Canning Tomatoes

[cjs]

To those of you who can tomatoes - how long do you process them in boiling water? For a hundred years I've been doing it for 35 minutes (quarts) - now, I just happened to read a newer Kerr book and they recommend 85 minutes!!! Can they be serious? Those suckers would really be cooked at that length of time.

Is this the new thinking? Talk about CYA. Do any of you do them that long?

[esgunn]

Jean, I have never canned tomatoes, but the preserving book I use often says this:

Raw tomatoes covered in hot water - 45 minutes Quart jars
Hot packed tomatoes - 45 minutes quart jars
Whole tomatoes in their own juice - 85 minutes quart jars

[farnfam]

Jean, I haven't canned in a few years now, but as I remember Carla E's instructions were: can whole tomatoes hot in their own juice, set in hot canner bath, bring to a boil and hold 20minutes, raise out and let cool til sealed. I know we did it that way for ever and no one died that I ever knew about. Seems the tomatoes are high enuff in acid to keep with a little help from the boil. I could be wrong, and maybe I'm of the old school of thinking, but 85 minutes? What would be left?
Cis

[Harborwitch]

That sounds like the way I've always done it. But then I always added a tablespoon of lemon juice to each quart. Don't remember where I got that but used it for years and years. It assures that the tomatoes are acid enough to be canned without pressure canning.

[esgunn]

My book says bottled lemon juice (so that the acidity is consistent and high enough) and salt.

Blue Ribbon Preserves by Linda J. Amendt

[cjs]

Well, if it didn't kill us years ago, I'm sticking with the old fashioned way! I do add salt to the tomatoes. Thanks guys.

[iBcookin]

I add a scant tsp of salt to each quart and process in a rolling boil for 20 minutes. I probably can 100-150 quarts of tomatoes a year - no dead bodies yet in 30 years of canning!