommended number of jars in the water bath canner.
Once the jars have been placed in the water bath canner, fill the canner with water until the jars are completely covered with at about 1" of water. (I like to place my finger on the top of the lid and if the water comes to my first knuckle, then it's enough water.)
Cover and bring the water to a boil and boil for 40 minutes for pint jars and 45 minutes for quart jars. When the time is up, use jar tongs (canning tools) to lift each jar out of the boiling water and set aside.
Do not touch or move the jars after they have been removed from the water bath for 24 hours.
Once the jars have cooled completely, test the seal by pressing gently on the center of each lid. If the lid flexes or pops up and down, the jar has not sealed properly. (These jars can be stored in the fridge).
Store jars of canned tomatoes in a cool, dry place.
Shelf stable for 12-18 months.

Notes

*1/2 bushel of tomatoes is about 26 lbs. of fresh tomatoes. On average, that amount will yield:

14-18 pints of canned tomatoes
7-9 quarts of canned tomatoes

Please note that the exact number depends on the variety of tomato (meaty vs. juicy) and whether you plan to can them whole or diced.

Nutrition

Calories: 0.1kcalCarbohydrates: 0.02gSodium: 0.03mgPotassium: 1mgFiber: 0.01gSugar: 0.01gVitamin A: 4IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 0.1mg

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