Canning Tomatoes: Whole or Halved Packed in Water
Canning tomatoes when fresh and at peak flavor are a great way to preserve them to use all year in your favorite recipes. Use this recipe for preserving whole or halved tomatoes packed in water and processed in water bath canner for shelf stable jars.
Servings: 56 servings
Calories: 30kcal
Ingredients
- 21 pounds tomatoes for 7 quart sized jars. See note for pint jars below
- 2 gallons water for blanching plus extra for filling canner
- 2 trays of ice cubes
- citric acid or bottled lemon juice
- canning salt optional for flavor
Instructions
Prepare the Canning Equipment
- Wash your jars, lids, screw bands, and canning tools in hot soapy water. Rinse well to remove all suds. Set aside to air dry on a clean kitchen towel.
- Place the jar rack into water bath canner, place jars in the canner, and add water to cover. Bring the canner to a simmer (180˚F) for 10 minutes, and keep the jars hot until you are ready to fill them.
Prepare the Tomatoes
- To blanch and peel your tomatoes, add about one gallon of water to a large saucepot, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Fill a large bowl with the second gallon of water and several trays of ice.
- Wash the tomatoes well under clean, running water. While working in batches, cut an X in the bottom and dip the tomatoes into the boiling water until the skins crack and loosen, about 30 to 60 seconds.
- Once they crack, scoop them out of the boiling water and drop them into the ice water to cool.
- Keep the pot on the stove. Depending on which packing method you choose, you will use this water to fill your jars and/or heat your tomatoes.
- Once the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skins, cut out the cores, and leave whole or cut in halves or quarters as desired.
- Fill the jars using the raw pack or hot pack method as described below.
Fill the Jars: Raw Pack
- Bring the large pot of water back to a boil over high heat.
- Spread a kitchen towel on the counter. Use your jar lifter to remove a jar from canner, drain, and place on the towel. Keep the remaining jars in the canner so they stay hot.
- Add 1/2-teaspoon citric acid or 2 tablespoons lemon juice to each quart sized jar (1/4-teaspoon citric acid or 1 tablespoon lemon juice for pints).
- Add up to 1 teaspoon of salt per quart to the jars (1/2 teaspoon for pints), if desired for flavor.
- Pack the raw tomatoes into the jar leaving a 1/2-inch headspace.
- Use the jar funnel and ladle to cover the tomatoes with boiling water, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace.
Fill the Jars: Hot Pack
- Add the prepared tomatoes back to the pot of water on the stove. Adjust water if necessary so that it is barely covering the tomatoes. Bring the pot back to a boil, reduce the heat to a gentle boil, and cook the tomatoes for 5 minutes.
- Spread a kitchen towel on the counter. Use your jar lifter to remove a jar from canner, drain, and place on the towel. Keep the remaining jars in the canner so they stay hot.
- Add 1/2-teaspoon citric acid or 2 tablespoons lemon juice to each quart sized jar (1/4-teaspoon citric acid or 1 tablespoon lemon juice for pints).
- Add up to 1 teaspoon of salt per quart to the jars (1/2 teaspoon for pints), if desired for flavor.
- Use the jar funnel and ladle to fill the jars with the cooked tomatoes. Ladle hot cooking liquid over the tomatoes, and leave a 1/2-inch headspace.
Can the Tomatoes
- Run the bubble popper through the jar to release air. Wipe the rim clean with a damp paper towel.
- Center a lid on the jar, and screw on the band until it is fingertip tight. Use the jar lifter to place the jar back into the canner, and repeat with the remaining jars.
- Once all the jars are in canner, adjust the water level so it is two inches above the jar tops. Adjust the space in between the jars to allow hot water to circulate.
- Cover the canner and bring to boil over high heat. Once water boils vigorously, continue boiling quart size jars for 45 minutes (40 minutes for pint jars) at altitudes of less than 1,000 feet. Adjust processing time for your altitude if necessary. (See notes).
- When processing time is complete, turn off the heat and let the canner to cool and settle for about 5 minutes.
- Spread a dry kitchen towel on the counter. Remove the cover by tilting lid away from you so that steam does not burn your face.
- Use the jar lifter to lift jars carefully from canner and place on the towel. Keep the jars upright, and don't tighten bands or check the seals yet. Let the jars sit undisturbed for 12 to 24-hours to cool.
- After the jars have cooled for at least 12 hours, check to be sure jar lids have sealed by pushing on the center of the lid. The lid should not pop up. If the lid flexes up and down, it did not seal. Refrigerate the jar and use within a week.
- Remove the ring bands, wash, label, date the jars, and store the canned tomatoes in a cool, dark location between 50 to 70 degrees F for 12 to 18 months. Once the jar is open, refrigerate and use up within a week. Yields about 7 quarts of whole tomatoes.
Notes
This is a tested safe canning recipe from the So Easy to Preserve, USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning and the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving. Changing the recipe may make the product unsafe for canning.
Canning in Pint Sized Jars: You will need about 13 pounds of tomatoes for a canner load of 9 pints.
All times are at altitudes of less than 1,000 ft. Adjustments must be made for altitudes greater than 1,000 ft:
- Quarts at altitudes of 1,001 - 3,000 ft. is 50 minutes, 3,001 - 6,000 ft. is 55 minutes, and above 6,000 feet is 60 minutes.
- Pints at altitudes of 1,001 - 3,000 ft. is 45 minutes, 3,001 - 6,000 ft. is 50 minutes, and above 6,000 feet is 55 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 30kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 270mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Calcium: 30mg