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Canning Tomato Products

Source: University of Wisconsin

You can use tomatoes to make a wide variety of home-canned products.One of the easiest to make is tomato juice.Use only disease-free, vine-ripened firm tomatoes.Do not can tomatoes from dead or frost-killed vines.These fruits may be low in acid.You should eat them fresh, or cook and eat them.You can also make these tomatoes into products you can store in the freezer.

Wash the tomatoes, remove stems and cut into quarters.To prevent juice from separating, quickly heat a few tomatoes in a large kettle while crushing them.Continue to add and crush freshly cut tomatoes.Simmer five minutes after you add them all.

For a seven quart canner load of tomato juice, you will need about 23 pounds of fresh tomatoes.Press the simmered tomatoes through a sieve or food mill to remove skins and seeds.Heat juice to boiling again.Add two tablespoons bottled lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid to each clean quart jar, or one tablespoon lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid to a pint jar.Add one teaspoon salt per quart, if desired.

Fill jars with tomato juice, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.Adjust lids and process in a water bath canner.Process quarts for 40 minutes or pints for 35 minutes.

For a dial gauge pressure canner, process 20 minutes at seven pound pressure or 15 minutes at 12 pounds.In a weighted gauge canner, process 15 minutes at 10 pounds pressure, or 10 minutes at 15 pounds pressure.

If you want to make a tomato-vegetable juice blend, crush and simmer about 22 pounds of tomatoes, just as for plain tomato juice.Add no more than three cups of any combination of finely chopped celery, onions, carrots, or peppers for each 22 pounds of tomatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes.Press hot cooked tomatoes and vegetables through a sieve or food mill to remove skins and seeds.Reheat the juice to boiling.Add two tablespoons lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid to each clean quart jar.Fill with hot juice blend and adjust lids.The processing time is the same as described for plain tomato juice.

If you need additional information, please contact your county office of the NDSU Extension Service.

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