collapse

Advertisement


Author Topic: Canning Tomatoes  (Read 2427 times)

Offline Angry Perch

  • Past Sponsor
  • Trade Count: (+7)
  • Explorer
  • *****
  • Join Date: Oct 2011
  • Posts: 12498
  • Location: Sammamish/ Sequim
Canning Tomatoes
« on: July 20, 2023, 11:58:07 AM »
I'm a canning rookie, and my experience is limited to pressure canning meat. I'm coming into lots of tomatoes from the greenhouse, so would like to can some this year. Everything I've looked at says I need to add acid whether pressure canning or hot water bath, so is there any advantage to one over the other?
Low T Beta Male
Domesticated simpy city dwelling male
Low T/ high estrogen = illogical thinking
You must have a learning disability
Low IQ mut [sic] faced bimbo.
You see it here with some of the less intelligent and stable types.
Leveler boy.

Offline Fidelk

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (+3)
  • Old Salt
  • ******
  • Join Date: Jul 2016
  • Posts: 5943
  • Location: Sequim, WA
  • Groups: NRA, JCSA
Re: Canning Tomatoes
« Reply #1 on: July 20, 2023, 12:04:32 PM »
Looks like a good tomato year, unlike last. As an alternative to canning......I just chop them up and simmer down to a sauce. Then into quart freezer bags and into the chest freezer. Finished off a few bags from 2020 recently and have a few bags left from 2021. They tasted fine, even after 3 years.

Offline Boss .300 winmag

  • FLY NAVAL AVIATION
  • Washington For Wildlife
  • Trade Count: (+22)
  • Explorer
  • ******
  • Join Date: Oct 2010
  • Posts: 18746
  • Location: Skagit Valley
  • How do you measure trying, you do, or you don’t.
Re: Canning Tomatoes
« Reply #2 on: July 20, 2023, 12:06:13 PM »
Looks like a good tomato year, unlike last. As an alternative to canning......I just chop them up and simmer down to a sauce. Then into quart freezer bags and into the chest freezer. Finished off a few bags from 2020 recently and have a few bags left from 2021. They tasted fine, even after 3 years.

Exactly canning tomatoes is a waste of time. We freeze ours in ziplock bags right off the vine.👍
"Just because I like granola, and I have stretched my arms around a few trees, doesn't mean I'm a tree hugger!
Hi I'm 8156, our leader is Bearpaw.
YOU CANNOT REASON WITH A TIGER WHEN YOUR HEAD IS IN ITS MOUTH! Winston Churchill

Keep Calm And Duc/Ski Doo On!

Offline Dhoey07

  • Trade Count: (+7)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Sep 2011
  • Posts: 3339
  • Location: Parts Unknown
    • No Facebook for this guy
Re: Canning Tomatoes
« Reply #3 on: July 20, 2023, 01:01:37 PM »
Canned tomatoes once.....didn't matter how tight I packed them, the jar ended up half full.  Sauce and freeze or dehydrate for me.

Offline Twispriver

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Apr 2008
  • Posts: 2884
  • Location: Granite Falls and Twisp
Re: Canning Tomatoes
« Reply #4 on: July 20, 2023, 01:30:07 PM »
I always use the pressure canner
When a clown moves into a palace he doesn't become a king, the palace instead becomes a circus

I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies

Trump For $ale - Making Corruption Great Again

Offline Angry Perch

  • Past Sponsor
  • Trade Count: (+7)
  • Explorer
  • *****
  • Join Date: Oct 2011
  • Posts: 12498
  • Location: Sammamish/ Sequim
Re: Canning Tomatoes
« Reply #5 on: July 20, 2023, 01:33:19 PM »
I always use the pressure canner

Do you generally cook beforehand or cold pack?
Low T Beta Male
Domesticated simpy city dwelling male
Low T/ high estrogen = illogical thinking
You must have a learning disability
Low IQ mut [sic] faced bimbo.
You see it here with some of the less intelligent and stable types.
Leveler boy.

Offline Twispriver

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Apr 2008
  • Posts: 2884
  • Location: Granite Falls and Twisp
Re: Canning Tomatoes
« Reply #6 on: July 20, 2023, 01:42:46 PM »
I've always cooked the tomatoes or sauce and then canned - there was a thread a couple of years back with good information and there are people way more experienced with tomatoes than I am - @KFhunter (I think) does it a lot - maybe he will weigh in
When a clown moves into a palace he doesn't become a king, the palace instead becomes a circus

I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies

Trump For $ale - Making Corruption Great Again

Offline Karl Blanchard

  • Trade Count: (+24)
  • Explorer
  • ******
  • Join Date: Aug 2008
  • Posts: 10626
  • Location: Selah, WA
  • Jonathan_S hunting apparel prostaff
  • Groups: Sitka Gear Fan Boy for LIFE
Re: Canning Tomatoes
« Reply #7 on: July 20, 2023, 01:54:21 PM »
We put up about 50-60 quarts of stewed tomatoes annually. Never added acid. Skin off, chunk up, simmer, then into jars with a bit of salt and water bath. My mom still does it old school and just adds the hot maters into a jar and on with the lid and ring. No water bath. Never an issue with them sealing. I've read that the acidity of modern tomatoes is lower than back in the day so you should always water bath so I do.
It is foolish and wrong to mourn these men.  Rather, we should thank god that such men lived.  -General George S. Patton

Aaron's Profile:  http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php?action=profile;u=2875
Aaron's Posts:  http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php?action=profile;area=showposts;u=2875
Aaron's Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/aaron.blanchard.94

Offline b0bbyg

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (+4)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jun 2012
  • Posts: 3057
  • Location: SW Wa
Re: Canning Tomatoes
« Reply #8 on: July 20, 2023, 02:02:53 PM »
Last 2 years the wife has put up sauce which is what we use the most.

Once it is cooked down into water bath with a little salt added. One year she seasoned some for spaghetti before the sealing process.
In God we trust, all others bring cash.

Do not say, Why were the old days better than these? For it is not wise to ask such questions.
Ecclesiastes 7 10

Offline Karl Blanchard

  • Trade Count: (+24)
  • Explorer
  • ******
  • Join Date: Aug 2008
  • Posts: 10626
  • Location: Selah, WA
  • Jonathan_S hunting apparel prostaff
  • Groups: Sitka Gear Fan Boy for LIFE
Re: Canning Tomatoes
« Reply #9 on: July 20, 2023, 02:08:46 PM »
We used to reduce some to sauce but I didn't like that much commitment that early. In plain tomatoe it just opens up more options. Soup or stew base, sauces, chili, etc. Or just plain. I've been known to just eat it plain or over some noodles :drool:
It is foolish and wrong to mourn these men.  Rather, we should thank god that such men lived.  -General George S. Patton

Aaron's Profile:  http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php?action=profile;u=2875
Aaron's Posts:  http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php?action=profile;area=showposts;u=2875
Aaron's Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/aaron.blanchard.94

Offline Angry Perch

  • Past Sponsor
  • Trade Count: (+7)
  • Explorer
  • *****
  • Join Date: Oct 2011
  • Posts: 12498
  • Location: Sammamish/ Sequim
Re: Canning Tomatoes
« Reply #10 on: July 20, 2023, 02:24:26 PM »
We used to reduce some to sauce but I didn't like that much commitment that early. In plain tomatoe it just opens up more options. Soup or stew base, sauces, chili, etc. Or just plain. I've been known to just eat it plain or over some noodles :drool:

I agree with that sentiment. Similar to meat for me. It's easy to turn unseasoned deer into tacos, but it's hard to turn taco seasoned deer into stroganoff.

Thanks for all of the replies. Looks like I have lots of options.  :tup:
Low T Beta Male
Domesticated simpy city dwelling male
Low T/ high estrogen = illogical thinking
You must have a learning disability
Low IQ mut [sic] faced bimbo.
You see it here with some of the less intelligent and stable types.
Leveler boy.

Offline ganghis

  • Trade Count: (+4)
  • Scout
  • ****
  • Join Date: Sep 2016
  • Posts: 457
  • Location: Tacoma
Re: Canning Tomatoes
« Reply #11 on: July 20, 2023, 02:36:54 PM »
I usually dehydrate them and throw them in the freezer.  That's pretty convenient for adding to venison/elk chili in winter.

Offline Angry Perch

  • Past Sponsor
  • Trade Count: (+7)
  • Explorer
  • *****
  • Join Date: Oct 2011
  • Posts: 12498
  • Location: Sammamish/ Sequim
Re: Canning Tomatoes
« Reply #12 on: July 20, 2023, 02:43:48 PM »
I got a woodfired pizza oven recently, so I really want to get as close as I can to canned San Marzano tomatoes for sauce.
« Last Edit: July 20, 2023, 03:30:16 PM by Angry Perch »
Low T Beta Male
Domesticated simpy city dwelling male
Low T/ high estrogen = illogical thinking
You must have a learning disability
Low IQ mut [sic] faced bimbo.
You see it here with some of the less intelligent and stable types.
Leveler boy.

Offline merkaba93

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Scout
  • ****
  • Join Date: Dec 2012
  • Posts: 375
  • Location: Washougal
Re: Canning Tomatoes
« Reply #13 on: July 21, 2023, 12:18:59 PM »
Hey Angry Perch.
Yep making your own sauce is a good project! I usually have 4-6 san Marzano plants the last few years. What I do is harvest when ripe and place them in a large 2 gallon bag and freeze them. Then can them all at once in early Oct. I usually have to have friends/neighbors harvest tomatoes for me because they really produce in Sept and I'm out of town salmon fishing pretty much all Sept.
My water bath canning set up is pretty small, only 5 pints at a time, but I usually borrow my folks and do an additional 8 pints on a second burner.
As for the food mill, I started with a hand crank, but a few years back I upgraded to an automatic food mill. Ball Harvest Pro, if you google that you'll find it.

Quarter or halve 6-7 lbs tomatos, about one 2 gallon bag full (optional add 2 tbs garlic, 1/4 cup onion, 1 tbs dried oregano, 1 tbs dried basil, 2 bay leaf). Put in large stock pot and bring to boil, then simmer, cover, and stir every 5 min for a total of 20 min.
Uncover and cook an additional 15 min.

Pass through food mill with fine disk. Add 2 tsp salt.

Scald 5 pint jars. Soak lids and rings in hot water.

Fill jars leaving 1/2 inch head space. Add 1 tbs lemon juice to each pint. Clean rims, seal until snug.

Cover jars by 1 inch of water, bring to boil, then process for 15 min. When done turn off heat and leave jars for 3 min. Remove and let cool.
Be Better than Cream of Mushroom Soup

Offline Angry Perch

  • Past Sponsor
  • Trade Count: (+7)
  • Explorer
  • *****
  • Join Date: Oct 2011
  • Posts: 12498
  • Location: Sammamish/ Sequim
Re: Canning Tomatoes
« Reply #14 on: July 21, 2023, 12:48:03 PM »
Awesome. Thank you!
Low T Beta Male
Domesticated simpy city dwelling male
Low T/ high estrogen = illogical thinking
You must have a learning disability
Low IQ mut [sic] faced bimbo.
You see it here with some of the less intelligent and stable types.
Leveler boy.

 


* Advertisement

* Recent Topics

2025 Coyotes by birdshooter1189
[Today at 01:18:06 PM]


Vail/general archery advice by JeffRaines
[Today at 10:51:27 AM]


Which Tuner? 99 Powerstroke by Cylvertip
[Today at 10:39:13 AM]


Fun little Winchester 1890 project by JDHasty
[Today at 10:24:58 AM]


Heard of the blacktail coach? by Longfield1
[Today at 08:05:23 AM]


Anybody breeding meat rabbit? by HighlandLofts
[Today at 07:35:02 AM]


Resetting dash warning lights by jackelope
[Today at 07:18:27 AM]


Fawn dropped by Rainier10
[Today at 07:11:37 AM]


Please Report Problems & Bugs Here by Rainier10
[Today at 07:10:37 AM]


Back up camera by andersonjk4
[Today at 07:08:42 AM]


WDFW's new ship by Tbar
[Yesterday at 07:07:35 AM]


Cougar Problems Toroda Creek Road Near Bodie by Elkaholic daWg
[Yesterday at 06:10:59 AM]


Wolf documentary PBS by Roslyn Rambler
[May 30, 2025, 07:56:34 PM]


New York deer by MADMAX
[May 30, 2025, 07:38:44 PM]


Halibut fishing by hiway_99
[May 30, 2025, 05:48:13 PM]


Unknown Suppressors - Whisper Pickle by Sneaky
[May 30, 2025, 04:41:08 PM]


KIFARU packs on sale by BigJs Outdoor Store
[May 30, 2025, 02:30:41 PM]

SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2025, SimplePortal