Canning Tomatoes in Their Own Juice

Preserving and canning tomatoes in their own juice is a great way to save them for later use. It is an easy beginner-canning recipe. This recipe is similar to canning tomatoes in water but allows you to not dilute the tomatoes with water. More tomatoes fit in a jar with this recipe. It works really well for very ripe tomatoes as they squish down well. Canned tomatoes are a wonderful ingredient to have in your pantry.

Tomatoes canned in their own juice

How to Can and Preserve Tomatoes in their own Juice

The following directions will make a 1-quart jar of canned Tomatoes. This makes it easy to multiply the recipe for the number of jars you want to add to your pantry.

blanch tomatoes

The first step is to blanch and peel 7-9 small tomatoes.

Using a jar funnel, firmly pack your tomatoes into your hot jar. The juices should come out of the tomatoes and surround them. Be sure to leave room for the salt and lemon juice.

Top the Tomatoes with 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice per jar.

Leave a 1/2 inch headspace. Use a wood chopstick or something similar to remove any trapped air bubbles.

Place the lid on top of the jar and add the ring. Tighten the ring to fingertip tight.

(For quality, American made Superb canning lids and jars follow this link and use the coupon code WP20 to get 20% off your purchase.) 

Process the Jars: Place the jars in the boiling water bath submerged by 1-2 inches of water and process them for 1 hour and 25 minutes if at sea level. This step seals the jars properly and helps preserve your jam. (Adjust the processing time if you are above 1000 feet.)

After processing, allow to cool in the water bath with the heat off and the lid removed for 5 minutes.

Remove jars from the canner and let them cool on a heat resistant surface about 1-2 inches apart so they can cool a little faster.

Allow them to sit undisturbed for 24 hours so that they can get a nice seal. You know they are sealed if the center of the lid is depressed down. If it is, remove the ring and wash off the outside with hot, soapy water. If any didn't seal, place them in the refrigerator and use them right away.

Place the sealed jars in a cool, dry, dark location and use them within the next 3 years. After that, the nutritional value begins to decrease.

If you have any questions about canning with the boiling water canner or how to adjust the pressure or processing time for altitude, take a look at our canning basics videos.