Jarred Tomatoes

How to Can Fresh Tomatoes

I love tomatoes. Every year I plant several varieties of plants in my garden. I really enjoy tending to my plants, and watching them grow- it’s also very therapeutic. This year I tilled mushroom manure into my soil with crushed eggshells, and a small amount of nitrogen (in tablet form). In the first four weeks my plants grew just ad they had every year before- a few inches here and there. After the four weeks my plant’s growth exploded. I wasn’t sure what to attribute the unusual growth to- perhaps it was the fertilizer, or maybe the extra rain we’ve had this summer. Regardless of the reason, I’ve been picking hordes of tomatoes every day for the past four weeks.

Tomato Garden

Fresh Garden Tomatoes

I can’t waste beautiful, fresh tomatoes. After making a myriad of tomato sandwiches, salsa, and chicken salad/tuna salad-stuffed tomatoes I decided to can/jar the remaining crop of fruit. I did some research and found out the following:

Before canning your tomatoes make sure that your work area is sanitized, and that all of your equipment is clean, and readily available for you to work with.

Jars are abundant this time of year- they can be found in most grocery, and craft stores.

Washing the jars prior to use is essential- it’s rids the glass and tops of harmful bacteria. This can be done by simply placing the jars in the dishwasher and running them through a normal cycle. If you’re looking for a more thorough cleaning, place 1 tablespoon of bleach in 1/2 gallon of hot soapy water, and hand-wash the jars. Ball jars have worked well for me.

Place a large pot of lightly salted water on the stove; bring to a boil. Before you start preparing the tomatoes, make sure you have a large pot of ice water on-hand.

Core each tomato. Next, score the bottom of the fruit with a sharp pairing knife (the cut should resemble an X).

Carefully place the tomatoes, three or four at a time, in the boiling water. Let the tomatoes cook for no more than 30 seconds. Once the tomatoes have been blanched, place them in the ice water for 1 minute- this process is called shocking. Once the tomatoes have blanched and shocked you can begin peeling them. You will find that the skins slide off quite easily.

Once your tomatoes have been skinned, I recommend de-seeding as well. Slice each tomato in half, then run your fingers through the veins of the flesh removing the seeds. Lightly shaking the tomatoes over a waste basin will help loosen and remove any remaining seeds.

At this point your tomatoes are peeled, de-seeded, and ready to be jarred. Before canning your fruit, place your lids in a hot water bath- this will make the sealant on the lids sticky, and will ensure a proper seal. Align your jars on a clean surface next to the tomatoes. Begin placing the meat of the tomatoes in your jars. Leave approximately 1 inch at the top of the jars.

Once all of your jars are filled with tomatoes, place 2 tablespoons of lemon juice over the fruit- this helps balance the Ph. Secure the lids to the jars, and hand-tighten.

Place the jars in soft-boiling water for 40-45 minutes. Carefully remove the jars from the water and place on towels. As the jars cool, you will hear an audible “ping” when the final seal is achieved.