Classic Canned Whole Tomatoes

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1Wash 7 quart jars (or 14 pint jars), the screw bands, and a fresh set of two-piece lids in hot soapy water and rinse well, then keep the jars sitting in a pot of hot water, a warm dishwasher, or a 200 degree F oven until ready to fill, since the long boiling-water processing time for tomatoes means the jars do not need to be pre-boiled, but they must stay hot so the hot tomatoes don't crack the cold glass.
2. 2Place the new lids in a small saucepan of hot (not boiling) water and let them simmer gently according to the manufacturer's instructions while you prepare the tomatoes.
3. 3Wash the tomatoes under cool running water, then use a paring knife to cut a shallow X through the skin on the blossom (bottom) end of each tomato.
4. 4Working in small batches, lower the scored tomatoes into a large pot of boiling water and blanch for 30 to 60 seconds, just until the skins split and begin to curl at the X.
5. 5Immediately lift the tomatoes out with a slotted spoon and drop them into a large bowl of ice water for about a minute to stop the cooking, then slip off the loosened skins with your fingers and cut out the hard stem core.
6. 6Leave the peeled tomatoes whole, or cut larger ones in half; for a raw pack, simply have the peeled tomatoes ready, or for a hot pack, place the peeled tomatoes in a large pot, add just enough water to keep them from scorching, and bring them to a gentle boil for 5 minutes.
7. 7Add the required bottled lemon juice or citric acid directly to each hot, empty jar first: 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid to each quart jar (1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid to each pint jar), plus salt if using.
8. 8Pack the whole or halved tomatoes tightly into the jars on top of the acid, pressing gently so they release enough juice to cover themselves (add hot water or extra tomato juice if needed) and leave 1/2 inch of headspace at the top of the jar.
9. 9Slide a nonmetallic bubble remover down the inside of the jar in several places to release trapped air, add more liquid if the headspace has changed, wipe the jar rim clean with a damp cloth, center a lid on top, and screw on the band until fingertip tight.
10. 10Load the jars into a boiling-water canner on the rack, making sure they are covered by 1 to 2 inches of water, cover the canner, and bring it to a full rolling boil before starting to time; process pint jars for 40 minutes and quart jars for 45 minutes, adding 5 minutes at 1,001-3,000 ft elevation, 10 minutes at 3,001-6,000 ft, 15 minutes at 6,001-8,000 ft, or 20 minutes above 8,000 ft.
11. 11Turn off the heat, remove the canner lid, and let the jars sit in the water for 5 minutes before using a jar lifter to move them to a towel-lined counter, keeping them upright and undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours.
12. 12After the jars have cooled completely, press the center of each lid to confirm it does not flex (a sign of a good seal); refrigerate and use within a few days any jar that failed to seal, and label sealed jars with the contents, the fact that acid was added, and the date.
13. 13Store the sealed jars in a cool, dark pantry for up to about 1 year for best quality, and once opened refrigerate the jar and use its contents within about a week.
14. 14Never skip or reduce the bottled lemon juice or citric acid in this recipe, since tomatoes are only borderline-acidic and this measured acid addition is what makes safe boiling-water processing possible.