How To Can Tomatoes

Are you a tomato lover or gardener who wants to learn how to can tomatoes? Cool canning your own homegrown or even farmers market bought tomatoes is easy. All you have to do is follow a few simple home canning rules such as cleanliness, heat and pressure requirements. 

To can delicious tomatoes that you can enjoy for months you will need:

• Tomatoes
• Lemon Juice
• A Pot
• A bowl of ice water
• Sterilized Jars (pint or quart)
• Sterilized Lids
• A Pressure Canner 

1. Choose the best tomatoes. Use tomatoes that are ripe and not decaying, over-ripe, diseased or rotten. Roma tomatoes can the best because they have fewer sides, less water, are thicker and have meatier walls. Lemon boy yellow, beefsteak or better boy tomatoes are good choices too. You can also can green tomatoes and let them ripen slowly.
2. Be totally prepared before you begin. Put your pressure canner on your stove, add about two to three inches of water (or the manufacturer's suggestion) and start it. You should sterilize your jars at the same time by boiling them for ten minutes. Also place and boil a pot of water on your stove that is big enough to hold your batch of tomatoes.
3. Remove the skin from your tomatoes. Put a few of your tomatoes into your pot of boiling water for about 45 seconds, remove them and place them into your bowl of ice water. Now you will be able to slide the skin right off of your tomatoes. Boil your skinless tomatoes in your pot for about five minutes with your choice of ingredients such as basil, salt or garlic.
4. Can your tomatoes. Fill each of your sterilized jars with tomatoes, add two tablespoons of lemon juice and then fill your jars to 1/2 inch from the top with boiling water. Be sure to clear any air bubbles that may be between your tomatoes. Put the tops on your jars and wipe the jars clean.
5. Boil your canned tomatoes in your pressure canner. Your jars should be covered with at least an inch of water throughout the boiling. Boil your canned tomatoes for 40 minutes (pints) to 45 minutes (quarts). Increase your boil time if you live in high altitudes 3,000 to 6,000 feet add 5 to ten minutes. If you live in low altitudes, 0 to 1,000 feet decrease your boiling time by 5 minutes. Remove your canned tomatoes from the canner without bumping them and let them cool overnight. That's it, now you can enjoy delicious tomatoes anytime you like.