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Tomatoes, Crushed, Canned

Canned

★★★★★

Tomatoes, Crushed, Canned
Prep 1 hour
Cook 45 minutes
Serves Yield 1

Ingredients

  • tomatoes (about 3 lbs per quart jar)
  • lemon juice (bottled) OR citric acid
  • salt (optional)
  • Quart jars, lids and rings

Directions

  1. Wash tomatoes in fresh, potable water. Remove stems and hull the top bits out, trim out any bruised parts.
  2. Peel the tomatoes: Boil the tomatoes for about 90 seconds (depending on the tomatoes) in hot water, then plunge them into a pan, sink or large bowl of very cold water. The skins will pull off easily.
  3. Take 6 of the tomatoes, cut into quarters and add to a large pot over high heat.
  4. Crush them with a potato masher or other similar tool.
  5. After a few minutes of heating, the tomatoes will soften and release some juice.
  6. Stir the pot frequently and keep the heat high. Quarter a few more tomatoes, and add them and crush them right away. When the pot returns to a boil, then gradually repeat the process with the remaining tomatoes, each time waiting till the pot returns to a boil so that newly sliced tomatoes will be hit with full heat right away upon slicing and adding.
  7. No need to crush the tomatoes further, they will break down on their own.
  8. When all the tomato is in, let simmer uncovered for another 5 minutes. Stir to prevent scorching.
  9. MANDATORY for acidification:*
  10. To each Pint jar add either 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice OR ¼ teaspoon citric acid.
  11. To each Quart jar add either 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice OR ½ teaspoon citric acid.
  12. OPTIONAL:

½ teaspoon salt per Pint

  1. 1 teaspoon salt per Quart
  2. Ladle hot crushed tomato into jars.
  3. Leave ½ inch headspace.
  4. Wipe jar rims.
  5. Put lids on.

Process in a water bath or steam canner.

  1. Process:
  2. Pints - 35 minutes
  3. Quarts - 45 minutes

Notes

Canned 41 Quarts Sept 2022

Keeping the crushed tomato plain like this, without even any salt, is actually a great advantage, because it gives it maximum versatility when you go to use it for soups, stews, casseroles, chiles, etc.

You may, however, should you choose, safely add seasoning in the form of dried herbs. In fact, if you wanted to give your crushed tomato a Latin American spin, you could use bottled lime juice in place of bottled lemon juice (keeping the amounts the same.)