Before you begin, review Water-Bath Canning 101 for the complete method and safety fundamentals.
Yield: 9 pints or 7 quarts
Ingredients
- Average 14 pounds tomatoes for a canner load of 9 pints, or 22 pounds for 7 quarts
- Bottled lemon juice or citric acid in the exact amount below
- Canning salt, optional: up to ½ teaspoon per pint or 1 teaspoon per quart
Instructions
- Wash tomatoes. Dip in boiling water for 30–60 seconds or until skins split, cool in cold water, slip off skins, and remove cores.
- Trim bruised or discolored portions and quarter the tomatoes.
- Heat about one-sixth of the quarters quickly in a large pot, crushing them as they are added. Stir to prevent burning.
- Once the tomatoes boil, gradually add the remaining quarters while stirring constantly. Keep the mixture boiling as tomatoes are added, then boil gently for 5 minutes.
- Fill hot jars with hot crushed tomatoes, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove bubbles, recheck headspace, clean rims, and apply lids and bands.
Boiling-water processing time
Add acid directly to every jar before filling. For each pint, use 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or ¼ teaspoon citric acid. For each quart, use 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice or ½ teaspoon citric acid. Sugar may be added to soften the tart flavor; do not reduce or omit the acid.
| Jar size | 0–1,000 ft | 1,001–3,000 ft | 3,001–6,000 ft | Above 6,000 ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pints | 35 min | 40 min | 45 min | 50 min |
| Quarts | 45 min | 50 min | 55 min | 60 min |
Notes
Cool, check, and store:
Always follow the current linked source and your equipment manufacturer’s instructions.
Tested source: National Center for Home Food Preservation tested procedure