Name: How to Can Whole Tomatoes
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 100 min
Ingredients: 15 pounds roma tomatoes ((about 60 tomatoes)); 1/2 cup lemon juice (or 3 teaspoons Citric Acid); 1/3 cup Kosher salt; boiling water ((as needed to fill in air spaces in jars))

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Get easy, step-by-step instructions and all the best tips for how to can whole tomatoes so you can enjoy those home-grown tomatoes all year long!

Canning jar with whole tomatoes. Roma tomatoes on the side.

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Our family has grown and canned garden tomatoes for as long as I can remember. There are plenty of ways to preserve garden tomatoes, from canned salsa, to canned spaghetti sauce, to canned diced tomatoes, to homemade tomato juice but the easiest way is just canning them whole. I love canning whole tomatoes because they are just so versatile. You can use them in all kinds of recipes and they taste just as fresh as the day they are picked. If you need to can tomatoes and don’t have a lot of prep time, whole tomatoes are the way to go!

What Tomatoes are Best for Canning Whole?

I prefer to use Roma tomatoes for canning because they tend to hold their shape better than other tomatoes. Romas are also a low moisture tomato which is great for making sauces. They are also slightly smaller so they fit in the jars better without having to be cut in half in into quarters. Of course you can use whatever tomato you are growing for the season or whatever you can find at the farmer’s market, you just may need to add an extra step by cutting them smaller to they can fit through the mouth of the jar.

How to Peel and Prep Tomatoes for Canning

Prep the tomato by removing the stem, washing with water and cutting an X with a small knife on the end. Scoring with an X will make it easier to peel when it is blanched. Blanching is a cooking process in which you dip a fruit or vegetable is scalding hot water for a few seconds and then quickly removed and plunged into ice water to stop the cooking process. When this is done with tomatoes, the skins peel away easily from the meat of the tomatoes.

Cut lines on the bottom of a Roma tomato held over a cutting board with a knife and tomatoes. .

Start by prepping a large bowl of cold water and ice cubes and it set aside. Next, bring a tall pot of water to a boil. Place the scored tomatoes in the boiling water without overcrowding and blanch for 30 sec to 1 min, depending on the size of the tomatoes. The secret is to watch the skins, when they start to crack and get wrinkled, take them out and place in the ice water bath. This will stop the cooking process and cool them down so they can be easily handled. Remove the tomatoes from the ice bath using a slotted spoon and peel by hand. The skin should come off easily. This may take several batches to complete depending on how many tomatoes you are canning. Use a small paring knife to core the tomatoes after peeling.

Canning Tomatoes Step-By-Step

Prepare the jars – First, wash and sterilize each jar. It is best to use warm jars for canning as to not go directly from cold to hot as to not break the jars during the process. To accomplish this you can place them in clean, tap-hot water until ready to use.

Prepare the lids – In a small pan, over medium heat, place lids and rims to preheat for when we seal our cans. This makes the rubber a little malleable to help it stick to the jars. You must use brand new lids every time. Do not re-use old lids. However, you can re-use the rings that you screw on to keep the lids in place.

Add acidity to the jars – Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice ½ teaspoon of citric acid (found in the canning section in the store) to each quart jar to keep the acidity high for canning. This will not affect the taste at all, it will just make it safe to can. This step CAN NOT be skipped or missed. If you happen to forget, you will need to go back and add the acidity, and re-process the jars. They cannot be safely canned without the lemon juice or citric acid.

Add tomatoes to the jars – Using a funnel, place and pack the tomatoes into each jar while getting rid of any air pockets during the process. This can get messy but try to pack them nice and tight. Leave ½ to 1 inch of space at the top of the jar to allow for expansion and to prevent the juices from bubbling out or messing with your seal. Use a knife or spoon and move it around the inside of the jar to remove any air bubbles you can see around the sides.

Place the lids and rings – Use paper towel dipped in white vinegar to clean around the edges of the jars. Wipe again with a dry paper towel to remove any moisture from the rim. If there is any moisture in the rim when you place the dip on the top, it won’t seal properly. Add lid and rings and twist until just tight.

Process the jars – Place the jars in the rack of a hot water bath and lower into the boiling water canner pot until completely submerged. Process 85-100 minutes depending on your elevation (see exact times in the recipe below). Remove and allow to cool until the lids are all suctioned down. When you press the top of the lid it shouldn’t make a popping sound.

Tightening the rim of a canning jar of tomatoes.

Hot Packing vs Raw Packing

For this recipe we use the raw packing method with no added liquid, which means we pack the tomatoes directly into the jars and don’t add any additional hot water or liquids. Processing time for this method is 85+ minutes. You can also use the raw pack method with added hot water or liquid or the hot pack method. You may spend a little more time up front with these other methods, but processing times will be less. We have used all of these methods with great success. You can pick which method is best for you depending on how many batches you do and how much time you have:

Water-packed raw — Bring a pot of water to a boil. Fill hot, prepared jars (remember to add lemon juice or citric acid) with prepared raw tomatoes. Fill the jars with boiling water until tomatoes are covered. Cover tomatoes in the jars with boiling water, making sure you 1/2″ headspace after they are covered.

Hot pack — Put prepared tomatoes in a large saucepan and add enough water to completely cover them. Boil tomatoes for 5 minutes. Fill hot, jars (prepared with lemon juice or citric acid) with hot tomatoes and add hot liquid from the boiled tomatoes to the jars, enough to cover the tomatoes. Leave 1/2″ headspace at the top of the jar.

For both of these alternative methods you will process for 45 minutes for up to 1,000 feet, 50 minutes for 1,001-3,000 feet, 55 minutes for 3,001-6,000 feet, and 60 minutes for 6,000+ feet. If using pint jars, you will process for 5 minutes less.

Pro Tips for Canning Tomatoes

Always remember to date the jars on the lids so you know which month and year they were canned. This makes it easier to rotate through your jars for maximum freshness
Want to canned diced tomatoes instead? Diced tomatoes are great for soups and easier to simmer down. Check out our guide for canning diced tomatoes.
Add a little salt, garlic powder, or onion powder to each jar to add a little flavor to the tomatoes. You can also add a couple fresh basil leaves (rinsed well) to the bottom of the jar for an Italian flavor. When we went to the canned tomato factory in Italy, they added basil leaves to every jar which I thought was really cool.
Core the tomatoes. This is also mentioned in the recipe. You can can them without coring, but then you have to deal with the tough little cores after canning. It’s just easier to do it before you can.
You will probably find that the tomatoes and juices will separate after processing. This is totally normal. Just give the jars a little shake before opening to combine or give them a good stir after opening.
To ensure safety before canning any type of food, review the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning.

How to Use Canned Tomatoes

Now for the really fun part: using your canned tomatoes in recipes! I love using my tomatoes in soups, sauces, with braised meats, salsas, and so much more! You can use a potato masher and crush them for spaghetti sauce or puree them for flavorful tomato soups. You can also crush and simmer for a long amount of time to create a homemade tomato puree to use for pizza sauce or for a marinara dipping sauce. Crush and add with meatballs and seasoning to make Instant Pot Meatballs for spaghetti or meatball subs. Chop them up and add them to tortilla soup, chili, or salsa. The possibilities are endless!