Processing time question for canning tomatoes

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larry_stewart

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I finally am taking the plunge and giving canning a try.
Not sure why, but I've been intimidated by the whole canning process, and considering all the other things I do in life, I'm not sure why canning has this affect on me.

Anyway, got the set up, got the tomatoes. but came up with a discrepancy.

The Ball website says to process the tomatoes ( 1 quart) for 1 hour and 25 minutes.

Im more of a visual person, so I found a 'Bag" produced video on canning tomatoes, and it says to process 1 quart of tomatoes for 45 Minutes.

Big difference in time.
Doesn't make sense , especially coming from the same source.

So , in all your experiences, which is right ??
 
How are you preparing the tomatoes before canning? Are these to be whole, halved, diced or crushed? If makes a difference.

Can you post the video, so we can see what you're seeing?

Check out this page for more information.

https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can3_tomato.html

Interesting link. I checked the times for canning tomatoes, and it varied depending on liquid or no liquid added and what kind of liquid added.
 
I went with the 85.
Things seemed to go as planned
Jars appear sealed, lids are tight, dimples are not popped up.
This is my first time, so Im experimenting on tomatoes I got from a farmers market ( not my own, as I dont want to screw up my own crop).

Now Ill shelf them, and wait a few weeks / months before popping them open to make sure it was a success.

Ill probably experiment with canning pickles over the winter, so this way Ill be prepared for next years harvest.

One thing I did notice , is the liquid seemed to separate from the solids ( solids on top, and about 1 inch of clear ( orange tinted) liquid at the bottom. I assume when I pop them open, , give them a stir and cook them up, things will blend again.

If Im wrong, or did something wrong by the obove description, let me know,

Thanks
 
Separation is normal when canning tomatoes. And you did the right thing with going with the longest of times to can, when you find differing times recommended.
 
Looks like a success!!
Today, after about a month on the shelf, I opened my first jar of tomatoes.
Lid was nice and tight.
No visible signs of anything out of the ordinary going on.
Opened it up, looked good, smelled good, tasted good.
I was always paranoid I was going to screw it up, and waste a seasons worth of crops.
Glad it all worked out.
 
Congratulations, Larry! :clap: The first time I made tomato sauce from our own tomatoes 25+ years ago, I never opened them :ROFLMAO: I saw them in the cabinet every time I opened it, but I was too afraid to open the jar. It took me a long time to try it again.

Enjoy.
 
Larry, are you canning tomatoes this year?



I have an electric roaster of what will be thick sauce I started last night, we added more tomatoes this morning, and it will be done in an hour or so, to can. For the yearly tally, it will be our 99 th and 1/2 quart of thick tomato sauce, so almost done with that. Ketchup and salsa yet to do.
 
This what I do to get a thick tomato/pizza sauce in a very quick time. Quarter tomatoes and place in a large pot with 1/4 inch of water in the bottom. Turn heat to Medium high, cover, and simmer until tomatoes on top are soft, 20 to 40 minutes. Do not stir, squeeze, smash or press fruit. Allow the tomatoes to cool somewhat, then drain in colander. The juice collected will be clear. I then scoop out the tomato pulp in the colander, with skin and seeds, and put in a blender with other veggies, onion, garlic, parsley and blend until smooth. Right now I am freezing this sauce at this point, but if I have enough for a canner load, I proceed to heat sauce and can.
 
MMM sounds wonderful Beth! I've done the part where I put a cotton clean bleached tea towel, on top the of the sauce, to ladle off the liquid, so I get a thicker sauce. This past year we have been cooking overnight, which works too. I was wrong on my count, I only got 12 and 1/2 quarts into the water bath canners. So I'm at a tally of 98 quarts.
 
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I canned last year ( still have some). This year, now that the kids have moved out, I was trying to downsize, so my plan was just to freeze what we need. Turned out to be a banner year for tomatoes, and never got around to canning. Looks like Ill have one more relatively large harvest before the plants croak, so maybe Ill can those guys ( primarily cause Im running out of room in the freezer).

I was going to can the string beans, but from what I gather, can only do that with a pressure canning system, which I dont have ( yet) .
 
Thanks Larry,

I have a friend, she cooks down her tomatoes in chunks, then puts them through a kitchen aid attachment, veg strainer, then refrigerates. I don't actually have that much space to refrigerate the sauce overnight. The next day, she says this saves time, she cans the resulting pulp/juice in a pressure canner. I have both but I just use the hot to hot sauce, into jars, then the water bath canner. 40 or 45 minutes, but I go to 50 just to be sure. I'm having good luck.


The pressure canners went into short supply mid summer, and gouging prices, so don't buy one on amazon with a 3rd party seller, too many scams going on. Get a presto or mirro, or antique like mine, a magic chef 1947, on facebook market place, make sure the bottom is not warped, then replace the gauge with a jiggler or rattler, and the seal and pressure release button, for around $26 and you've got the makings of a pressure canner. I bought mine for $10 about 15 years ago plus the replacement seals jiggler pressure release button, and I use it every year. Beans, soups, corn, meat, all come to mind with the pressure canner.
 
Thanks Larry,

I have a friend, she cooks down her tomatoes in chunks, then puts them through a kitchen aid attachment, veg strainer, then refrigerates. I don't actually have that much space to refrigerate the sauce overnight. The next day, she says this saves time, she cans the resulting pulp/juice in a pressure canner. I have both but I just use the hot to hot sauce, into jars, then the water bath canner. 40 or 45 minutes, but I go to 50 just to be sure. I'm having good luck.


The pressure canners went into short supply mid summer, and gouging prices, so don't buy one on amazon with a 3rd party seller, too many scams going on. Get a presto or mirro, or antique like mine, a magic chef 1947, on facebook market place, make sure the bottom is not warped, then replace the gauge with a jiggler or rattler, and the seal and pressure release button, for around $26 and you've got the makings of a pressure canner. I bought mine for $10 about 15 years ago plus the replacement seals jiggler pressure release button, and I use it every year. Beans, soups, corn, meat, all come to mind with the pressure canner.

Thanks for the tips. Ill be keeping my eyes open. Not in a rush, but if the right thing comes around I may consider it. Last year I did a mixture of tomato puree's and tomato chunks. Both worked out real well, especially since I was my first time. Nothing went bad, and I didnt get sick, so I consider that a win win.
 
This what I do to get a thick tomato/pizza sauce in a very quick time. Quarter tomatoes and place in a large pot with 1/4 inch of water in the bottom. Turn heat to Medium high, cover, and simmer until tomatoes on top are soft, 20 to 40 minutes. Do not stir, squeeze, smash or press fruit. Allow the tomatoes to cool somewhat, then drain in colander. The juice collected will be clear. I then scoop out the tomato pulp in the colander, with skin and seeds, and put in a blender with other veggies, onion, garlic, parsley and blend until smooth. Right now I am freezing this sauce at this point, but if I have enough for a canner load, I proceed to heat sauce and can.
Do acidify the mixture before canning? It seems like adding low-acid ingredients would increase the pH and possibly make it unsafe. The current recommendation from the USDA is to acidify tomatoes alone since their acidity has declined over the past few decades.
 
Do acidify the mixture before canning? It seems like adding low-acid ingredients would increase the pH and possibly make it unsafe. The current recommendation from the USDA is to acidify tomatoes alone since their acidity has declined over the past few decades.

I started water bath canning in about 1980. I followed the directions in the 1975 edition of Joy of Cooking. Even back then, that book recommended to acidify tomatoes for water bath canning. They also mentioned that this was because most tomatoes were less acid than previously. So, I have always done it.
 
Do acidify the mixture before canning? It seems like adding low-acid ingredients would increase the pH and possibly make it unsafe. The current recommendation from the USDA is to acidify tomatoes alone since their acidity has declined over the past few decades.

No, I don't add acid to my tomato products.

I pressure can my tomato sauce at 14 pounds pressure for 20 minutes. About the only things I do not pressure can are jams and jellies.
 
Larry, not dying is an added plus. lol
Just use safe methods and you'll be fine.
When you get a pressure canner, I'll give you my phone number if you need any pressing questions answered.
I was relieved pressure canning, that we didn't blow anything up in the process, but rest assured, it's a safe thing to use as long as you keep it cleaned up and in good repair. Now I pressure can as often as I water bath can. Finding storage space for my three canners is my most pressing issue. (oh and the 20 lbs of nectarines I'm ripening, the 20 lbs of peaches ripening and the 10 gallons of tomatoes I'm working through)
 

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