A step-by-step tutorial on canning tomatoes for beginners! Canned tomatoes are a great base for stews, soups, and sauces. Preserved by “hot packing”, summer tomatoes are blanched, peeled, stewed, and placed into jars. No pressure cooker or water bath! Learn how to can tomatoes by hot packing.
Sterilize jars by running them through a dishwasher or washing them with hot water and soap.
After the jars are sterilized, allow them to cool and place them in a clean dry place until you are ready for canning. Some opt to leave them in the dishwasher until they are ready to begin.
Gather tomatoes and other tools.
Day of Canning:
Clear and disinfect the sink and kitchen counters. Make sure your countertops are clear because you will need to be able to work quickly as the process speeds up.
Line up the sterilized jars on the counter. If you have a stone countertop, place a bath towel underneath the jars to avoid accidentally shattering one while working.
Add 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt in the bottom of each of the jars.
Place the lids and rings in a small pot and cover with hot water – almost boiling. This is not to sterilize, but to help the lids seal properly.
Prepare the Tomatoes for Canning
Bring a large stock pot of water to a boil. It should be enough to cover the tomatoes when they are all in the sink.
tomatoes twice with hot water and place them in your clean sink with the stopper. Be sure to remove any dirt, and set aside any tomatoes with “bad” spots or signs of spoilage.
When your stock pot of water comes to a boil, carefully pour the boiling water onto the tomatoes in the sink. Allow them to soak for about 15 minutes to blanch. (you will be able to see the skin start to separate from the flesh of the tomato. )
Skin and core each tomato. You do not need to remove the seeds. Quarter the tomatoes and place them in a large pot.
When the pot is full, roughly “smash” up the tomatoes with a potato masher.
Then, add enough water to cover the tomatoes. Bring to a boil for 5-10 minutes.
Packing the tomatoes
Working with one jar at a time, spoon tomato mixture into each jar, leaving about 1-1.5 inches of headspace.
As the tomatoes “seal”, you will hear a beautiful popping noise, which means your lids are sealing properly. The lids will begin to “pop” or within an hour to 12 hours from placing the lids on the jars.
Allow jars to cool completely before storing.
Notes
Since this is an involved recipe, please read the post and this recipe card thoroughly before beginning. * A commenter brought to my attention that through his experience as a dishwasher tech, he does not recommend sanitizing the jars or lids via dishwasher. Modern dishwashing units do not get as hot in temperature as older models. Please keep this in mind as you follow this tutorial.* This recipe is best suited for tomatoes that will be used in sauces, stews, casseroles, or other dish that will be cooked thoroughly. It is not intended to be consumed "raw" or uncooked.* As you read the comments below, you will notice the spirited mix of opinions on this method of canning. Everyone is entitled to their opinion on this method; however, as the owner of this website, I reserve the right to delete any and all comments which are hateful, disrespectful, or threatening in nature.