Canned Tomatoes
Equipment & Tools
· 2 32-ounce jars, regular-mouth glass canning jars, rings, and lids
Water-boiling canning pot
Rack
Jar lifter
Large pot
Saucepan
Large bowl
Measuring cups and spoons
Slotted spoon
Silicone spatula, small
Ladle
Wide-mouth funnel
Thermometer
Paring knife
Small sieve
Towel or drying rack
Ingredients
Produce:
4 lbs tomatoes
Additional:
4 tablespoons lemon juice
Recipe Notes
Canned tomatoes! They allow you to look forward to so much! Homemade chili, pasta, and pizza can all result from one quart of canned tomatoes. Anytime I think of canned tomatoes, I think of comfort food. When you read about what came before Wiley Canning Company, you’ll learn about my Grandma Trudy’s homemade chili, my favorite meal in the entire world, made from freshly-canned tomatoes grown in the Ohio countryside.
Tomatoes are one of my favorite fruits (yes, fruits!) to can. They grow in abundance and are easy and fun to peel.
Step 7 of this recipe involves coring your tomatoes. Here is a video tutorial on how to do so.
We often source our tomatoes from Hancock Family Farm at Nashville Farmers’ Market.
Step-by-Step Process
Yield: Approximately 2 32-ounce jars
Total steps: 16
Take a look around your kitchen. Make sure it’s a space in which you’re ready to spend some time. Turn up your favorite playlist, open a window, or light a new candle.
Prepare your ingredients, and read the full recipe. Set your ingredients out, and make sure you have every item you need before getting started. Read through each step below to learn your landscape ahead.
Prepare your water-boiling canning pot and jars. Fill your canning pot with water. Place your rack inside your canning pot. Do not yet submerge your rack. Place the jars and rings on top of the rack. Submerge the rack, jars, and rings, allowing the jars to completely fill with water. Ensure the water level is ultimately about 1 inch above your jars. Place your lid on your canning pot, and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. This step not only prepares your water-boiling canning pot, or water bath, but it also sterilizes your jars. (Boiling water may harm the sealant on your lids, so sterilize your lids by placing them in a saucepan of 180°-water for 5 minutes.) Once your water-boiling canning pot has boiled for 5 minutes, remove your jars and rings from your canning pot. Remove your lids from your saucepan. They’re going to be hot to the touch, so use your jar lifter to protect your hands. Allow jars, rings, and lids to cool.
Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to each jar.
Rinse your tomatoes in cool water.
Blanch your tomatoes. Fill your large pot with water, and bring to a boil. As you’re waiting for the water to begin boiling, fill your large bowl with ice water. (You can also plug your sink and fill it with ice water. Both the boiling water and ice water need to be ready at the same time.) Once the water is boiling, drop your tomatoes into the water for 30—60 seconds. Start timing after the last tomato has been dropped. (Do not overcrowd your pot. Blanch a single layer of tomatoes at a time, and move through a couple rounds of blanching if needed.) After 30—60 seconds, remove your tomatoes from the boiling water, and immediately submerge them in your ice water. Allow them to completely cool. While your tomatoes cool, wash and rinse the large pot you used to blanch them. You can reuse this to cook your tomatoes. Fill your large pot with water, and bring to a simmer.
Core your tomatoes using your paring knife. (See video tutorial under Recipes Notes.) Removing the core from your tomatoes will give you a starting point from which to begin peeling.
Peel the skin from your tomatoes. The thick skin of each tomato ought to easily peel away. Set aside.
Briefly cook your tomatoes. Transfer your tomatoes to your large pot of water, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Pack your tomatoes. Take a single tomato at a time out of your simmering water using your slotted spoon. Tightly pack your tomatoes into your jars, and transfer the water from your simmering pot over the tomatoes using your ladle and funnel. (If needed, you can also use your funnel to pack your tomatoes.) You may ladle your water over a small sieve for clearer, filtered water. Leave a small gap between your water and the top of the jar, about ½ inch below the rim of the jar. (You can cut your tomatoes in half if they are too big to squeeze through the regular-size mouth of your jar. You can also cut a tomato in half if you have enough space for ½ tomato but not a whole to fill your jar.)
Remove air bubbles. If you see any air bubbles in your jar, use your spatula to guide them out. Do not overthink this step. Simply, take your time, and do your best to remove them.
Tidy up. Wipe your jars clean, especially the rim of each jar, with a warm, damp towel.
Add your lids and rings. Tighten.
Process your tomatoes. Submerge your jars into your water-boiling canning pot, and place the lid back onto your canning pot. Allow your jars to boil for 45 minutes. Begin your timer once your water is boiling. Adjust for altitude if needed.
Cool. Carefully remove your jars from the water using your jar lifter, and set them on a towel or drying rack to cool.
Ensure they have sealed. Once cooled, ensure your jars have sealed properly. You can do this via 2 ways: listen for your jar to “pop,” an audible indication it has sealed, or push the center of the lid to see if it pops up and down. If it doesn’t, it’s sealed! Date your jar, and store for up to 1 year. If the lid does pop up and down, it did not seal. Simply put that jar in your refrigerator, and enjoy within 1 month.
