How to Can Whole Tomatoes (Step by Step for Water Bath)
This canning tutorial will show you how to can whole, peeled tomatoes using the cold pack and water bath method.
One of the first things I started canning was tomatoes. We grow so many of them in the garden! So I needed several different ways to use them.
I will make spaghetti sauce, homemade Ro-tel, salsa of all kinds…but perhaps my favorite–and most versatile–kind of tomato to can is the “whole tomato”.
If you’re new to canning, don’t forget to take a look at my post Home Canning for Beginners: All You Need to Get Started.
Why Choose to Can Whole Tomatoes?
Canning the whole tomato makes the possibilities endless when it comes to actually cooking with them. I throw the whole tomatoes in chilis, sauces, casseroles, tacos…literally anything that calls for tomatoes.
If they are in this whole form, I can easily make them fit any recipe! They can turn into diced tomatoes, smashed tomatoes, or even tomato sauce if you blend them!
I think those are pretty good reasons, right?
There are plenty of other methods on how to preserve tomatoes.
You can find other tutorials on how to can tomatoes using the hot process method. This means that the tomatoes are cooked first before canning. I’ve done this too, but I still prefer the cold pack. Maybe just because it’s what I’ve always done.
Another way to preserve tomatoes is by freezing them. I’ve done this too, but if I forget to thaw something out…it’s always a hassle. So I still prefer my whole tomatoes.
What is Cold Pack?
Cold pack means that you are placing your raw tomato into a canning jar without it being cooked first. The contents of the jar will be “cold”. So you will need to water bath the tomatoes to heat them thoroughly and to get them to seal.
Let’s Get Started!
Equipment needed:
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Tomatoes (obviously)
Colander (optional)
Large kettle/pot to blanch
Container to hold ice water
Quart sized canning jars-preferably wide mouth for these tomatoes, so you can press down on them with your fist (you could also use pints if you wish)
Canning lids and bands (and a bowl to keep them in. I will pour hot water over them.)
Lemon juice
(Have all of your equipment out and ready to go before you start! I will have my jars heating on the stove in the water bath canner as I’m working on my tomatoes, so the jars will be hot and ready when I need to start packing them.)
Step One: Blanch the Tomatoes
Blanching is not a hard process. You just need to have everything laid out and ready to go.
The purpose of blanching (going from boiling hot to ice cold…) is to loosen the tomato skin to make them a breeze to peel.
Here’s how I do it:
Boil a large pot of water. Have another pot, cooler, or container of some kind ready with ice water. The ratio of ice to water doesn’t matter, just make sure the water it pretty chilly. I usually place my small cooler on the counter in arms reach of my stove where I’m boiling water.
Wash your tomatoes, and have them ready in a colander, or on the counter.
Place the tomatoes one at a time into the boiling water. I fit about 4-6 tomatoes at a time, depending on the size.
Boil them until you see the skin start to peel up from the tomato. Generally, this takes only a minute or less.
Scoop them out of the boiling water and plunge them into the ice bath.
I will then work all the tomatoes through the boiling water, and just keep adding them to the ice water until I either fill up my cooler, or I’m out of tomatoes.
(I know that my full cooler will equal 6 quarts of tomatoes for me!)
Step Two: Peel and Core the Tomatoes
Next, I will fill my colander up with tomatoes from my cooler, and go to the sink to peel and core.
I use my grandmother’s paring knife to do this.
Sometimes I will core them first, other times the skin slips off so easily, I will peel it first then core. It doesn’t matter which one you do first.
I just cut a circle around the top of the tomato and the core comes right out.
If the skin doesn’t peel easily, just use your knife to coax it off.
After I peel and core, it’s time for the next step.
Step Three: Pack the Jars
I will usually pack my jars as I go…but you can have all your peeled tomatoes in a bowl, then start packing. This would be best to do for a first timer.
Like I said earlier, go ahead and have your canner full of water and jars, and have the heating while you’re working on the tomatoes. That way they’ll be hot and ready for this step.
Lift a canning jar out of the hot water with canning tongs. (I will usually pour off the hot water into the bowl where my lids and rings are, so they will be nice and hot.)
Set on your counter, and now it’s time to begin packing.
I start off with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in the bottom of the quart jar. (If you’re using pints just do 1 tbsp of lemon juice. This is the acid that will aid in preserving the tomatoes properly.)
Then, place a whole tomato in the jar. Squish it down lightly with your fist. You will do this will all the tomatoes to extract the juice, and to make room for more.
Add another tomato, and fill the jar until you have about 1/2 inch headspace at the top.
Wipe the rim of the lid with a paper towel or cloth.
Fish the hot lid and band out of the water, and place on your jar. Secure the lid with the band. You don’t have to tighten it down too much, just make sure it’s on there good.
Using the canning tongs, gently place the jar back into the water bath canner.
Repeat this process until all the tomatoes are used up.
Step Four: Processing in the Water Bath
Once all the jars are in the water bath canner, put on the lid and turn up the heat until you bring the water to a boil.
Once it’s at a boil, set the timer for 85 minutes.
I know that seems like a long time. I honestly don’t know why it is this long, but I’m just following the directions I have always used. They always seal and work fine for me.
When the time is up, turn off the heat, and let the canner sit for another five minutes.
Lift off the lid carefully, and then you can begin to lift the jars out of the canner with the canning tongs.
Set them on your counter, I always place a towel under them, and listen for them to seal! I love hearing the “pop”!
Now you can wait until the next day to move them, remove the band, and store them. Don’t forget to write the date on them!
All done!
That’s how I can my whole tomatoes. I feel like I can knock out a bunch at a time this way, with minimal fuss. I sure am glad I took time to do this when I have rows of beautiful tomato jars to look at all winter!
For more canning recipes, see my Canning section!
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