Canning Whole Tomatoes

Yield approx. 6-7 quarts

Canning produce allows us to take advantage of the abundant supply of fresh tomatoes available during the summer at your farmers’ market. Your selections should be marked by vivid color, earthy fragrance and a substantial weight.

Ingredients

20 lbs of large heirloom tomatoes

8 tsp Kosher, Sea Salt or fresh lemon juice

Actions

Wash tomatoes. Remove stems, core and score the bottom with an X.

1 large cooking pot with boiling water to submerse whole tomatoes

Blanch cored, scored tomatoes until the skin starts to peel – for approx. 90 seconds

Remove tomatoes to an ice bath in large bowl until cool enough to touch

Peel tomatoes. Skins (and cores) can be composted.

Fill hot quart jars with 1 tsp salt or fresh lemon juice, add peeled tomatoes

Cut whole tomatoes, if necessary, to get into jars

Remove air bubbles (see action notes)

Wipe rims of any spills, cover with hot flats and rings. Do not over tighten the rings.

Process quarts 45 minutes and pints 40 minutes in boiling water canner.

Carefully remove jars from canner with jar lifter after processing time.

Place on a clean kitchen towel. Cover with another kitchen towel to keep drafts from cooling them too fast.

Label and store.

See Ingredient and Action notes below

Notes

Heirloom tomatoes at their peak have vibrant color and an intense tomato smell. Whatever your selection, they should be heavy, full of juice, and not overly soft.

Sea Salt, Kosher Salt or fresh lemon juice – Iodine free. Using salt with iodine will make any of your liquids cloudy. The lemon juice will add some acidity, especially if you are using yellow or light-colored fruit.

Wash tomatoes in clear tap water, remove stems, core and score the bottom. Scoring will assist in removing the skin after blanching. (Cores and skins can be composted)

Blanching - submerse tomatoes in boiling water for about 90 seconds, once the tomato skins start to peel remove to ice bath.

Ice Bath – placing blanched tomatoes in ice bath stops the cooking and cools tomatoes for handling.

Peel tomatoes and place whole, half or quartered into the hot jars. The skins can be composted or added to vermiculture.

Filling the jars – pack tomatoes tightly but be sure to leave ‘head space’. Fill the jars to at least ½” below the rim. This allows for expansion during the water bath process. Overfilling will cause leakage and improper sealing of the jars.

Remove air bubbles – insert a wooden skewer or flat knife around the inside of jar to remove air bubbles. Leaving air bubbles will cause your fruit to float leaving liquid at the bottom of the jar. (Having juice at the bottom of the jar is not a bad thing, maybe disappointing, but it is the liquid essence of the tomato).

Lids and Rings – wipe the rims of the filled jars with a damp, clean cloth to remove any spills. Place the heated lids and secure with the heated rings. Hand tighten to secure the lids in place.

Removing jars from the water bath with the lifters, place on a clean kitchen towel. Placing hot jars on a cold surface may crack the jar or cause the bottom to break. Cool slowly to room temperature by avoiding drafty areas.

Label with the name and date. Store in a cool, darkened area for future use.

Relish the joy of making memories and gathering sunshine for your pantry collection.

Connie McCullah