Canning Crushed Tomatoes

5 from 1 vote

Canning crushed tomatoes is an easy way to preserve an abundance of ripe tomatoes quickly. Canned tomatoes are handy to use in chilies, soups, stews, and casseroles.

Prep Time1

Cook Time45

Total Time1 45

Course: Canning

Cuisine: American

Keyword: canning crushed tomatoes

Servings: servings

Calories: 50kcal

Author: Grow a Good Life

Ingredients

15 pounds tomatoes (see notes for quarts)
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:

Wash your tomatoes in plain water.
To peel the tomatoes, bring a large pot of water to a boil, and fill a large bowl with ice water.
Dip your tomatoes into the boiling water until the skins crack and loosen – about 30-60 seconds. Remove the tomatoes from the pot and place in the bowl of ice water to cool. Peel and core your tomatoes once they are cool enough to handle.
Quarter about a dozen of the peeled tomatoes and place them into a large stainless steel saucepan. Heat the tomatoes over medium-high heat, and crush with a potato masher once they soften.
Once the pot comes to a boil, begin cutting the remaining tomatoes into quarters, and adding to the pot as your work. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. No need to crush these tomatoes. They will soften with heating and stirring. Continue until all tomatoes are added. Then boil gently 5 minutes.

Can the Tomatoes:

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 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid or 1 tablespoon of bottled lemon juice to each pint sized jar. (Add 1/2-teaspoon citric acid or 2 tablespoons lemon juice to each quart jar.)
Add up to 1/2 teaspoon of salt for pint jars (1 teaspoon of salt per quart), if desired for flavor.
Use the canning funnel and ladle, and fill the warm jars with hot tomatoes leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
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 jars are all in canner, adjust the water level so it is at two inches above the jar tops.
Cover the canner and bring to boil over high heat. Once water boils vigorously, process pint sized jars for 35 minutes (quart sized jars for 45 minutes) at altitudes of less than 1,000 ft. Adjust processing time for your altitude if necessary. (See notes)
When processing time is complete, turn off heat, remove the cover by tilting lid away from you so that steam does not burn your face, and allow the canner to cool down and settle for 5 minutes.
Spread a kitchen towel on the counter. Use a jar lifter to remove the jars one at a time from the canner. Keep the jars upright, and place them on the towel. Do not tighten ring bands or test 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 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 place 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 9 pint jars of crushed tomatoes.

Notes

This is a tested safe canning recipe from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning. and and the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. Changing the recipe may make the product unsafe for canning.

Quarts: You'll need 22 pounds of fresh tomatoes for a canner load of 7 quarts.

All times are at altitudes of less than 1,000 ft. Adjustments must be made for altitudes greater than 1,000 ft.

Pints at altitudes of 1,001 - 3,000 ft. is 40 minutes, 3,001 - 6,000 ft. is 45 minutes, and above 6,000 feet is 50 minutes.
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.

I am happy to answer any questions, but if you need immediate canning help or answers, please contact your local extension office.

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