Water Canning Tomatoes - You Can Do It!

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Water canning your home grown tomatoes & vegetables is a great way to continue to have fresh vegetables long after the growing season is over. In our grandparents time everyone knew how to water can the foods they grew, but over the years water canning has become a lost art to most of us. Fortunately growing our own foods, as well as learning how to can the foods we grow has started to make a come back. I have providing below the method I learned from my grandmother.
1. Fill your canning pot with water and put on the large burner on your stove on high. The water level should be high enough to completely cover the canning jars plus 2 inches once they are submerged.

2. Put a smaller pot on the stove and fill with water of the way full, and bring the water to a rolling boil. You will use this pot to sterilize your canning jars & lids as well as to blanch the tomatoes.

3. Carefully inspect your glass jars to make sure there are no chips or cracks. If you find any, discard them. Inspect your canning lids to make sure the seal is intact as well.

4. Once the small pot is boiling take your previously cleaned canning jars, rings & lids and place them one by one in the boiling water with a spoon for a few minutes each to sterilize, then remove them carefully and set aside to cool. Once you have done this, you are ready to blanch your tomatoes.

5. If you have sensitive skin, wear latex gloves to protect your hands from the acid during blanching. To blanch, first wash your tomatoes and gently place a whole tomato in simmering water with a spoon. Turn them in the water so all sides are exposed to the heat. After a few seconds, remove the tomatoes and place them in a bowl filled with water and ice. After cooling, the skin of the tomatos should peel off very easily. Be careful as the tomato could still be hot! Repeat until your last tomato is blanched.

6. Next remove the green part of the tomato where the stem grew (the pedicel), butterfly the tomato open and remove the seeds. You want tomato flesh, but not seeds.

7. Begin packing your canning jars, removing air as you pack by pressing down on the tomatoes. For added flavor add a basil leaf or two to some of your jars. I like to add an extra basil leaf, in between the glass & the tomatoes so I can see which ones I added the basil to. Stop adding tomatoes once you reach the shoulder of the jar. Remember to keep pressing all the air bubbles out as you pack the jar!

8. By now, your canning pot should be at a rolling boil. Carefully place the canning rack in the pot and you're ready for the tomato jars.

9. Place the canning lids on all your glass jars, making sure they are centered & making contact with the jar's lid, followed by the canning rings. Tighten the canning ring until it is only finger-tight.

10. Place the glass jars in the canning rack and gently lower them into the water.

11. The time in the water depends on the size of your glass jars, how many jars and the altitude of your home. My grandmother would let them soak for about 5 minutes after the bubbles from the jar stopped coming up. See the table below.

12. Bring up the glass jars & let them sit for a few minutes. Then move them using oven mits to a flat surface to sit overnight. Do not tighten the canning rings, because this may damage the seal that was created during canning!

13. The next day, test the jars, the tops should be flexed inward like a shallow bowl. Remove the ring, and flick the lid with your finger. If it does not come off, they're good to go. Note: Every so often you will get a bad ring or two, so if a lid does come off simply repeat the process above for that jar.

14. Date them and store in a cool dry place. Your properly canned tomatoes can last up to a year.

15. Homemade water canned tomatoes also make great gifts for friends, so whenever you think you have made enough - make some more.

Please Note: Normally, the processing times given for acid foods in recipes and canning guides are based on an altitude at or below 1,000 feet above sea level using the boiling-water method. At altitudes above 1,000 feet, adjust the processing time according to the chart below.

Altitude(feet) Increase Processing Time 1,001-3,000 ft. = 5 Minutes 3,001-6,000 ft. = 10 Minutes 6,001-8,000 ft. = 15 Minutes 8,001-10,000 ft. = 20 Minutes

To learn more about water canning tomatoes, including picture instructions, the best salsa recipe and how to can it, and where to find the best canning equipment visit me at Water Canning Tomatoes I also use DirectGardening.com - because they offer quality plants at great prices, come see what I mean! I hope you enjoy canning your own tomatoes as much as I do.