There are several reasons it’s a great idea to can your own tomatoes.
The first reason is this: Â BPA’s. Â Nearly everyone’s heard of this chemical because of the health risks associated with it. Â Sadly it continues to be used in so many of our food products. Â In the case of tomatoes, it’s used in the lining of the cans. Â Because tomatoes are high in acid, the BPA is more likely to leach out.
So what about cans that advertise BPA-free? Â Sure, they’ve removed the BPA but in doing so simply replaced it with another chemical called BPS-Bisphenol S. that comes with many of the same health risks.
The good news: Â Food in GLASS jars is SAFE from chemicals.
Another reason is quality and freshness. Â You have complete control over which tomatoes you select to go into the jars. Â Choose the best and you have a superior product.
Lastly, if you’re able to find a good deal on bulk tomatoes, you can bottle your own for the same or less than what you pay for them in the store AND they’re fresher AND are free from those nasty chemicals. Â It’s a win-win!
Let’s get started!
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Â Using a knife, cut a small “x” in the bottom of each tomato and drop the tomatoes in the boiling water, a few at a time, for 30-60 seconds. Â Lift them out with a slotted spoon and put them directly into a bowl of ice water so they can cool quickly.
Once cool enough to handle, peel the tomatoes. Â Having blanched the tomatoes, the peels will now slip off easily. Â Discard the peels.
Cut out the stem part of the tomato and dice the tomatoes.
Place the diced tomatoes and tomato juices into a large pot and bring it to a boil. Â Boil the tomatoes for 5 minutes to release their juices. Â Note: Â If you’re canning crushed tomatoes the process is the same, simply boil a little longer and use a potato masher to crush the tomatoes.
Have the canning jars ready: Â Sterilized and hot. Â Place one tablespoon of bottled lemon juice (not fresh) OR 1/4 teaspoon citric acid in each pint jar or two tablespoons lemon juice OR 1/2 teaspoon citric acid in each quart jar.
Pack the hot diced tomatoes and their juices in the hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace from the top of the jar.
Optional, Salt: Â Place 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt in each pint jar or 1 teaspoon in each quart jar.
Use a slim utensil like a butter knife to slide down into the jars to remove any air bubbles. Â Wipe the rims of each jar and screw on the canning lids/bands.
Place the jars in the boiling water bath canner and process for 35 minutes for pints and 45 minutes for quarts, adjusting for altitude. Remove the jars, being careful not to tilt them. Â Let them sit undisturbed for 24 hours then check the seals.
These diced tomatoes will keep in a cool place for at least a year.
How To Can Diced Tomatoes
Ingredients
- Fresh tomatoes figure on roughly 2-3/4 lbs tomatoes per quart jar
- Bottled lemon juice or citric acid: 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice per quart jar or 1 tablespoon per pint jar OR 1/2 teaspoon citric acid per quart jar or 1/4 teaspoon per pint jar
- Salt optional: 1 teaspoon per quart or 1/2 teaspoon per pint jar
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Using a knife, cut a small "x" in the bottom of each tomato and drop the tomatoes in the boiling water, a few at a time, for 30-60 seconds. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and put them directly into a bowl of ice water so they can cool quickly.
- Once cool enough to handle, peel the tomatoes. Having blanched the tomatoes, the skins will now slip off easily (removing the skins is the standard recommendation because it's the skins that harbor potential bacteria). Discard the skins. Cut out the stem part of the tomato and dice the tomatoes.
- Place the diced tomatoes and tomato juices into a large pot and bring it to a boil. Boil the tomatoes for 5 minutes to release their juices.
- Have the canning jars ready (sterilized and hot). Place one tablespoon of bottled lemon juice (not fresh) OR 1/4 teaspoon citric acid in each pint jar or two tablespoons lemon juice OR 1/2 teaspoon citric acid in each quart jar.
- Pack the hot diced tomatoes and their juices in the hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace from the top of the jar.
- Optional, Salt: Place 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt in each pint jar or 1 teaspoon in each quart jar.
- Use a slim utensil like a butter knife to slide down into the jars to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of each jar and screw on the canning lids/bands.
- Place the jars in the boiling water bath canner and process for 35 minutes for pints and 45 minutes for quarts, adjusting for altitude. Remove the jars, being careful not to tilt them. Let them sit undisturbed for 24 hours then check the seals.
- These diced tomatoes will keep in a cool place for at least a year.
Katie says
I tried this and after putting the diced tomatoes in pot and boiling for 5 minutes, they were completely mushy. The tomatoes had no texture. It was basically a sauce. Any idea what I did wrong?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Katie, were the tomatoes very fresh and firm or were they overripe and soft?
Roylena Clabough says
Do I use both lemon juice and citric acid to each pint? Or can I just use citric acid
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Roylena, use one or the other, your choice.
Lacey says
That seems like a lot of lemon juice.. is it 1 tablespoon per small pint jar? Can you taste the lemon juice at all?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Lacey, yes it’s per pint. It’s necessary to add that much in order to raise the pH level sufficiently to ensure safe canning. No, you can’t really taste it.
Anonymous says
Can you add spices like garlic and basil and if so how?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Yes, you can. Simply add the spices and garlic to the jar along with the citric acid/lemon juice before adding the tomatoes. I would use about a teaspoon of dried Italian herbs and about 1/2 teaspoon of garlic per each pint-sized jar.
Angie | Big Bear's Wife says
oooo I can’t wait to use this information this weekend! I love getting tomatoes from the farmer’s market.
Krista says
I need to head straight over to the farmers market and pick up tomatoes now!
Erin @ The Speckled Palate says
Oh, this is brilliant! When I get my hands on some homegrown tomatoes and I’ve eaten enough of them fresh, I know what I’ll be using ’em for!
carrie @ frugal foodie mama says
Such a great idea to make homemade canned tomatoes! Especially with the abundance of fresh tomatoes from the gardens & at the farmers markets available right now. :)
Nutmeg Nanny says
Love this post, it’s a great tutorial! Thanks for the tips!
Sandi says
This is such a good idea so you can have that fresh tomato flavor all year.
Amy says
This is such a great recipe to share! I bet a lot of people will be making these soon!
Abeer says
We have been growing tomatoes in our backyard this Summer. This tutorial will be so handy when we start canning in a few days!
Kim Beaulieu says
This is such a great tutorial. I love diced tomatoes so making my own would save me a ton of money.
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
These are really great and easy-to-follow directions, which I appreciate! Your lovely canned jars remind me of all the jars my mom used to can. Love!
Kelly Pfeiffer says
They look so pretty all lined up in their jars together :) I love the idea of using fresh summer produce and keeping it for those cold winter nights!
Theresa says
This is a great tutorial