Essential Tips for Perfectly Canning Tomatoes

 

Tomatoes, bursting with flavor and packed with nutrients, are a culinary delight. These versatile gems elevate dishes like chili, beans and rice, and soups to new heights.

Imagine savoring the taste of summer even in the depths of winter—canning fresh, local tomatoes makes this dream a reality. Capture the essence of sunny days and vibrant flavors all year round!

Canning is the process in which foods are placed in jars and heated to a temperature that destroys microorganisms and inactivates enzymes. This heating and later cooling forms a vacuum seal. The vacuum seal prevents other microorganisms from recontaminating the food in the jar.*  

The canning recipe from the National Center for Home Preservation for Crushed Tomatoes (no added liquid is a safe and tested method. Canned crushed tomatoes are delicious and easy to prepare.

Given below is a summary for canning tomatoes: 

1.  Wash tomatoes 

2.  Place tomatoes in boiling water for 3 -5 minutes until peels split

3. Place tomatoes in cold water for 5 minutes and then peel (save peels for later use, see below for explanation)

4.  Cut off ends and hard pieces in the core 

5.  Cut tomatoes into large pieces

6.  Boil tomatoes for 5 minutes

7.  Pressure can or Water Bath can tomatoes

Essential Tips for Perfectly Canning Tomatoes

1.  Opt for Seasonal Tomatoes:  Purchase tomatoes in bulk during their peak season when they are more affordable and full of flavor.

2.  Any Variety of Tomato: The type of tomato doesn't matter. I've tried many kinds and haven't noticed a difference in taste or consistency when making crushed tomatoes.

3. Roma Tomatoes Are Easy to Peel: Though smaller than other varieties, Roma tomatoes are easier to peel. Simply boil them for five minutes and then cool them; the peels will slip off easily by hand. For larger tomatoes, a knife is often needed to remove some of the peel.

4.  Prepare Tomatoes in Advance: If you don't have time to prepare and can tomatoes in one day, it's fine to prepare them the day before. Complete steps 1-6 and store them in the refrigerator. Be sure to boil the tomatoes for five minutes before filling the canning jars.

5. Seeds Are Fine: There's no need to remove the seeds before canning. Cooking tomato seeds along with the tomatoes generally doesn't affect the flavor significantly. While raw tomato seeds have a mild, somewhat bitter taste, this becomes subtle and often unnoticed when cooked. If you prefer a smoother texture, you can use a high-speed blender before using the canned tomatoes.

6.  Save the Peels:  When preparing tomatoes, keep the peels. You can dry them in an oven or dehydrator, then powder them to use as a nutritious seasoning in various dishes.

7.  Lemon Juice or Citric Acid: It is important to add an acid when canning. I've used both lemon juice and citric acid without noticing any difference in taste.

8.  Limit the Salt: It's easy to add salt when you're ready to eat your canned tomatoes, but you can't remove it if you add too much during canning. I usually use half the salt listed in the recipe and then add more to taste when serving the tomatoes.

9.  Choose Your Canning Method: Most tomato recipes provide instructions for both pressure canning and water bath canning. The method you choose should depend on the type of canner you have. For water bath canning, a tall stock pot will suffice. For pressure canning, you'll need a pressure canner, which is different from a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot. I've used both methods and haven't noticed any difference in taste or consistency.

Crushed tomatoes are fantastic in these recipes:  mushroom chili, tomato juice, beans and rice and tomato soup.

* So Easy To Preserve, 6th edition, Cooperative Extension The University of Georgia/Athens, revised by Elizabeth L. Andress, Ph.D. and Judy A. Harrison, Ph.D., 2014