Tired of mealy, pale tomatoes that have been gassed and shipped from who-knows-where? Yeah, me too. So, we here at TakePart created a how-to series to help you capture the flavor of fresh tomatoes by canning them. Using local produce reduces your carbon footprint by shortening the distance your food has to travel, and canning allows you to enjoy those treats year round!
The following videos will provide a clear picture of the steps involved in canning tomatoes, (something I wish I had the first time around), however, we insist that you read the USDA home canning guidelines and follow the Tomato Queen's definitive guide for safe and detailed directions and follow them closely. It's a fun and straightforward activity that you'll quickly get the hang of, we just want you to be safe. Trust us, you don't want to get lazy and start messing around with Botulism.
takepart by donating food or lending a hand at a local food pantry and help bring an end to hunger.
Let's get canning...
(VIDEOS AFTER JUMP!)
Our canning party includes Wendy Cohen, Sarah Newman, Robin Lankton, and yours truly. We begin with sterilizing the jars to ensure a clean home for your tomatoes. Get your jars and canning supplies here, and your tomatoes at the farmer's market or the backyard.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skIo3Px2CV8
Give your tomatoes a good wash and plop ‘em into the boiling water, which will help remove the skins, providing a more even consistency for the finished product:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-4uwmZkqus
Now for some lemon juice...
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrzXp7xb1oU
We realize not everyone is as fortunate as Sarah to have a handy lemon tree in the backyard, so if you don't, feel free to substitute with market-bought lemons, juice from a bottle or citric acid.
Alright, time to start chopping the tomatoes and juicing the lemons:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShJAGo6FPtM
Start filling your jars!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko0Go9BKi_Q
Don't let our tomato-water talk confuse you, you want to be sure to pour boiling hot water over the tomatoes once you have put them in the jar with the lemon juice. Other approaches call for the tomatoes to be partially cooked, which work just as well, we just happened to choose the boiling water method.
After filling the jars with lemon juice, tomatoes and boiling water, it's time to cover those babies. Remove the lids from the canning bath, aka boiling water, wipe them down and cover:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWsB_EUmst0
Don't worry, we didn't burn down the house, and I eventually found that mystery lid. Now to screw down the lids and put your jars into the canning bath to seal them.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLhNMZKlORs
I recommend using a larger pot for your water and making sure there is plenty of room for the water to rise when you put the jars in to process. Also, use tongs to place and remove your jars, I nearly scalded myself with those hot pads. The reason for getting the air to the top is .
And now to remove the jars and let them cool:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJSecVOTtc4
Ta-da! We hope that was helpful! Please let us know if you have any questions. And remember, follow the instructions from the USDA closely!
If you've had the chance to grow your own maters, I'm sure you'll agree that nothing compares to the succulent, juiciness of a sun-warm vine-fresh fruit. If you haven't had the opportunity I highly recommend getting on that. In the meantime you can find some delicious tomatoes at the farmer's markets. And while tomato season has pretty much ended in most parts of the country, if you can still get your hands on some, buy them up and get to canning! And let us know how it goes! Tired of mealy, pale tomatoes that have been gassed and shipped from who-knows-where? Yeah, me too. So, we here at TakePart created a how-to series to help you capture the flavor of fresh tomatoes by canning them. Using local produce reduces your carbon footprint by shortening the distance your food has to travel, and canning allows you to enjoy those treats year round!
The following videos will provide a clear picture of the steps involved in canning tomatoes, (something I wish I had the first time around), however, we insist that you read the USDA home canning guidelines and follow the Tomato Queen's definitive guide for safe and detailed directions and follow them closely. It's a fun and straightforward activity that you'll quickly get the hang of, we just want you to be safe. Trust us, you don't want to get lazy and start messing around with Botulism.
takepart by donating food or lending a hand at a local food pantry and help bring an end to hunger.
Let's get canning...
(VIDEOS AFTER JUMP!)
Our canning party includes Wendy Cohen, Sarah Newman, Robin Lankton, and yours truly. We begin with sterilizing the jars to ensure a clean home for your tomatoes. Get your jars and canning supplies here, and your tomatoes at the farmer's market or the backyard.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skIo3Px2CV8
Give your tomatoes a good wash and plop ‘em into the boiling water, which will help remove the skins, providing a more even consistency for the finished product:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-4uwmZkqus
Now for some lemon juice...
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrzXp7xb1oU
We realize not everyone is as fortunate as Sarah to have a handy lemon tree in the backyard, so if you don't, feel free to substitute with market-bought lemons, juice from a bottle or citric acid.
Alright, time to start chopping the tomatoes and juicing the lemons:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShJAGo6FPtM
Start filling your jars!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko0Go9BKi_Q
Don't let our tomato-water talk confuse you, you want to be sure to pour boiling hot water over the tomatoes once you have put them in the jar with the lemon juice. Other approaches call for the tomatoes to be partially cooked, which work just as well, we just happened to choose the boiling water method.
After filling the jars with lemon juice, tomatoes and boiling water, it's time to cover those babies. Remove the lids from the canning bath, aka boiling water, wipe them down and cover:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWsB_EUmst0
Don't worry, we didn't burn down the house, and I eventually found that mystery lid. Now to screw down the lids and put your jars into the canning bath to seal them.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLhNMZKlORs
I recommend using a larger pot for your water and making sure there is plenty of room for the water to rise when you put the jars in to process. Also, use tongs to place and remove your jars, I nearly scalded myself with those hot pads. The reason for getting the air to the top is .
And now to remove the jars and let them cool:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJSecVOTtc4
Ta-da! We hope that was helpful! Please let us know if you have any questions. And remember, follow the instructions from the USDA closely!
If you've had the chance to grow your own maters, I'm sure you'll agree that nothing compares to the succulent, juiciness of a sun-warm vine-fresh fruit. If you haven't had the opportunity I highly recommend getting on that. In the meantime you can find some delicious tomatoes at the farmer's markets. And while tomato season has pretty much ended in most parts of the country, if you can still get your hands on some, buy them up and get to canning! And let us know how it goes! 
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