Canning Crushed Tomatoes

By The United States Department Of Agriculture
Published on May 16, 2013
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Fill hot jars immediately with hot tomatoes, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
Fill hot jars immediately with hot tomatoes, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
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Canning crushed tomatoes allows you to have a year-round tomato harvest without the guilt of preservatives from store-bought canned goods. The USDA Canning Guide will help you learn the best practices for home canning.
Canning crushed tomatoes allows you to have a year-round tomato harvest without the guilt of preservatives from store-bought canned goods. The USDA Canning Guide will help you learn the best practices for home canning.

For a gardener with large yields of tomatoes, the short shelf life associated with these crops may be discouraging. Luckily, home canning is no longer a thing of the past and crushed tomatoes are a time-saving addition to your kitchen. Pressure canning at home makes canning crushed tomatoes an easy chore with long-term benefits. Following the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, you’ll learn how to can crushed tomatoes. Try this and our othercanning resources to help you stock up after each harvest.

The following is an excerpt from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning.

Canning Crushed Tomatoes (with no added liquid)

A high-quality product, ideally suited for use in soups, stews, and casseroles. 

Quantity: An average of 22 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 14 fresh pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 53 pounds and yields 17 to 20 quarts of crushed tomatoes-an average of 2 3/4 pounds per quart.

Procedure: Wash tomatoes and dip in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins split. Then dip in cold water slip off skins, and remove cores. Trim off any bruised or discolored portions and quarter. Heat one-sixth of the quarters quickly in a large pot, crushing them with a wooden mallet or spoon as they are added to the pot. This will exude juice. Continue heating the tomatoes, stirring to prevent burning. Once the tomatoes are boiling, gradually add remaining quartered tomatoes, stirring constantly These remaining tomatoes do not need to be crushed. They will soften with heating and stirring. Continue until all tomatoes are added. Then boil gently 5 minutes. Add bottled lemon juice or citric acid to jars (See acidification directions). Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart to the jars, if desired. Fill jars immediately with hot tomatoes, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process. Recommended process times are given in the Image Gallery.

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