Canning Tomatoes

  I have a nice gentleman that runs the local produce stand that I trade his produce for some of our Fresh Eggs.  Lately he has been giving me boxes of tomatoes that he is unable to sell because they either have soft spots or blemishes on them. 

We go through the box and the tomatoes that look really good we save aside for salad or sandwiches.  The ones with the blemishes, we make an "x" on the bottom end with a knife and put into boiling water for about 1-2 minutes, until they start to float.  Then we put them into a bowl of iced water.  Peeling is so easy then. 

The tomatoes with the soft spots or punctures, I usually just cut off the bad spots and then put them into the boiling water/iced water.  When all the tomatoes are done, I chop them up and cook them in a large pot with salt and citric acid for about 15
minutes. 

I boil my canning jars for about 3-5 minutes and set aside for my hot tomatoes.  When I add the tomatoes, I make sure I wipe the rim of the jars good before I put on the canning lid and I tighten the ring.



Girl M. helping with canning

I bring a pot of water to a boil and add the jars of tomatoes lid side down and boil for 15 minutes.  Then set the hot jars on a towel on the counter to cool.  Either lid side up or down (my husband and I argue which way is better).  Usually within about 15-20 minutes the jar lids start to "ding" letting me know they are sealed.  I leave them on the counter overnight to cool then write the date on the tops and put away in our pantry. 

Easy enough!

 Now we can have good tomatoes when the prices jump this summer/fall!

Until next time....

Bonnie