The following is an excerpt from Tart and Sweet: 101 Canning and Pickling Recipes by Kelly Geary and Jessie Knadler (Rodale, 2011). The excerpt is from Chapter 6: Summer.
We rely on canned tomatoes more than any other preserved food in our pantry, since good tomatoes are hard to find during the off-season. Tomatoes soften during canning, so canned tomatoes are best used for making lovely sauces and tangy soups. Like peaches, tomatoes are typically peeled before canning, but it’s not imperative.
Canned Tomatoes
• 12–15 pounds tomatoes, blanched, peeled, andcored
• About 8 cups water per quart jar
• 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice (or 1 tablespoon per pint jar)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon per pint jar)
1. Leave the tomatoes whole or quarter or halve them, as desired.
2. Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan (you may need more or less, depending on the size and cut of the tomatoes). Reduce the heat, but keep the water hot.
3. Place the appropriate amount of lemon juice and salt in each hot jar. Top with raw tomatoes.
4. Ladle hot water into the jars to cover the tomatoes, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Check for air bubbles, wipe the rims, and seal. Process quarts for 45 minutes, pints for 40 minutes, adjusting for elevation.
YIELD: 4 quarts or 8 pints
