Let's Preserve: Tomatoes

Quality

Select only disease-free, preferably vine-ripened, firm fruit for canning. Do not can tomatoes from dead or frost-killed vines. Green tomatoes are more acidic than ripened fruit and can be canned safely with any of the following recommendations.

Recommended Varieties

Slicing varieties are good choices for making juice and crushed and whole tomato-products. Paste tomatoes are good for making sauce, ketchup, and purees. Yellow tomatoes are not really any lower in acid than red; they contain more natural sugars and therefore have a sweeter taste.

Freezing Procedure

Select firm, ripe tomatoes with deep red color. Wash and dip in boiling water for 30 seconds to remove skins. Core and peel. Freeze whole or in pieces. Pack into containers, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Seal and freeze. Use only for cooking or seasoning since tomatoes will not be solid when thawed. Note: Cooking or stewing tomatoes provides better texture and flavor.

Juice

Wash, sort, and trim firm, vine-ripened tomatoes. Cut in quarters or eighths. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Press through a sieve. If desired, season with 1 teaspoon of salt to each quart of juice. Pour into containers, leaving headspace. Seal and freeze.

Stewed Tomatoes

Remove stem ends and peel and quarter ripe tomatoes. Cover and cook until tender (10–20 minutes). Place pan containing tomatoes in cold water to cool. Pack into containers, leaving headspace. Seal and freeze.

Canning Procedure

If this is your first time canning, it is recommended that you read "Let's Preserve: Basics of Home Canning." Wash jars. Prepare lids according to manufacturer's instructions. Fill hot tomato products in jars. Remove air bubbles. Wipe sealing edge of jars with a clean, damp paper towel. Add lids and tighten screw bands. Process in a boiling water canner, atmospheric steam canner, or pressure canner.

To Process in a Boiling Water Canner

Fill canner halfway with water and preheat to 180°F for hot packs or 140°F for raw packs. Load sealed jars onto the canner rack and lower with handles, or load one jar at a time with a jar lifter onto rack in canner. Add water, if needed, to 1 inch above jars and add canner cover. When water boils vigorously, lower heat to maintain a gentle boil and process jars for the time given in the recipe. After processing is complete, remove the canner from heat and remove the canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, carefully remove the jars from the canner with a jar lifter, and place them on a towel or rack to cool for 12 to 24 hours.

To Process in an Atmospheric Steam Canner

Preheat the base of a steam canner that has been filled with the amount of water designated in the instruction manual that comes with the canner (usually about 2 quarts). Set the rack in the base of the canner. Heat water in the base of the canner to 180°F. As each jar is filled, place it on canner rack, keeping the cover or lid on the atmospheric steam canner as you work. When all jars are in the canner, bring the canner to a boil over medium to medium-high heat until a steady column of steam at least 6 inches long escapes from the vent hole(s). Processing time begins when there is a steady column of steam 6 to 8 inches long. Slowly adjust the heat to maintain a steady column of steam throughout the processing time. After processing is complete, remove the canner from heat and remove the canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, carefully remove the jars from the canner with a jar lifter, and place them on a towel or rack to cool for 12 to 24 hours.

To Process in a Pressure Canner

Place jar rack, 2 inches of water, and sealed jars in canner. Fasten lid and heat canner on high setting. After steam exhausts for 10 minutes, add weighted gauge or close petcock to pressurize the canner. Start timing the recommended process when the desired pressure is reached. Regulate heat to maintain a uniform pressure and process the product for the time given in the recipe.

When processing is complete, remove canner from heat. Air-cool canner until it is fully depressurized. Slowly remove the weighted gauge or open petcock, wait 10 more minutes, and unfasten and carefully remove canner lid.  Remove jars from canner with a jar lifter and place on a towel or rack.  Do not retighten the screw bands. Air cool jars for 12 to 24 hours.  Remove screw bands and check lid seals.

Remove screw bands from the cooled jars and check lid seals. If the center of the lid is indented, wash, dry, label, and store jars in a clean, cool, dark place. If the lid is unsealed, examine and replace jar if defective, use new lids, and reprocess as before. Wash screw bands and store separately. Tomato products are best if eaten within one year and are safe as long as lids remain vacuum sealed.

To Process at High Altitudes

Process times in recipes are for altitudes at or below 1,000 feet above sea level. If you are processing in a boiling water bath at altitudes over 1,000 feet, follow process times in Table 2.

In a pressure canner, the processing time remains the same and the pressure is increased at higher altitudes.

In a dial gauge pressure canner:

• At altitudes of 1,001–2,000 feet, process at 11 pounds pressure.
• At altitudes of 2,001–4,000 feet, process at 12 pounds pressure.
• At altitudes of 4,001–6,000 feet, process at 13 pounds pressure.
• At altitudes of 6,001–8,000 feet, process at 14 pounds pressure.

In a weighted gauge pressure canner, the processing time remains the same at altitudes over 1,000 feet, but the food must be processed at 15 pounds pressure.

Acidification

To ensure safe acidity in whole, crushed, or juiced tomatoes, add 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice, 4 tablespoons of 5 percent vinegar, or ½ teaspoon of citric acid per quart of tomatoes. For pints, use 1 tablespoon of bottled lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of 5 percent vinegar, or ¼ teaspoon of citric acid. Add sugar to offset acidic taste, if desired.

Tomato Juice

Quantity.

See Table 1 for guidelines.

Procedure

Wash, remove stems, and trim off bruised or discolored portions. To prevent juice from separating, quickly cut about 1 pound of fruit into quarters and put directly into saucepan. Heat immediately to boiling while crushing. Continue to slowly add and crush freshly cut tomato quarters to the boiling mixture. Make sure the mixture boils constantly and vigorously while you add the remaining tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes after you add all pieces.

If you are not concerned about juice separation, simply slice or quarter tomatoes into a large saucepan. Crush, heat, and simmer for 5 minutes before juicing. Press both types of heated tomatoes  through a sieve or food mill to remove skins and seeds. Add bottled lemon juice, vinegar, or citric acid to jars (see acidification instructions above). Reheat juice to boiling. Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart, if desired. Fill jars with hot tomato juice, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Adjust lids and process.

Option 1

Process in a boiling water bath or atmospheric steam canner.

• Pints: 35 minutes
• Quarts: 40 minutes

Option 2

Process in a dial gauge pressure canner at 11 pounds pressure or in a weighted gauge pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure.

• Pints or quarts: 15 minutes

Tomato and Vegetable Juice Blend

Quantity. See Table 1 for guidelines.

Procedure

Crush and simmer tomatoes the same as for making tomato juice. To make 7 quarts, use 22 pounds of tomatoes, and add no more than 3 cups of any combination of finely chopped celery, onions, carrots, and peppers for every 22 pounds of tomatoes. Simmer mixture for 20 minutes. Press hot, cooked tomatoes and vegetables through a sieve or food mill to remove skins and seeds. Add bottled lemon juice, vinegar, or citric acid to jars (see acidification directions above). Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart, if desired. Reheat tomato-vegetable juice blend to boiling and fill immediately into jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Adjust lids and process.

Option 1

Process in a boiling water bath or atmospheric steam canner.

• Pints: 35 minutes
• Quarts: 40 minutes

Option 2

Process in a dial gauge pressure canner at 11 pounds pressure or in a weighted gauge pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure.

• Pints or quarts: 15 minutes

Crushed Tomatoes

Procedure

Wash tomatoes and dip in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins split. Then dip in cold water, slip off skins, and remove cores. Trim off any bruised or discolored portions and quarter. Heat quarters quickly in a large pot, stirring to prevent burning. Boil gently for 5 minutes. Add bottled lemon juice, vinegar, or citric acid to jars (see acidification directions on page 1). Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart, if desired. Fill jars immediately with quartered hot tomatoes, leaving ½ inch of headspace.  Adjust lids and process.

Option 1

Process in a boiling water bath or atmospheric steam canner.

• Pints: 35 minutes
• Quarts: 45 minutes

Option 2

Process in a dial gauge pressure canner at 11 pounds pressure or in a weighted gauge pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure.

• Pints or quarts: 15 minutes

Whole or Halved Tomatoes Packed in Water

Quantity. See Table 1 for guidelines.

Procedure

Wash tomatoes and dip in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins split. Then dip in cold water, slip off skins, and remove cores. Leave whole or halve. Add bottled lemon juice, vinegar, or citric acid to jars (see acidification directions above).

• Hot pack: Place prepared tomatoes in saucepan and cover with water. Bring tomatoes to a boil in water and boil gently for 5 minutes. Fill jars with hot tomatoes. Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart, if desired, and add enough hot cooking water to cover tomatoes, leaving ½ inch of headspace.
• Raw pack: Fill jars with raw, peeled tomatoes, add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart if desired, and add hot water to cover tomatoes, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Adjust lids and process.

Option 1

Process in a boiling water bath or atmospheric steam canner.

• Pints: 40 minutes
• Quarts: 45 minutes

Option 2

Process in a dial gauge pressure canner at 11 pounds pressure or in a weighted gauge pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure.

• Pints or quarts: 10 minutes

Whole or Halved Tomatoes Packed in Tomato Juice

Procedure

Prepare, peel, and acidify tomatoes as described for tomatoes packed in water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart, if desired.

• Raw pack in tomato juice: Pack raw tomatoes in jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Cover tomatoes in the jars with hot tomato juice, leaving ½ inch of headspace.
• Hot pack in tomato juice: Bring tomatoes to a boil in tomato juice and boil gently for 5 minutes. Fill jars with hot tomatoes, allowing ½ inch of headspace. Cover tomatoes with hot juice, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Adjust lids and process

Option 1

Process in a boiling water bath.

• Pints or quarts: 85 minutes (Note: an atmospheric steam canner cannot be used for products that process longer than 45 minutes.)

Option 2

Process in a dial gauge pressure canner at 11 pounds pressure or in a weighted gauge pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure.

• Pints or quarts: 25 minutes

Whole or Halved Tomatoes with No Added Liquid (Raw Pack)

Procedure

Prepare, peel, and acidify tomatoes as described for tomatoes packed in water. Add 1 teaspoon salt per quart, if desired. Fill jars with raw-packed tomatoes, pressing until spaces between them fill with juice. Leave ½ inch of headspace. Adjust lids and process.

Option 1

Process in a boiling water bath.

• Pints or quarts: 85 minutes (Note: an atmospheric steam canner cannot be used for products that process longer than 45 minutes.)

Option 2

Process in a dial gauge pressure canner at 11 pounds pressure or in a weighted gauge pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure.

• Pints or quarts: 25 minutes

Tomatoes and Okra or Tomatoes and Zucchini

Quantity. See Table 1 for guidelines.

Procedure

Wash 12 pounds of tomatoes and 4 pounds of okra or zucchini. Dip tomatoes in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins split. Then dip in cold water, slip off skins, remove cores, and quarter. Trim stems from okra and slice into 1-inch pieces or leave whole. Slice or cube zucchini, if used. Bring tomatoes to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add okra or zucchini and boil gently 5 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to each quart, if desired. Fill jars with mixture, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Adjust lids and process in a dial gauge pressure canner at 11 pounds pressure or a weighted gauge pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure.

• Pints: 30 minutes
• Quarts: 35 minutes

Variation. You may add four or five pearl onions or two onion slices to each jar.

Spaghetti Sauce Without Meat

• 30 lb tomatoes
• 1 cup onions, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup celery or green pepper, chopped
• 1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional)
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp oregano
• 4 Tbsp parsley, minced
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 4½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup brown sugar

Yields: approx. 9 pints

Procedure

Do not increase the proportion of onions, peppers, or mushrooms. Wash tomatoes and dip in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins split. Dip in cold water and slip off skins. Remove cores and quarter tomatoes. Boil for 20 minutes uncovered in large saucepan. Squeeze out juice with a food mill or sieve. Sauté onions, garlic, celery or peppers, and mushrooms (if desired) in vegetable oil until tender. Combine sautéed vegetables and tomato juice and add remainder of spices, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered until thick enough for serving. At this time, the initial volume will have been reduced by nearly one-half. Stir frequently to avoid burning. Fill jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Adjust lids and  process  in a dial gauge pressure canner at 11 pounds pressure or in a weighted gauge pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure.

• Pints: 20 minutes
• Quarts: 25 minutes

Spaghetti Sauce with Meat

Procedure

Sauté 2½ pounds of ground beef or sausage until brown. Using the recipe for making spaghetti sauce without meat, add the quantities specified for garlic, onion, celery or green pepper, and mushrooms to the sautéed meat. Cook until vegetables are tender. Combine sautéed meat and vegetables with the tomato juice. Then follow the directions above for making sauce without meat.  Adjust lids and process in a dial gauge pressure  canner at 11 pounds pressure or in a weighted gauge pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure.

• Pints: 60 minutes
• Quarts: 70 minutes

Standard Tomato Sauce (Unseasoned)

Procedure

Italian or plum-type varieties are good for making sauce. Wash tomatoes, remove stems, and trim off bruised or discolored portions. To prevent sauce from separating, quickly cut about 1 pound of tomatoes into quarters and put directly into saucepan. Heat immediately to boiling while crushing. Continue to slowly add and crush freshly cut tomato quarters to the boiling mixture. Make sure the mixture boils constantly and vigorously while you add remaining tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes after all tomatoes are added. If you are not concerned about sauce separating, simply slice or quarter tomatoes into a large saucepan. Crush, heat, and simmer for 5 minutes before pressing. Press either type of heated juice through sieve or food mill to remove skins and seeds. Heat juice again to boiling. Simmer in a large-diameter saucepan until sauce reaches desired consistency. Boil until volume is reduced by about one-third for thin sauce, or by one-half for thick sauce. Add bottled lemon juice, vinegar, or citric acid to jars (see acidification directions on page 1). Fill jars, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Adjust lids and process.

Option 1

Process in a boiling water bath or atmospheric steam canner.

• Pints: 35 minutes
• Quarts: 40 minutes

Option 2

Process in a dial gauge pressure canner at 11 pounds pressure or in a weighted gauge pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure.

• Pints or quarts: 15 minutes

Tomato Sauce (Seasoned)

• 10 pounds tomatoes, peeled, cored and chopped
• 3 medium onions, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1½ tsp oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp sugar

Yields: about 5 half-pint jars

Procedure

Place all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Simmer 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Press mixture through a food mill and discard seeds. Cook mixture until thick over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Add 1½ teaspoons bottled lemon juice or ⅛  teaspoon citric acid to each half pint jar or 3 teaspoons bottled lemon juice or ¼ teaspoon citric acid to each pint jar. Pour hot sauce into jars, leaving ½-headspace.  Wipe jar rims.  Adjust lids and process.

Option 1

Process in a boiling water bath or atmospheric steam canner. Half-pints or pints: 35 minutes

Option 2

Process in a dial-gauge pressure canner at 11 pounds pressure OR in a weighted-gauge pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure: Half-pints or pints: 15 minutes

Standard Tomato Ketchup

• 24 lb ripe tomatoes
• 3 cups chopped onions
• 3/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
• 4 teaspoons whole cloves
• 2 sticks cinnamon, crushed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons whole allspice
• 3 tablespoons celery seeds
• 3 cups cider vinegar (5%)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup salt

Yields: 6 to 7 pints

Procedure

Wash tomatoes. Dip in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins split. Dip in cold water. Slip off skins and remove cores. Quarter tomatoes into a 4-gallon stock pot or a large kettle. Add onions and red pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Combine spices in a spice bag and add vinegar in a 2-quart saucepan. Bring to boil. Cover, turn off heat, and hold for 20 minutes. Then remove spice bag and combine vinegar and tomato mixture. Boil for about 30 minutes. Put boiled mixture through a food mill or sieve. Return to pot. Add sugar and salt, boil gently, and stir frequently until volume is reduced by one-half or until mixture rounds up on spoon without separation. Fill pint jars, leaving ⅛ inch of headspace. Adjust lids and process pint jars in a boiling water bath or atmospheric steam canner for 15 minutes.

Country Western Ketchup

• 24 lb ripe tomatoes
• 5 chili peppers, sliced and seeded
• ¼ cup salt
• 2⅔ cups vinegar (5%)
• 1¼ cups sugar
• ½ tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)
• 4 tsp paprika
• 4 tsp whole allspice
• 4 tsp dry mustard
• 1 Tbsp whole peppercorns
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 Tbsp bay leaves

Yields: 6 to 7 pints

Procedure

• Follow directions for standard tomato ketchup above.

Blender Ketchup

Use an electric blender to eliminate the need for pressing or sieving.

• 24 lb ripe tomatoes
• 2 lb onions
• 1 lb sweet red peppers
• 1 lb sweet green peppers
• 9 cups vinegar (5%)
• 9 cups sugar
• ¼ cup canning or pickling salt
• 3 Tbsp dry mustard
• 1½ Tbsp ground red pepper
• 1½ Tbsp whole allspice
• 1½ Tbsp whole cloves
• 3 three-inch sticks of cinnamon

Yields: 9 pints

Procedure

Wash tomatoes and dip in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins split. Then dip in cold water, slip off skins, core, and quarter. Remove seeds from peppers and slice into strips. Peel and quarter onions. Blend tomatoes, peppers, and onions at high speed for 5 seconds in electric blender. Pour into a 3- to 4-gallon stock pot or large kettle and heat. Boil gently for 60 minutes, stirring frequently. Add vinegar, sugar, salt, and a spice bag containing dry mustard, red pepper, and other spices. Continue boiling and stirring until volume is reduced one-half and ketchup rounds up on a spoon with no separation of liquid and solids. Remove spice bag and fill jars, leaving ⅛ inch of headspace. Adjust lids and process pint jars in a boiling water bath or atmospheric steam canner for 15 minutes.

Barbecue Sauce

• 4 qt (16 cups) peeled, cored, chopped red ripe tomatoes (about  24 large tomatoes)
•  2 cups chopped celery
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 1½ cups chopped sweet red or green peppers (about 3 medium peppers)
• 2 hot red peppers, cored, and chopped
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp dry mustard
• 1 Tbsp paprika
• 1 Tbsp canning salt
• 1 tsp hot pepper sauce (e.g., Tabasco®)
•  ⅛ to 1¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1¼ cups of (5%) vinegar

Yields: approx. 4 pint jars

Caution: Wear plastic or rubber gloves and do not touch your face while handling or cutting hot peppers. If you do not wear gloves, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching your face or eyes.

Procedure

Wash and rinse canning jars; keep them hot until ready to use. Prepare lids according to manufacturer's directions. Combine prepared tomatoes, celery, onions, and peppers. Cook until vegetables are soft (about 30 minutes). Puree using a fine sieve, food mill, food processor, or blender. Cook until mixture is reduced to about one half (about 45 minutes). Tie peppercorns in a cheesecloth bag; add with remaining ingredients and cook slowly until mixture is the consistency of ketchup, about 1½ to 2 hours. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Remove bag of peppercorns. Fill hot sauce into clean, hot jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel; apply two-piece metal canning lids. Process in a boiling water or atmospheric steam canner for 15 minutes. Let cool, undisturbed, 12 to 24 hours and check for seals.

Source: Andress and Harrison, So Easy to Preserve, 6th ed. (University of Georgia, 2014).

Chile Salsa (Hot Tomato-Pepper Sauce)

• 5 lb tomatoes (as purchased)
• 2 lb chile peppers (as purchased)
• 1 lb onions (as purchased)
• 1 cup vinegar (5 percent)
• 3 tsp salt
•  ½ tsp pepper

Yields: 6 to 8 pints

Caution: Wear plastic or rubber gloves and do not touch your face while handling or cutting hot peppers. If you do not wear gloves, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching your face or eyes.

Procedure

Peel and prepare chile peppers.

• Oven or broiler method: Place chilies in oven (400ºF) or broiler for 6 to 8 minutes until skins blister.
• Range-top method: Cover hot burner, either gas or electric, with heavy wire mesh. Place chilies on burner for several minutes until skins blister.

 Allow peppers to cool. Place in a pan and cover with a damp cloth. This will make peeling the peppers easier. After several minutes, peel each pepper. Cool and slip off skins. Discard seeds and chop peppers.

Wash tomatoes and dip in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins split. Dip in cold water, slip off skins, and remove cores. Coarsely chop tomatoes and combine chopped peppers, onions, and remaining ingredients in a large saucepan. Heat to a boil, and simmer 10 minutes. Fill jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel; apply two-piece metal canning lids. Process in a boiling water or atmospheric steam canner for 15 minutes.

Source: Andress and Harrison, So Easy to Preserve, 6th ed. (University of Georgia, 2014).

Caution

Do not alter the proportions of tomatoes, vegetables, and acid because that might make the salsa unsafe when this canning process is used. Chopped tomatoes, diced peppers, onions, sugar, and salt are to be measured level in dry measuring cups; lemon or lime juice, and vinegar are measured in a liquid measuring cup. 

Tomato Salsa (Using Paste Tomatoes)

• 7 quarts peeled, cored, chopped paste tomatoes*
• 4 cups seeded, chopped long green chilies
• 5 cups chopped onion
• ½ cup seeded, finely chopped jalapeño peppers
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 cups bottled lemon or lime juice
• 2 Tbsp salt
• 1 Tbsp black pepper
• 2 Tbsp ground cumin (optional)
• 3 Tbsp oregano leaves (optional)
• 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro (optional)

Yields: approx. 16 to 18 pints

*This recipe works best with paste tomatoes such as Roma. Slicing tomatoes require a much longer cooking time to achieve a desirable consistency.

Caution

Wear plastic or rubber gloves and do not touch your face while handling or cutting hot peppers. If you do not wear gloves, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching face or eyes.

Procedure

The jalapeño peppers do not need to be peeled. The skin of long green chilies may be tough. If you choose to peel chilies, use the directions in the recipe for Chile Salsa. Peel, wash, and chop onions. Combine all ingredients except cumin, oregano, and cilantro in a large saucepot and heat, stirring frequently, until mixture boils. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spices and simmer for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Fill hot salsa into hot jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened, clean paper towel. Adjust lids and process pint jars in a boiling water bath or atmospheric steam canner for 15 minutes.

Source: Andress and Harrison, So Easy to Preserve, 6th ed. (University of Georgia, 2014).

Tomato/Tomato Paste Salsa

• 3 quarts peeled, cored, chopped slicing tomatoes
• 3 cups chopped onions
• 6 jalapeño peppers, seeded, finely chopped
• 4 long green chilies, seeded, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 12-oz cans tomato paste
• 2 cups bottled lemon or lime juice
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin (optional)
• 2 Tbsp oregano leaves (optional)
• 1 tsp black pepper

Yields: 7 to 8 pints

Caution: Wear plastic or rubber gloves and do not touch your face while handling or cutting hot peppers. If you do not wear gloves, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching your face or eyes.

Procedure

The jalapeño peppers do not need to be peeled. The skin of long green chilies may be tough. If you choose to peel chilies, use the directions in the recipe for Chile Salsa. Peel, wash, and chop onions. Wash tomatoes and dip in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins split. Dip in cold water, slip off skins, and remove cores. Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for  30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Fill hot salsa into hot jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened, clean paper towel. Adjust lids and process pint jars in a boiling water bath or atmospheric steam canner for 15 minutes.

Source: Andress and Harrison, So Easy to Preserve, 6th ed. (University of Georgia, 2014).

Choice Salsa

• 6 cups peeled, cored, seeded and chopped ripe tomatoes
• 9 cups diced onions and/or peppers of any variety*
• 1½ cups commercially bottled lemon or lime juice
• 3 tsp canning or pickling salt

Yields: about 6 pint jars

*The peppers used may be sweet bell peppers (of any color) and/or hot peppers.

Caution: Wear plastic or rubber gloves and do not touch your face while handling or cutting hot peppers.  If you do not wear gloves, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching your face or eyes.

Procedure

Wash and rinse pint or half-pint canning jars; keep hot until ready to fill. Prepare lids and ring bands according to manufacturer's directions.

To prepare tomatoes: Dip washed tomatoes in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until the skins split. Submerge immediately in cold water. Peel off loosened skins and remove cores.  Remove seeds and chop (¼- to ½-inch pieces).

To prepare onions: Peel, wash, core, and dice onions (¼-inch pieces).

To prepare bell peppers: Wash and core bell peppers. Remove the seeds and membranes before dicing (¼-inch pieces).

To prepare hot peppers: Wash and remove stems of hot peppers.  Keep or remove as much of the seeds and membranes as you wish, depending on the "pepper heat" of the salsa that you desire. Dice peppers (¼-inch pieces).

Combine prepared ingredients in a large pot; add lemon or lime juice and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat while stirring. Reduce heat and simmer salsa for an additional 3 minutes, stirring as needed to prevent scorching.

Fill the hot salsa into prepared hot jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace.  If needed, remove air bubbles and readjust headspace to ½ inch. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened, clean paper towel.  Adjust lids and bands.  

Process in a boiling water or atmospheric steam canner according to the recommendations in Table 2. Let cool, undisturbed, for 12 to 24 hours and check for seals.

Source: Andress and Harrison, So Easy to Preserve, 6th ed. (University of Georgia, 2014).

Table 1. Quantities of fresh tomatoes needed for tomato products. Pounds of fresh tomatoes needed for a canner load of:

Product	1 quart	1 pint	7 quarts	9 pints
Juice	3¼	--	23	14
Juice-vegetable blend	3	1½	22	14
Whole, halved, crushed	3	1½	21	13
Tomatoes and okra or zucchini	--	--	12	7
Standard sauce (thin)	5	2½	35	21
Standard sauce (thick)	6½	3	46	28
Spaghetti sauce	6⅓	3⅓	44	30
Regular ketchup	7½	4	53	36
Western ketchup	7½	4	53	36
Blender ketchup	5	2⅔	35	24

Table 2. Recommended processing times in a boiling water canner. Processing time (in minutes) at altitudes of:

Product	Style of pack	Jar size	0-1,000 ft	1,001-3,000 ft	3,001-6,000 ft	Above 6,000 ft
Tomato juice, tomato vegetable blend	Hot	Pints	35	40	45	50
		Quarts	40	45	50	55
Crushed tomatoes	Hot	Pints	35	40	45	50
		Quarts	45	50	55	60
Whole or halved tomatoes packed in water	Hot or raw	Pints	40	45	50	55
		Quarts	45	50	55	60
Whole or halved tomatoes packed in juice or without added liquid	Hot or raw	Pints or quarts	85	90	95	100
Chili salsa, tomato and choice salsa	Hot	Pints	15	20	20	25
Standard tomato sauce (thick or thin)	Hot	Pints	35	40	45	50
		Quarts	40	45	50	55
Seasoned tomato sauce	Hot	Half pints or pints	35	40	45	50
All tomato ketchups	Hot	Pints	15	20	20	25
Barbecue sauce	Hot	Half pints or pints	20	25	30	35

For additional information about food preservation, visit the Penn State Extension Home Food Preservation website or contact Penn State Extension in your county.

Prepared by Luke LaBorde, associate professor of food science, Nancy Wiker, senior extension educator, and Martha Zepp, extension project assistant