Easy Canning Tomatoes Whole Recipe 5-Step Beginner Method Guide
A beginner-friendly, easy method to can whole tomatoes preserving the taste of summer with simple ingredients and straightforward steps.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: About 7 quart jars 1x
- Category: Preserving, Canning
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 10 pounds (4.5 kg) fresh whole tomatoes (Roma or plum recommended)
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) bottled lemon juice per quart jar
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) salt per quart jar (optional, preferably canning or kosher salt without additives)
- Water (for blanching tomatoes and filling jars as needed)
- Jar lids and rings (new lids recommended)
- Canning jars (quart 32 oz / 946 ml or pint 16 oz / 473 ml sizes)
Instructions
- Prepare your workspace and jars (15 minutes): Wash jars, lids, and rings in hot soapy water. Rinse well and keep jars warm in simmering water. Place lids in hot (not boiling) water to soften sealing compound.
- Blanch the tomatoes (10 minutes): Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Score a small ‘X’ on the bottom of each tomato with a paring knife. Drop tomatoes into boiling water for 30-60 seconds until skins loosen.
- Ice bath and peel (10 minutes): Remove tomatoes with a slotted spoon and transfer to ice water bath to stop cooking. Peel skins off completely or leave some skin if desired.
- Fill jars and add lemon juice (20 minutes): Add 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice and 1 teaspoon salt to each quart jar. Pack peeled whole tomatoes into jars without crushing. Pour boiling water over tomatoes leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and wipe rims clean.
- Process jars in boiling water bath (40 minutes): Place jars on rack in canning pot or large stockpot with water covering jars by at least 1 inch. Boil quart jars for 40 minutes. Turn off heat, remove lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars. Let jars rest undisturbed 12-24 hours to seal.
Notes
Use bottled lemon juice for consistent acidity to ensure safe preservation. Score tomatoes before blanching to ease peeling. Keep jars warm before filling to prevent breakage. Remove air bubbles to avoid spoilage. Let jars rest overnight to ensure proper seals. Adjust processing time for pint jars (35 minutes) and altitude as needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (240 ml) canne
- Calories: 40
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 230
- Carbohydrates: 9
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 2
Keywords: canning tomatoes, whole tomatoes, beginner canning, preserving summer tomatoes, easy canning recipe, tomato preservation, home canning