Canning Tomatoes (and fruit, too!)

September is almost over and we've been busy canning as much of summer's splendor as possible. It's such a good feeling to have your pantry filled with jars of homegrown fruits and veggies. Even if you don't grow a garden, you can still take advantage of the fresh produce available. Think U-pick orchards, fruit stands, farmer's markets, even your local grocery store! There's lots of fresh stuff out there.

Since tomatoes (and fruits) are high acid foods, they can safely be canned with the water bath method. Pickles also use the water bath method since you add a vinegar solution  to the jars before canning. However, you MUST use a pressure canning method when canning low-acid vegetables, meat, poultry and fish. It's the only way to guard against harmful bacteria.

So, let's get started with canning tomatoes!

Here's what you'll need:




Water bath canning kettle

Clean canning jars

Canning rings and new lids

These are also a few helpful tools:

Magnetic lid lifter

Jar lifter

Wide mouth canning funnel

Oh! Yeah! and your tomatoes!

First, you'll want to remove the skins. To do this, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add tomatoes to boiling water a few at a time.

When skins start to split, transfer tomato to a bowl of ice water to cool for several minutes.

Once cool, the skin will slip right off (this method works for peaches, too). Cut out core, stem and any imperfections. Cut tomato into halves, quarters, slices, cubes, chunks or a gloppy mess like mine......whatever you prefer!

Let's get those canning jars ready!

Bring a pot of water (big enough to fit 1-2 canning jars) to a boil. Place jars into water sideways, so the water is both inside and outside the jar (sorry, I didn't take pictures of this step). Let set in water for a minute or so (just enough to get the jar hot). Remove jar.

Pack tomatoes into the jar pretty firmly. I tap the jars onto a folded towel to shake the tomatoes down. Make sure there is at least a 1/2-inch from the top (head space) Add 2 tsp. lemon juice.You can also add 1 tsp. salt and fresh or dried herbs (if desired) to the jar. (These amounts were for quarts, cut the amount in half for pints). Add water to jars (again leave 1/2- inch from the top). Wipe the lip of the canning jars with a clean towel to remove any food debris. Dip a new canning lid into the boiling water used to sterilize jars for about 30 seconds to soften the sealing material. Place the lid onto the canning jar. Place a ring over the lid and tighten down (just hand tight......don't over-tighten!). Place completed jar into water bath canner rack. Repeat this process untill the canner rack is full.

My rack holds 7 (pints or quarts). Yours may vary. If you run out of tomatoes, fill the remaining jars with water. You still want the amount of jars in the rack so the others don't bounce around and break. Fill the canning kettle about half full of water and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and CAREFULLY set canner rack into boiling water. Add more boiling water until jars are covered about 1/2-inch. Cover kettle. Turn up heat and bring to a rolling boil. Now start your processing time. All my canning books call for 50 minutes (pints and quarts) for cold-pack (that's the process we used) tomatoes. (Editor's note: after checking Ball's canning website their processing time is 85 minutes for cold-pack tomatoes. Shows you how outdated my canning books are! ALWAYS a good idea to check for updated information to insure food safety! LOVE the internet!) When the time is up, turn off heat and remove jars. Let cool on the counter. I place a towel under them to soak up the water. As they cool you will start to hear the jars seal. Plink, Plink, Plink! When the jars are completely cooled check each jar to make sure they have sealed. To do this press in the center of the lid, it won't flex back up if it is sealed. If any jars didn't seal you can refrigerate and use within the next few days.Wipe the outside of the jars clean, label and move to a cool dark area for storage.

Fruit is processed in a similar way. Check out Ball's canning website for recipes and processing times.