Extra tomatoes? This is the easiest and the most convenient recipe for canned tomatoes you’ll ever need. It doesn’t matter if you have 20 tomatoes or 120; this recipe is golden!
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#1 Absolute Easiest Canned Tomatoes Recipe Ever
Recipes are one thing you’ll most likely never see on Catching Spring’s blog posts… haha, I just don’t cook a lot. I mean, I do, sometimes. 😉
Mostly I like to bake or cook during the holidays, but I’m generally NOT a fan of cooking.
However, I love canning! And I also like easy recipes. Yes, I am the one that will totally bypass a recipe with too many ingredients!
So that being said, this was too good and too easy NOT to share. So don’t let those tomatoes go to waste! Use them up in the easiest canned tomatoes recipe you’ll ever need.
Use your canned bounty for stews, soups, salsas, and any other recipe that needs stewed tomatoes. They are so great to have!
Also, note that these tomatoes last for years in those jars. I was concerned it wouldn’t, but we currently just found some canned tomatoes three years old. They are totally fine, fresh, and we are eating them!
1. What you’ll need
I like to have everything I need before I even get started. Makes it easier and makes sure you’re not “stuck” needing something right in the middle of the process!
Here’s what I gather:
- Large canning pot for boiling jars
- Semi-large canning pot for stewing tomatoes
- Canning funnel
- Jars, bands, and lids
- Large, medium, and small bowls
- 1 regular-sized large pot
- Tongs, ladle, 1 teaspoon measuring spoon, stirring spoon, small knife
- Canning salt (or regular) and sugar, and two small bowls.
And obviously your tomatoes! 🙂
TIP: Although I’ve bought a lot of canning supplies, I’ve found most of what I needed at estate sales, so keep your eyes open if that’s your thing!
2. How to prepare for smooth canning
I am writing this part of the article because I’ve forgotten way too many things, sometimes while holding a ladle full of hot, stewed tomatoes!
Canned tomatoes don’t take much, but proper preparation will make it go much faster for you. And this is great if you have bushels and bushels of tomatoes!
I make sure I have all of the stuff listed in the previous tip, and I also have some extra jars if I have more stewed tomatoes than I thought.
Rule of thumb for me: a 5-gallon pail of tomatoes fills approximately 7-8 quart jars.
Anyway, it’s like an assembly line for me. I get the jars, bands, and lids into the large canning pot with the water and turn that burner on high.
While that’s going, I wash tomatoes while waiting for the large regular pot of water, half-filled, to boil.
In one sink are the washed tomatoes, in the other is the large plastic bowl for the cold water bath, and next to that are the other bowls for the skins and cores, and to place those waiting to be cored.
You’ll get your own cadence, but that’s what works for me.
Also, make sure you put some salt and sugar in separate bowls near your stove.
3. Recipe
So you have all of your tomatoes washed and your “assembly line” in place. Now it’s time for canned tomatoes!
- Start by placing a few tomatoes in the hot pot of water at a time. Keep an eye on them and take them out with a slotted spoon once you see the skin crack.
- Place them immediately into the cold water bowl.
- The skins should practically fall off. You’ll then core it and cut off any bad spots. If you don’t have time immediately to core, this is where the extra bowl comes in.
- Cut the tomato in four (in my hand) and place in the large canning pot, but don’t put the pot on the stove yet.
Continue this till all tomatoes are done.
- Put the stewing pot on the stove and cook it until it’s to your desired consistency. Make sure you stir it often, so tomatoes don’t stick to the bottom.
- All you do then is ladle your tomatoes into jars until there’s about a half-inch or less of space at the jar’s neck and put 1-teaspoon each of salt and sugar on top and place the lids on tightly.
Set the jars aside and keep going until its gone.
That’s it! No stirring or shaking necessary.
You’ll hear those wonderful little pops when your canned tomatoes are sealed.
That is seriously all you have to do. And you’ll have lots of canned tomatoes for the whole year.
Easiest canned tomatoes recipe ever!
Drop me a comment below and let me know how it goes! Happy canning!
