Tomato Canning Recipes

Tomato Canning Recipes General Guidelines

canning requirements have changed in recent years to compensate for new varieties of tomatoes with higher solids and less acid. It is important to use current, scientifically tested tomato canning guides.

Wash tomatoes and remove the tomato skins by dipping in boiling water for 30-60 seconds or until skins split. Dip in cold water, then slip off skins and remove cores.
Add acid to jars of crushed, whole or juiced tomatoes before processing. Use

• 1 Tablespoon/pt or 2 Tablespoons/qt of bottled lemon juice, or 1/4 tsp/pt or 1/2 tsp/qt of citric acid.
• Salt is added to tomatoes for flavor, not to preserve them. Therefore it may be omitted. If you use salt, add 1/2 teaspoon to each pint jar or 1 teaspoon to each quart jar.
• Fill jars with tomatoes leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Adjust lids to be finger tight and process.

USDA canning requirements for tomatoes offer several options of pretreatment and processing times. It is important to match the method to the appropriate time or pressure requirements. This includes whether or not the recipe calls for a hot pack (tomatoes hot when placed in jars) or a raw pack. If the recipe calls for processing hot pack tomatoes and the tomatoes are no longer hot, the final product will be under processed. These are general tomato canning recipe guidelines.

Tomato Canning Recipe -Crushed or Quartered
Before processing crushed or quartered tomatoes, listen to the general message on canning tomatoes. Slip the skins and quarter your tomatoes. Heat one-sixth of the quartered tomatoes quickly in a large pot, crushing them with a wooden mallet or spoon as they are added to the pot. This will exude juice. Continue heating the tomatoes, stirring to prevent burning. Once the tomatoes are boiling, gradually add remaining quartered tomatoes, stirring frequently. Continue until all tomatoes are added. Then boil gently for 5 minutes.
Place hot tomatoes in jars and process. If your altitudes is between 3001 to 6000 ft., the tomatoes should be held in a boiling water bath for 45 minutes for pints or 55 minutes for quarts. If you wish to pressure can them instead, process for 15 minutes at 13 lbs of pressure. Use 15 lbs pressure if you are using a weighted gauge type. This is an effective tomato canning recipe for crushed tomatoes.

Tomato Sauce Canning Recipe

• 30 lb. tomatoes
• 1 c. onions, chopped*
• 5 cloves garlic, minces
• 1 c. celery or green pepper, chopped*
• 1 lb. mushrooms, sliced* (optional)
• ¼ c. vegetable oil
• 4½ tsp. salt or to taste
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 Tbs. oregano
• ¼ cup parsley, minced
• ¼ cup brown sugar

Deskin all of the tomatos. Combine all of the ingredients in a stew pot. Ladle in the tomato canning recipe into ball canning jars. Follow the Ball canning recipes below.