How to can/jar fresh tomatoes

Day before, you will want to sterilize your glass jars. You can do this in the dishwasher set to HIGH Temp or Sterilize. Wash lids & rings under very hot water & set to dry.

Remove any produce stickers from the 30 lbs tomatoes & wash in warm warmer. Let air dry on drying cloths.

In the meantime, bring your large Stock Pot of water to boil. This pot & water will be used to process the jars. "Water-bath Canning"

Now on a cutting board with small prep knife, just give a quick "X" score to the skins of the tomatoes.

Can you see the X ? Your not cutting all the way through, just scoring the skin. This helps get the skin off fast after boiled.

Now bring you sauce pot filled with sterile or filtered water (NOT Tap Water) to a boil. This is the pot you will boil your tomatoes.

In this pot filled with sterile water, bring to boil & in batches drop the scored tomatoes. Boil 2-3 minutes each. Just until the skin starts to peel.

With a slotted spoon, remove tomatoes from the boiling water. Transfer to clean dish. You can see how the skin just peels off.

On clean sheet pans, spread out the cooked tomatoes to cool.

As you can see here, these tomatoes are ready for peeling.

With paring knife, gently remove skin from the cooked tomatoes. Be sure to remove core as well.

All peeled tomatoes ready to be jarred.

Time to start filling the jars you sterilized the day prior.

With a clean stainless steal spoon, fill each jar to the top leaving 1" room.

These are filled enough. Add any of the tomato juices from bowl to fill in gaps. If you have air pockets in jars, stick a clean plastic spoon down into jar to help release the air.

Now place your lids & rings onto each jar. Tight enough to be fitted on. Do not over twist.

Now in a very large stock pot with boiled water, we will process these jars. Place as many jars as you can fit & have water 1" above lids. Have heat OFF under the pot.

Let jars sit in boiled water for 5 minutes. Then remove to a drying rack.

Continue this process, making sure to being water to a boil for each round until all jars are processed.

Jars are done processing, let stand 12 hours on drying rack for sealing process. TIP: after removing jars from boiled water, do not re-tighten or over tighten any rings that may have come loose.

Finished product!!!

Check the Seal: (12 hrs later) Press on center of cooled lid. If jar is fully sealed, the lid will not flex up & down.

TIP: if the lid flexes after 12 hrs, the jar did not seal properly. You may refrigerate for immediate use. Or for directions to safely re-Process the jar www.freshpreserving.com