Canning tomatoes for first time...

[lesa]

Okay, this is my first year canning. So far so good! I made a few different relishes and lots of jelly. Now for the tomatoes- Any advice for a newbie? I am sticking to recipes from the Ball book. Any tips? The tomatoes are getting ripe (at long last), so it is almost time. I think I remember someone saying they froze tomatoes whole, until they had enough to can?? Thanks for your help!

 

[patandchickens]

Yup, the skins come off real easy if you freeze them first; however they become a pain in the patootie to seed, so if you might want to have a food mill or something like that, to run the sauce through to seive out the seeds. If you don't mind seeds, then of course this is not an issue at all

They are probably a little more versatile for cooking when canned as chunks or whole tomatoes; but you can get more tomatoes into fewer cans by making sauce.

I'd suggest doing a larger number of modest-size batches, rather than one or two giant 14-quart-jar binges, so that you can try different methods and see how you like the processes and results, so you can choose your favorite(s) to concentrate on next year.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat, who canned her last 2008 tomatoes about a month ago, having forgotten them in the freezer til then

 

[lesa]

Thanks, Pat! I think I will try both chunks and sauce. Sometimes I really want the convenience of having something ready to go- I am hoping not to have to buy any tomato sauce products for the winter... we'll see how this goes! I had no idea you could freeze them for that long! I feel better all ready!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I freeze tomatoes to get enough for a batch and I make sauce with them, running them through a food mill. I only freeze the perfect tomatoes, the ones that don't contain anything I would not want in my sauce. The skins split and come off easily but I find it difficult to core them or cut out any bad spot. They are real mushy. I have not tried trimming the bad spots out before I freeze them as I manage to use the imperfect ones as I get them. Don't know how that would work.

I thaw mine in the sink with room temperature water, usually changing the water once. I thought I'd lose a lot of the juice this way but find if I treat them gently and take the skin off and try to core them over a bowl, I really don't lose much juice.

I freeze a mixture of tomatoes, mostly medium sized to cherries, as the beefsteak are usually not perfect. I find a gallon bag holds about 3-1/2 pounds of tomatoes.

 

[lesa]

Thanks so much- my confidence is building....When you say "you make sauce", exactly what do you mean? Do you cook it down, or do you actually add spices, etc? I only have water processing available, no pressure....Sorry- but canning makes me really nervous! Thanks!

 

[patandchickens]

Everyone has their own 'thing', depending on cooking habits and what you're likely to be using the sauce for...

...but fwiw, my preference is to cook tomatoes down with minimal/no water until they are a sort of puree (except of course you haven't officially pureed it) and then keep simmering, in as shallow and wide pot(s) as you have available to speed things up, until reduced in volume by maybe 1/3 or as much as I have patience for. Then can without seasoning it at all.

To my mind, it's just as easy to season individual batches when you are heating them up to use, as to do the whole batch before canning, and the flavors are fresher and can be tailored to what you're going to do with it.

OTOH it is not such a bad thing either to do your seasoning (basil, oregano, garlic, s+p, whatever else you like) to the big batch before canning -- but I highly recommend you do that AFTER REDUCING IT DOWN, not in the beginning. Seasoning really does not benefit from hours of cookin' or from being concentrated down with unpredictable results

Another fun thing to do is to roast them in the oven (wash, cut off stems and any bad spots, pack into oiled roasting pan, bake 350 F for several hours til reduced in volume by 1/2 or so), then run them throught he food mill for an extra tasty sauce.

(e.t.a. - tomato sauce with nothing but seasonings added is generally safe to waterbath can, your book will have a buncha recipes. If for any reason you are uncertain of the acidity of the tomatoes it is recommended to add a little bit of lemon juice or citric acid, as per look it up in your book for amounts. Don't add a buncha onions, peppers, etc except following a pH-tested recipe such as from Ball or extension services)

Good luck, have fun,

Pat