Canning Tomatoes

Does any here can tomatoes in the fall? DH & I are doing it for the 1st time in September and I am wondering what everyone's method is and if anyone has any advice or tips to make it easier ...

We are planning in 2-3 busshels with another couple. We're hoping for about 24 jars each (48 all together) .. does that sound right?

Message edited 8/12/2010 8:04:46 AM.

Re: Canning Tomatoes

I was about to notebook this b/c I thought you were giving tips

I am hoping to FINALLY get some tomatoes from the ones we planted so I am looking to do this too!

Re: Canning Tomatoes

Well I got directions from a few people. I was just hoping for confirmation I am doing it right and if there was any other tips or tricks I should follow Each had a slightly different way of doing things, but here’s the basic plan.

1. Buy San Marazano tomatoes

2. Wash the tomatoes well and let the water drain

3. Cut all the tomatoes in half or quarters (depending on the size). Some do not do this, but if there is a bad tomato, you can ruin your entire batch, so better to cut them all before they go into the pot.

4. Add tomatoes to pot a little at a time. Every time they wilt, add more until the pot is ¾ full.

5. Bring to a boil and boil for 1-½ hours, stirring a lot as not to burn the bottom. Add a little salt. Add lemon juice or citric acid.

6. Strain tomatoes back into the pot. A metal strainer is preferred, as plastic get heated up quickly with the hot tomatoes. A hand crank is fine. It takes about 10 minutes per bushel to hand crank. Anything more than 6 bushels, you may want to invest in a motorized strainer, as your arm may fall off. Also, buy heat resistant gloves that fit nicely. The tomatoes, the strainer and the jars are hot hot hot.

7. Boil again for 1-½ hours. Stir frequently.

8. Add a basil leaf to a 1 quart mason jar, funnel sauce in, place cover on mason jar, boil jar (water should ¼ way up the jar) for a few minutes to seal.


Alternative Methods I was told (that I don‘t think we‘ll do):
1. Seed and remove juice before 1st boil
2. Boil only once for a longer period of time, strain only once
3. After second boil, strain again before they go into the jars.
4. No need to re-boil jars to seal - the heat from the tomatoes seals the jars right then.
5. No need for lemon juice or citric acid.


Sanitizing Mason Jars
1. Hand clean dishwasher.
2. Run white vinegar though a sanitize cycle.
3. Run a sanitize cycle again (no added vinegar or soap)
4. Run mason jars and lids through a sanitize cycle
5. Boil mason jars for 10 minutes before filling. To avoid any contamination, take one jar out, fill, then place back in to seal. Then take another out.

Message edited 8/12/2010 10:53:21 AM.

Re: Canning Tomatoes

We've done it every year since i was born, but I haven't done it for the past few years. I plan to this year with my sister. here are some questions:

1. do you have the electric or hand machine?
2. do you plan to order the tomatoes in advance (if so, from where)
3. do you have a big gas burner to boil the tomatoes on?

So when we were young we did this upstate and had an actual cement stove outdoor (that my grandfather built just for this purpose). So we would boil the HUGE pot of tomatoes on that stove, over an open flame. It takes FOREVER on a regular stove. I should caveat though that we would make like 20 -25 bushels and around 200 jars of sauce because we made them for all the families.

the season for the tomatoes is the very end of August or early September so don't wait too long. IF you have specific questions let me know because there's a whole process we do and it usually takes a whole weekend, but again thats for like 20 bushels. 2 - 3 would be much more manageable.

and the end result is SOOOO worth it!!

Re: Canning Tomatoes

We are going to buy a hand crank, 2 qt hopper
We have 2 turkey fryers and 1 large burner - all outdoor propane.

We were told you can get the tomatoes at a garden center or a restaurant depot. Do you have any suggestions?

Did you add lemon juice or some other acid to the tomatoes? Some say to do it, some say no...

The water bath for sealing ... how many minutes does it need? Is it 45 minutes? Is that correct?

Thanks so much!

Lisa

Re: Canning Tomatoes

depending on where you live, we would always order them from Pat's Farm (in Merrick I think?) so any place like that would work.

Not sure about the water bath timing sorry! I don't remember doing that....

we definitely don't add anything to the jars before we seal. I know some add basil but I don't recommend depending on how long you have the sauce around... it can get bitter tasting. we would make a year's worth of sauce so... also, homemade sauce is always so much sweeter than the canned kind, so I don't see any need to add acidity to it - we kept it simple.

I'm intrigued by the water bath. I'll have to ask my sister is she ever did that.

Re: Canning Tomatoes

Posted by Elbee



Well I got directions from a few people. I was just hoping for confirmation I am doing it right and if there was any other tips or tricks I should follow Each had a slightly different way of doing things, but here’s the basic plan.

1. Buy San Marazano tomatoes

2. Wash the tomatoes well and let the water drain

3. Cut all the tomatoes in half or quarters (depending on the size). Some do not do this, but if there is a bad tomato, you can ruin your entire batch, so better to cut them all before they go into the pot.

4. Add tomatoes to pot a little at a time. Every time they wilt, add more until the pot is ¾ full.

5. Bring to a boil and boil for 1-½ hours, stirring a lot as not to burn the bottom. Add a little salt. Add lemon juice or citric acid.

6. Strain tomatoes back into the pot. A metal strainer is preferred, as plastic get heated up quickly with the hot tomatoes. A hand crank is fine. It takes about 10 minutes per bushel to hand crank. Anything more than 6 bushels, you may want to invest in a motorized strainer, as your arm may fall off. Also, buy heat resistant gloves that fit nicely. The tomatoes, the strainer and the jars are hot hot hot.

7. Boil again for 1-½ hours. Stir frequently.

8. Add a basil leaf to a 1 quart mason jar, funnel sauce in, place cover on mason jar, boil jar (water should ¼ way up the jar) for a few minutes to seal.


Sanitizing Mason Jars
1. Hand clean dishwasher.
2. Run white vinegar though a sanitize cycle.
3. Run a sanitize cycle again (no added vinegar or soap)
4. Run mason jars and lids through a sanitize cycle
5. Boil mason jars for 10 minutes before filling. To avoid any contamination, take one jar out, fill, then place back in to seal. Then take another out.

Re: Canning Tomatoes

we make sauce every year. ON a mush larger scale tho. Enough for Dh &I, My parents, Aunt&Uncle, 2 sets of cousins. Takes an entire weekend and all of us helping!

We do not add lemon juice, never heard of that.

We add two spoons of salt to each jar and a fresh basil leaf before pouring in the sauce.

The sauce will be the best you've ever had!!!

Re: Canning Tomatoes

Does anyone know of any actual stores that sell canning supplies?

Re: Canning Tomatoes

Hi --- so funny you posted this... we just canned today. A lot of fun, a lot of work (7 bushels of Roma tomatoes!), bit hopefully very worth it!!!!


I found canning supplies at Bed Bath and Beyond and Ace Hardware (pot w/ rack, bottle lifters, etc...). We went to resturant depot for big wooden paddles and we borrowed 3 turkey fryers.

We purchased a metal hand crank at Cross Island Farms in Franklin Square for $30 --WORKED GREAT!

We purchased our tomatoes & mason jars from Pat's Farms in Merrick.


some pics from today:

Message edited 8/29/2010 10:43:22 PM.

Re: Canning Tomatoes

What is the Turkey Fryer for? Is that where you boil the tomatoes?

If I were going to do this what exactly would you say I should get? I really want to try this maybe the weekend.