Canning Tomatoes Whole (with Video)

Canning tomatoes whole is a great method for preserving the harvest, especially a bumper crop. Follow these easy tips on how to can whole tomatoes for a year’s worth of garden fresh goodness!

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The most preserved item during canning season is the tomato. Whether the goal is to put-up salsa, sauces, or the basic tomato canning tomatoes is an extremely easy process. Today’s topic is preserving the basic tomato, and the decision which needs to be made is whether to hot water bath or pressure can them. Where does your comfort level lie?

Who doesn’t love a good tomato?  In truth, the tomato is the most versatile item to be preserved. Think of all the amazing items which can be made from them fritatta, casserole, stew, soup, sauces, omelets, and for making homemade soups. Additionally, there is absolutely nothing quite as rewarding than consuming the fruit of summer in the dead of winter.

This my friends is why we garden and why we preserve foods. Home food preservers know each and every ingredient in the jar.

Does it get any better than this?  I think not.

Selecting the best tomato variety

Look, when selecting the right tomato there’s no science to it, and in truth it’s really based on preference and what is prolific in the garden. However, with that said, when canning tomatoes (whether in whole, sliced, diced or crushed) the Roma or plum tomato is a great choice.

Roma tomatoes are a meatier variety with little seeds, it holds its texture well during the preparation and canning process making it a great option to be canned. Not only is the Roma a great item for canning the basic tomato it is excellent for making canned items such as tomato, pizza, and chili.

Preserving Tomatoes

Tomatoes grown today are low in acidity, even heirloom tomatoes. Make sure to add an acidity booster to each jar of tomato prior to canning them.

Acidity Level

No matter how you look at it tomatoes are low in acidity, regardless if it is a heirloom or hybrid variety. In order to preserve it properly the acidity level will need to be lifted, this applies when using either a hot water bath or pressure canner.

The acidity level can be increased by using either bottled lemon juice or citric acid:

• Pint jars – 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Quart jars – 2 tablespoons lemon juice

OR

• Pint jars – 1/4 teaspoon citric acid
• Quart jars – 1/2 teaspoon citric acid

Fresh lemon juice is not high enough in acidity needed when canning tomatoes, my suggestion is to stick to one of the two suggestions which were made.

Preparing the Fruit

The first step in preparing tomatoes for canning is to blanch them. When the skin is cooked it becomes tough and unappealing, making it difficult to enjoy the jar of food. Through blanching the skin can easily be peeled and what remains is the ‘meat’ of the fruit.

1. Wash tomatoes well
2. Discard any bruised or rotten spots
3. Place an X on the blossom end of the tomato helps to peel the tomato if it should not crack during the blanching process.
4. Finally, bring a large stock pot to boil

A blanching colander is an excellent tool for blanching a large amount of tomatoes, or any fruit or vegetable, at a time.

The Blanching Process

The blanching time can take anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes, depending on how ripe the tomato is. Though if a tomato is quite ripe it can take roughly 30 seconds to 1 minute in order for the skin to separate from the meat of the fruit.

More times than not the tomato skin will crack, indicating that they have been blanched long enough. Without a doubt there will be a tomato that is stubborn and skin will not peel. Feel free to blanch it a little longer or use a knife to remove the skin.

Ice Bath

Once the blanching process is complete immediately submerge the blanching basket into ice water or extremely cold water. An ice-water bath is necessary for two reasons:

1. To stop the cooking process, and
2. Allow the for easily handling of the tomato in order to remove the skin

There is no exact time for how long the tomatoes should sit in the ice water. Basically, as soon as you are able to handle them is the right amount of time.

Note:

Save the peels! Tomato peels can be dehydrated and made into tomato powder for making tomato paste. Did you get that? Homemade tomato paste by using an item which is generally discarded! Additionally, the tomato powder can be added to items which you are preparing when the flavor of a tomato is required without using a jar of tomatoes.

The Sustainable Canning Course

Are you searching for canning classes near you? Look no further! The Sustainable Canning Course is a self-paced series of online classes designed to help you on the road to achieving food ownership.

The Sustainable Canning Course is an extension of my book, The Farm Girl’s Guide to Preserving the Harvest. I wrote this book to help guide those who seek to own their food source the opportunity to do so. It is a comprehensive, easy to understand book covering all methods of home food preservation, canning, drying, fermenting, curing, freezing, and storing fresh foods.

• Understand why pressure canning is necessary to preserve foods.
• Confidently alter or create recipes to be canned.
• Preserve many tomato products utilizing scientific information with traditional tools.
• How modern canning tools, such as the steam canner and steam juicer, revolutionized preserving methods.
• Understanding how to decipher information shared by the National Center of Home Food Preservation.
• Discover how easy it is to can meat, fish, soups, and stews.

These topics and many more are available within The Sustainable Canning Course. Reserve your spot now, and begin gleaning the necessary information needed to preserve foods as a modern sustainable homesteader does.

How to Can Whole Tomatoes

There are a few methods available when it comes to canning tomatoes. They can be preserved whole, crushed, sliced, or diced and the decision on how to put them up is based on what you plan to make with them. For this tutorial we opted to preserve tomatoes by slicing them.

For individuals who have space restraints canning whole tomatoes is not practical. Not one bit. Selecting to pack the jars with crushed, sliced or diced tomatoes allows for more tomatoes in each jar, minimizing the amount of jars in the pantry.

Canning Whole Tomatoes

Processing Method and Time

1. Sterilize used jars in a dishwasher or boil jars for 10 minutes, remove a few jars at a time to be filled. Keep in minds, processing jars for 10 minutes in a pressure or boiling water canner sterilizes them.
2. Fill jars
3. Increase acidity to each jar by adding 1 tablespoon of bottle lemon juice for pints, or 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice for quarts
4. Add boiling water to each jar – making sure to leave the appropriate amount of headspace from the top of the jar to the water level
5. Adding salt is not necessary. However, feel free to add a pinch to prevent the tomatoes from becoming to salty.
6. Remove air bubbles using a bubble removing tool. Fill the jar with additional boiling water if the water level should fall below the half inch mark
7. Using a clean cloth wipe the top of jars
8. Add warmed lids and rings, making sure to tighten only to finger tight
9. Process for the appropriate time based on the elevation in which you reside

Video tutorial for Canning Whole Tomatoes in Water

My Book

The Farm Girl’s Guide to Preserving the Harvest is a comprehensive book covering multiple methods for preserving foods in the comfort of your home. Learn how to safely can, dry, ferment, cure, freeze, and store foods fresh as a sustainable homesteader would. The tips, tricks, and recipes within this book will provide you the confidence and knowledge needed to own your food source.

How to Can Whole Tomatoes

The processing time for canning whole tomatoes in water will vary based on the canning tool being used. Make sure to follow the correct time based on the altitude in which you reside.

Hot Water Bath Canning (HWB)

Because tomatoes are low in acidity the processing time is much longer than what it is for canning pickles, jam, or jelly.  For this reason a hot water bath canner is required versus the use of a steam canner.

Also keep in mind, because of the long processing time the water level of the canner will need to be 2 to 3-inches above the top of the jars when processing tomatoes. This ensures the water never falls below the top of the jars.

Pressure Canning (PC)

Determining the correct PSI and processing time will vary based on the type of canner being used and elevation where you reside. 

Dial Gauge Pressure Canner

Weighted Gauge Pressure Canner

Regardless of the altitude, a 15 pound weight is the required weight for this type of canner.

Additional Methods for Preserving Tomatoes

There are many preserving tomato recipes. However, non as great than this canning tomatoes with basil and garlic.

• Whole tomatoes in basil and garlic makes an excellent addition to any dish.
• Freeze the tomatoes in order to slip the skins off.  And in truth, it’s actually quite brilliant if you have the freezer space!

Continue to Content

Yield: 7 quarts

Canning Whole Tomatoes with Basil and Garlic

Print

Canning whole tomatoes creates a versatile food items which can be enjoyed throughout the year to come. Enjoy creating foods from the summer's harvest.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 15 pounds Roma or Plum tomatoes,, blanched and peeled
• 1 large bunch fresh Basil
• 10 cloves Garlic
• bottled Lemon juice
• Water,, boiling
• pinch fine Sea Salt,, optional

Instructions

Blanch Tomatoes

1. Place an X on the blossom end of the fruit. This will help to easily remove the skin once it's been blanched.
2. In a large stock pot bring water to boil. Add tomatoes to blanching basket and submerge for 30 to 60 seconds in boiling water. Ripe tomatoes will be ready quickly, whereas unripe tomatoes will take longer for the skins to be ready to peel.
3. Once the tomatoes have been blanched immediately submerged them into ice or very cold water to stop the cooking process.
4. Peel and reserve tomato skins.

Canning Steps

1. Next, fill sanitized hot jars by layering the tomatoes, garlic and basil.  Roughly 4 cloves of garlic and a few basil leaves are added to each jar. Remember to leave a 1-inch headspace when packing the jars.
2. Once the jars have been filled add bottled lemon juice - 2 tablespoon per quart 1 tablespoon per pint. Add a pinch of salt, though it is not required.
3. Fill jars with boiling water, remembering to leave a 1-inch headspace.
4. Remove air bubbles and gently pierce tomatoes with air bubble removing tool. Add additional water if needed to ensure tomatoes are covered.
5. Wipe rim of jars with a clean cloth dipped in hot water or distilled white vinegar.
6. Add warmed lids and rings to finger tight.
7. Process in a steam, hot water bath, or pressure canner based on your elevation. See processing times in the blog.

Notes

Dehydrated the reserved peels and grind to create tomato powder. The tomato powder can be reconstituted to make tomato paste, or added to food items to create a tomato flavor without the use of actual tomatoes.

A step by step tutorial can be found on my YouTube channel. 

Recommended Products

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• 
  Steam Canner - High Acidic Foods
• 
  My Book - The Farm Girl's Guide to Preserving the Harvest
• 
  Blanching Basket

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

7

Serving Size:

1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 181Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 70mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 12gSugar: 26gProtein: 9g

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