How to Can Tomatoes
If I can tomatoes, you can can tomatoes. I did not grow up canning, but thanks to a sister-n-law who did, I have seen the light and how easy it is. If you’ve ever thought of canning, tomatoes are a great place to start. Do it! You have such a sense of accomplishment afterwards and can enjoy your bounty this winter!
If you’re just getting started I suggest you check out the guides here. However, here are a few steps that I love to share because I think they cut down on the time and keep it Cleverly Simple. You know I love that.
What You Need
quart glass jars ( you can pick these up at most grocery stores)
lids
tongs
salt (Update: it is now recommend that you use lemon juice)
tomatoes
Can Together
The people who can together, stay together. It’s so much more fun to go through this process with someone else. I canned our tomatoes with my sister-in-law and mom. We also had a few small helpers as well. Pictured above is my sister-in-law, the canning master, with my little guy. They are cleaning the jars before we sterilize them.
Sterilize Your Jars in the Oven
This picture is a little blurry, but it also feels somewhat artsy. Go with it. 🙂 We turn our oven onto 200 degrees F after we have washed and rinsed the jars. They can stay in there until you’re ready to use them. Don’t turn it on much higher as your jars can crack. Make sure you use tongs to remove them. They’ll be hot!
Ask Everyone for Tomatoes
Everyone loves the idea of tomatoes and then you get a bumper crop and you don’t know what to do with them all. Ask your neighbors, ask your friends and ask your co-workers. You’ll be surprised how many people will almost pay you to take some tomatoes off their hands.
Use The Sink and Boiling Water to Peel The Tomatoes
Once you’ve rinsed the dirt off of your tomatoes, place them in the sink, stem side down in a single or double layer. You’ll want to also make sure all the stems are removed. Boil a BIG pot of water. With the drain closed, pour the boiling water into the sink. Make sure the water covers the tomatoes completely. Let it sit for 1 minute. Open the drain. (You will want to use tongs. Don’t burn yourself!) Rinse the tomatoes with cold water to cool their temperature. The tomato skin will now slide off. You can de-core and cut them into chunks! Put the tomatoes into a large pot and get ready to simmer!
Simmer Slowly
One tip my sister-in-law shared was to bring the pot of tomatoes SLOWLY to a strong simmer or boil. You want the tomatoes to be boiling but you also want to make sure that the chunks of tomatoes can be cut with a fork. This tells you that they’ve softened enough to can. If you bring it to a boil too quickly, the juice will burn and the tomatoes will still be somewhat – not soft.
As they simmer, you’ll always want to skim the foam off the top. This is the impurities that rise to the top of the pan. Cool, eh?
Take it Slowly
Once you’re ready to can, make sure you sterilize anything that will touch the jars. We pour the simmering tomatoes into the jars with 1 teaspoon of salt. (Update: It is now recommend that you use lemon juice.) Wipe the edges of the jar and then place the lid and ring around them tight. You can find more tips here about this process. Once your jars are sealed, don’t touch them and them let cool naturally. You’ll hear a pop when they seal!
Enjoy It
Once you’re done you can enjoy canned fresh tomatoes all year long! We use canned tomatoes in chili and in homemade spaghetti. YUM!
Have you canned before? If so, what do you like to can?
What kind of salt do u use plain or iodized
I used plain ol’ table salt.
Wow! I did learn one tip on here, keeping jars warm in oven, but other than that I wanted to share with your readers that this is not proper canning procedures at all, it might work, but is not safe! As another reader commented you do need lemon juice. Salt is optional and for taste only. And you must pressure can or water bath can the tomato filled jars! This is NOT optional! http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publications_usda.html. please do your research next time!
Hi Trina, the greatest research is done in living out what you do. I’ve canned tomatoes this way for years with no problem. Of course if Ball and others now recommend using lemon juice, I will think about doing that this year. Of course always do what you feel most comfortable with for you and your family.
Hello – first off, thank you for sharing! I look forward to doing this once my tomatoes start coming in. If I follow this process, how long can will they last & do I need to store them in room temperature or in the refrigerator?
Hi Aracell, they keep on a shelf. No refrigeration needed. I would read up on canning tomatoes before you do it, to make yourself comfortable. They last in the jar for one year but I’ve had them a little beyond that and they were fine. 🙂