Extra tomatoes? This is the easiest and the most convenient recipe for canned tomatoes you’ll ever need. It doesn’t matter if you have 20 tomatoes or 120; this recipe is golden!
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#1 Absolute Easiest Canned Tomatoes Recipe Ever
Recipes are one thing you’ll most likely never see on Catching Spring’s blog posts… haha, I just don’t cook a lot. I mean, I do, sometimes. 😉
Mostly I like to bake or cook during the holidays, but I’m generally NOT a fan of cooking.
However, I love canning! And I also like easy recipes. Yes, I am the one that will totally bypass a recipe with too many ingredients!
So that being said, this was too good and too easy NOT to share. So don’t let those tomatoes go to waste! Use them up in the easiest canned tomatoes recipe you’ll ever need.
Use your canned bounty for stews, soups, salsas, and any other recipe that needs stewed tomatoes. They are so great to have!
Also, note that these tomatoes last for years in those jars. I was concerned it wouldn’t, but we currently just found some canned tomatoes three years old. They are totally fine, fresh, and we are eating them!
1. What you’ll need
I like to have everything I need before I even get started. Makes it easier and makes sure you’re not “stuck” needing something right in the middle of the process!
Here’s what I gather:
- Large canning pot for boiling jars
- Semi-large canning pot for stewing tomatoes
- Canning funnel
- Jars, bands, and lids
- Large, medium, and small bowls
- 1 regular-sized large pot
- Tongs, ladle, 1 teaspoon measuring spoon, stirring spoon, small knife
- Canning salt (or regular) and sugar, and two small bowls.
And obviously your tomatoes! 🙂
TIP: Although I’ve bought a lot of canning supplies, I’ve found most of what I needed at estate sales, so keep your eyes open if that’s your thing!
2. How to prepare for smooth canning
I am writing this part of the article because I’ve forgotten way too many things, sometimes while holding a ladle full of hot, stewed tomatoes!
Canned tomatoes don’t take much, but proper preparation will make it go much faster for you. And this is great if you have bushels and bushels of tomatoes!
I make sure I have all of the stuff listed in the previous tip, and I also have some extra jars if I have more stewed tomatoes than I thought.
Rule of thumb for me: a 5-gallon pail of tomatoes fills approximately 7-8 quart jars.
Anyway, it’s like an assembly line for me. I get the jars, bands, and lids into the large canning pot with the water and turn that burner on high.
While that’s going, I wash tomatoes while waiting for the large regular pot of water, half-filled, to boil.
In one sink are the washed tomatoes, in the other is the large plastic bowl for the cold water bath, and next to that are the other bowls for the skins and cores, and to place those waiting to be cored.
You’ll get your own cadence, but that’s what works for me.
Also, make sure you put some salt and sugar in separate bowls near your stove.
3. Recipe
So you have all of your tomatoes washed and your “assembly line” in place. Now it’s time for canned tomatoes!
- Start by placing a few tomatoes in the hot pot of water at a time. Keep an eye on them and take them out with a slotted spoon once you see the skin crack.
- Place them immediately into the cold water bowl.
- The skins should practically fall off. You’ll then core it and cut off any bad spots. If you don’t have time immediately to core, this is where the extra bowl comes in.
- Cut the tomato in four (in my hand) and place in the large canning pot, but don’t put the pot on the stove yet.
Continue this till all tomatoes are done.
- Put the stewing pot on the stove and cook it until it’s to your desired consistency. Make sure you stir it often, so tomatoes don’t stick to the bottom.
- All you do then is ladle your tomatoes into jars until there’s about a half-inch or less of space at the jar’s neck and put 1-teaspoon each of salt and sugar on top and place the lids on tightly.
Set the jars aside and keep going until its gone.
That’s it! No stirring or shaking necessary.
You’ll hear those wonderful little pops when your canned tomatoes are sealed.
That is seriously all you have to do. And you’ll have lots of canned tomatoes for the whole year.
Easiest canned tomatoes recipe ever!
Drop me a comment below and let me know how it goes! Happy canning!
Why don’t you mix the salt and sugar into the tomatoes? Like in the pot when they’re cooking?
Because I never know how many quarts and pints I will have at the end… honestly this is the way I have always done it and it works, so I don’t know the other way if it would work as good. ??
They don’t have to be pressure cooked or water bathed?
nope! not if you follow this process. 🙂
Do you not have to water bath your tomatoes after you put them in jars?
No. The only time I ever have is if I added some jars/lids/bands and they weren’t hot enough.
Do you boil the rings and the flat lids to??
Yes, together with the jars.
I’m interested in using your recipe to can my tomatoes but was confused at the end because it didn’t include anything about processing the jars in a pressure canner & how long or in a water bath.
Please advise which method is required.
Hey Cheryl I don’t use either… if all is boiling hot and you use the salt and sugar, it seals and is preserved.
Yes, this is the easiest thing I’ve read on canning. I’ve been too afraid to start. Thank you. A couple questions: Do you pull the cans and lids from their boiling pot one by one, as you’re ready to fill it? Is there any need to dry them? I assume not, as it would put germs into the jars. Do you think I could can chilis like this too, taking stems and seeds out? This year’s chilis are too small to skin. Thank you again, so much.
I put all the jars and lids/bands in cold water and let it heat up to boiling. I take them out with tongs and nope, don’t dry nor do I touch the sids or insides or anything. I would assume you could try chilis this way too? Haven’t tried that though… if you did try it, how did it work?
I like the ease & simplicity of your recipe here, but it does include any processing instructions. After getting the jars filled & lids on, do they go into a water bath or pressure canner? … and for how long?
Nope, as long as everything is up to boiling (all jars, lids, and bands in the boiling water) then it will seal. The sugar and salt help preserve.
So with these Tomatoes you don’t need any seasoning?? And after tomatoes are peeled and cut into 1/4 or so, you don’t boil the jars or lids? And when tomatoes are cut and placed in Quart jars, thin place lid on jar don’t need to wipe it down or debunked them? Then put 1 tsp of each sugar or can you use stevia or same amount of honey 1 step? Or can’t any but reg sugar in them and sea salt Or picking salt? Then no water bath to preserve it just lid and ring salt and sugar then listen for the ping right?? Thank you very much. Oh can you put other Seasonings in it like basil or jalapeños with it ??? Many thanks for this Ronda Conditt a pretty old Newby lol July 2023
hello Ronda! I boil all the jars, bands and lids together in one pot and the tomatoes in another. I take the jars etc out with tongs and use a soup scooper for the tomatoes (and a funnel). I don’t touch them or dry them but dry the outside of the jar after it’s put together (but you don’t have to). I wouldn’t advise honey or stevia because it’s the sugar and salt in pure form that preserves. I’m assuming you can add other seasonings if you’d like, I usually do that when I’m cooking. Hope it worked for you! 🙂
How long do the jars of tomatoes need to be in hot water bath?
I don’t use a hot water bath Mary, they seal on their own as long as they were in the boiling water.
How long til the “pop” that the jars are sealed
It usually happens within 30 minutes (honestly it’s often much shorter!), definitely no longer than an hour. Sometimes I help push it down and if it stays down, it’s good. If it pops back up, I DO put it in a hot bath to seal, but that is a rarity.
Is this water bath canning or pressure canning and how long? per quarts? pints? Thanks!
I use quarts and pints but not water bath canning or a pressure cooker. Just boiling water and boiling tomatoes. 🙂
What about the lemon juice
How much and when do you add
I don’t add lemon juice to this recipe but you can if you prefer to. 🙂
Do you not put any liquid n with the tomatoes for stewing?
Nope, the tomatoes make their own liquid.
I want to try your recipe. But wondering when it seals. I read it a couple of times and it didn’t specify putting them in the water bath and boiling them for a set amount of time. R u telling me that putting the hot tomatoes in the repaired jars if all the heat u need for a seal. Also. I don’t use salt in my diet. Can I just put the sugar in. Thank u
Hello I’m sorry I thought I put in there that you hear the pop pretty soon after… if not I need to revise because yes, within minutes (usually) you hear the pop because the tomatoes and jars/lids/bands are so hot from the boiling. Also, the salt helps preserve it so if you don’t want to use it, your tomatoes may not last as long? Not sure on that one but I would keep an eye out for popped jars or funny colored tomatoes.
Thank you for these instructions. I have canned many time but this was definitely the most organized and easy way
So great to hear and you are so welcome!
Hello,
This recipe looks great but do you actually process the tomatoes in the canner? And if so for how long?
Thank you.
Hey Anna no I boil them in a pot… I don’t use a canner.
I need the recipe for canning tomates
its in the article. 🙂
oh my gosh! thank you so much. easy easy easy. I love it. ❤️
You are so welcome! It really does make canning tomatoes easy.. it’s the only way I do it anymore.
These turned out wonderfully!! Thanks!
Awesome! You are so welcome! They last a long time too, we just ate some last week in soup that was 2 years old. 🙂
How long does it take for them to pop
Almost always within 30 minutes, sometimes an hour but honestly it’s usualy just a few minutes after I put the jar and tomatoes together because everything is so hot.
so easy. love how my tomatoes look.
I’m so happy to hear this! 🙂
I have the tomatoes in the pot beginning to simmer, and I finally noticed there’s no water bath
Needed. I’ve never made stewed tomatoes before, so this is very interesting to me.
I hope yours turned out well! 🙂
Seriously!!! This is not a safe recipe !!!
I’m sorry you think so Chris! I’ve been canning and eating tomatoes this way for a decade or more now. The salt and sugar preserves them and the heat from everything being at a boiling point seals the jars. Thanks for commenting though. 🙂
I made these. –came out fabulous today !
That is so great to hear Vandy!
Thanks for sharing. Good tips for sure!
Thank you!!!
I read you article and I feel like something is missing – the jars in the pot with the lids and bands ? Do you boil those and use hot ? Leave them in the boiling pot while filling? What happens with the large boiling pot and jars thanks
I think I have that in the article but maybe not so GREAT question… yes you boil the lids and bands with the jars and use them hot. I pick everything out with a set of tongs and tighten the band with a dry dish towel and set aside.
So there is no having to water bath this recipe??
Nope, no water bath! 🙂
do you not have to do water bath or use lemon juice for this?
Nope! And it lasts for a very very long time… we just used a can that said 2021 on them. 🙂
You don’t have to water bath to seal and make sure it’s 100% ? what the reasoning for salt and sugar on top vs. mixing into whole recipe in larger amount? I’m trying to cut down on salt so that amount of salt per jar is a lot for me. Do I have to add that much or any at all?
No I never water bath and it works wonderfully and lasts for a very long time. The sugar and salt act as preservatives. I’m sure you could try cutting back on a little salt?