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The absolute easiest way to can tomatoes! This step-by-step photo tutorial will show you how to can tomatoes in no time. No peeling, no coring- just cut out the stem and dice them up. It’s super easy, plus if you grow your own tomatoes, it’s a big money saver too!
I started canning diced tomatoes several years ago after having an “aha moment” one evening while preparing dinner. As I was opening a can of diced tomatoes that I needed for the recipe I was making, I suddenly wondered why in the world I never tried canning them myself. I mean how hard could it be?
I grew up helping my mom can tomato juice and tomato chunks. And every year since we’ve been married, I’ve canned tomato juice as well as things like salsa and marinara sauce, so I was quite familiar with the process of canning tomatoes.
I decided to give it a try and it worked like a charm! It was not only super simple, it has also saved me from needing to buy diced tomatoes from the store.
How do you can tomatoes? Let me help you learn the process!
Supplies for Canning Tomatoes
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- Tomatoes, salt and bottled lemon juice
- Dishpan or containers to put the tomatoes in
- Knife (This one is my favorite for slicing tomatoes!)
- Cutting board(The groove on this one is awesome because it catches the juice, creating less mess.)
- Vidalia Chop Wizard(Not a necessity, but you can dice the tomatoes in about half the time if you use it.)
– This gadget is also awesome for dicing tomatoes, onions, and peppers for salsa and potatoes and carrots for soups. - Wide Funnel
- Damp cloth to wipe jar rims
- Water Bath Canner (or this Canning Rack may work depending on what size pot you already own)
- Canning jars with lids and rings
- Jar lifter
- Old towels or rags to set the hot jars on
How to Can Diced Tomatoes- a step-by-step tutorial
1. Wash tomatoes thoroughly.
Cut out the stem and any defects or blemishes.
Some people also peel the tomatoes, but I never do and we honestly have not noticed the peelings at all and I’m even funny about textures like that in food.
I figure, why bother with the extra step? Plus it’s a bit healthier too!
2. Cut up the tomatoes.
Slice tomatoes into about ½-inch thick slices, then dice them into whatever size you want. I love using the large dicing side of my Vidalia Chop Wizardfor this!
3. Place diced tomatoes into a clean canning jar.
A funnel makes this super easy. Gently shake the jar to settle the tomatoes so that you can fill it completely.
The tomatoes should be packed tightly to produce enough juice. It won’t hurt if you press down on them a bit to get the jar packed full- in fact, this is probably going to be necessary.
The jar should be full to the base of the neck.
4. Add salt and bottled lemon juice.
For the salt, use ½ tsp. per pint and 1 tsp. per quart. You do not need to add salt when canning tomatoes, but I recommend it because I think it helps enhance the flavor.
For the lemon juice, use 1 Tbsp. per pint and 2 Tbsp. per quart.
Once the salt and lemon juice are added to the tomatoes, wipe the rim of each canning jar with a damp cloth to remove any tomato residue that may be there. (If there is even a slight bit of tomato juice on it, it may not allow it to seal properly.)
I updated the original post to include the instructions to add lemon juice after several readers commented and said that to be safe, you really should add it.
5. Prepare the canning lids. (This may be optional!)
Update: Some canning lid manufacturers now say that it’s not necessary to preheat the lids. So before doing this, check the instructions that came with the lids you are using.
Once you have 7 jars filled, place 7 metal canning lids in a small pan. Cover with water; bring to a boil.
When the water boils, use a fork or lid lifter to lift the jar lids out of the water and place them on the jars. Be careful not to burn yourself!
Secure each lid with a jar band/ring. (Heating the lids softens the rubber, allowing for a better seal.)
6. Place the filled jars of tomatoes in the canner.
Once jars are full and have the ring and lids on them, place them in the canner.
Then add hot water to the canner, enough to cover the jars by 1 to 2 inches. Cover the canner with a lid. Turn the burner to medium-high heat.
Once the water starts to boil, reduce the heat slightly and process for 45 minutes, making sure the water is boiling gently and steadily the whole time. (You may need to adjust the heat to keep the boil going nicely, but as long as it is boiling, you are fine.)
7. Remove the jars of canned tomatoes.
After processing the canned tomatoes for 45 minutes, turn the burner off.
Remove jars using a jar lifter- you may want to have a dishrag in your other hand to catch any hot water that drips from the jars as you remove them- and place on an old towel, blanket or another padded surface. (This is to protect your counter from the super hot jars.)
Allow at least a little bit of air space around each jar, making sure not to have jars close enough to touch. Do not move until the jars are completely cool.
Jars should seal as they cool and you will typically hear a snap or pinging sound as the vacuum seal is formed. The lids will be slightly concave when sealed.
To test the seal, once the jar has totally cooled you can lightly tap the center of the cooled jar lid. If it is firm and does not move, it should be sealed. If it pushes in, it didn’t seal properly. You can still use unsealed jars, just put them in the refrigerator and use them as soon as possible.
After the jars are completely cool, you can remove the rings. Jars should be wiped clean before storing them.
Enjoy!
HELPFUL TIP: 1 pint of canned diced tomatoes is equivalent to 1 (15 oz.) can of diced tomatoes.
Other canning recipes you might also enjoy:
- How to Can Tomato Juice
- How to Can Peaches
- How to Can Homemade Applesauce
- How to Can Dill Pickles
- How to Freeze Green Beans
- How to Freeze Blueberries
- How to Freeze Rhubarb
Print Recipe
4.73 from 176 votes
How to Can Diced Tomatoes
Canning diced tomatoes is super easy! This easy recipe will teach you how to can tomatoes in no time!
Cuisine: American
Author: Lydia @ ThriftyFrugalMom.com
Equipment
Dishpan or containers to put the tomatoes in
Knife
Cutting board
Vidalia Chop Wizard(Not a necessity, but you can dice the tomatoes in about half the time if you use it.)
Wide Funnel
Damp rag to wipe tops of jars
Canner
Canning jars with lids and rings
Jar lifter
Old towel, blanket or other padded surface to put hot jars on
Ingredients
- fresh tomatoes (approximately 2 3/4 lb. for 1 quart jar)
- salt (1 tsp. per quart or 1/2 tsp. per pint)
- bottled lemon juice (2 tbsp. per quart or 1 tbps. per pint)
Instructions
Wash tomatoes thoroughly. Cut out the stem and any defects or blemishes. Some people also peel the tomatoes, but I never do and we honestly have not noticed the peelings at all- and I’m even funny about textures like that in food. I figure why bother with the extra step, plus it’s a bit healthier too!
Slice tomatoes into about½ inch thick slices, then dice them into whatever size you want. I love using the large dicing side of myVidalia Chop Wizardfor this!
Place diced tomatoes into a clean canning jar- a funnel makes this super easy. Gently shake jar to settle tomatoes so that you can fill it completely.
The tomatoes should be packed tightly in order to produce enough juice. It won't hurt if you press down on them a bit to get the jar packed full- in fact, this is probably going to be necessary.
The jar should be full to the base of the neck.
Add salt(½ tsp. per pint and 1 tsp. per quart)and bottled lemon juice(1 Tbsp. per pint and 2 Tbsp. per quart). Wipe rim of each jar with a damp cloth to remove any tomato residue that may be there. (If there is even a slight bit of tomato juice on it, it may not allow it to seal properly.)
Update: Some canning lid manufacturers now say that it's not necessary to preheat the lids. So before doing this, check the instructions that came with the lids you are using.
Once you have 7 jars filled, place 7 metal canning lids in a small pan. Cover with water; bring to a boil. Once the water boils, use a fork or lid lifter to lift the jar lids out of the water- be careful not to burn yourself!- and place them on the jars. Secure each lid with a jar band/ring.(Heating the lids softens the rubber, allowing for a better seal.)
Place 7 jars in canner. Fill with enough hot water to cover the jars by 1 to 2 inches. Cover canner with a lid. Turn the burner on medium high heat. Once water starts to boil, reduce heat slightly and process for 45 minutes, making sure the water is boiling gently and steadily the whole time. (You may need to adjust heat to keep the boil going nicely, but really, as long as it is boiling, you are fine.)
After processing for 45 minutes, turn the burner off. Remove jars using jar lifter- you may want to have a dishrag in your other hand to catch any hot water that drips from the jars as you remove them- and place on an old towel, blanket or another padded surface. (This is to protect your counter from the super hot jars.)Allow at least a little bit of air space around each jar, making sure not to have jars close enough to touch. Do not move until jars are completely cool.
Jars should seal as they cool and you will typically hear a snap or pinging sound as the vacuum seal is formed. Lids will be slightly concave when sealed. To test the seal, once jar has totally cooled, lightly tap the center of the cooled jar lid. If it is firm and does not move, it should be sealed. If it pushes in, it didn’t seal properly. You can still use unsealed jars, just put them in the refrigerator and use them as soon as possible.
After jars are completely cool, you can remove the rings. Jars should be wiped clean before storing them.
Notes
1 pint of canned diced tomatoes is equivalent to 1 (15 oz.) can of diced tomatoes.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Samar
Do they need to be refrigerated?
Reply
Lydia Beiler
The canning process seals the jars, so you do not need to refrigerate them until you open a jar.
Reply
laurie
can you can diced tomatoes after being previously frozen?
Reply
Lydia Beiler
You could can them but I doubt that they will hold their shape very well since freezing them would likely make them softer. If you are using them in soups or something you don’t mind not having a firmer tomato for, I don’t think it should be a problem though!
Reply
Rhonda B
Yes! Many people freeze tomatoes as they harvest them, especially if they have so many come in at once that it’s impossible to can them all before they go bad. Later, when you are ready, pull them out of the freezer, let them thaw, and can them however you choose:)
Reply
Lydia Beiler
Yes, this is really handy and works for many tomato canning recipes. However, as I mentioned in my reply to Laurie, I don’t think it will work well for this recipe.
Reply
Kelly
Hi Lydia,
My Ball Blue Book says to process the jars for 85 minutes. Is there a reason you process your diced tomatoes for only 45 minutes?
Does it overcook them? Does their texture change with that much time?
I’m in the middle of processing my first batch of diced tomatoes, and excited for the outcome!
Thanks!Reply
Lydia Beiler
That’s interesting, Kelly. I’ve never seen a tomato canning recipe that was longer than 45 minutes. I really am not sure why they would say 85 minutes as that seems excessive. I hope your canning goes well!
Reply
Marni
Hey Lidia
,I packed my jars really well so there were no bubbles and I even added juice that was made during the dicing process.
Everything looked correct til I pulled them from the boiling process.now all the juice is at the bottom and there’s no juice near the top of the tomatoes.
Did I do something wrong?Reply
Lydia Beiler
No, I don’t think you did anything wrong. This especially tends to happen if a juicier variety of tomato is used. I’ve had it happen less often when I used tomatoes grown in a greenhouse (they are firmer) or Roma tomatoes (also firmer). In the future, if you are using very ripe, juicy tomatoes and want to try to avoid the liquid at the bottom, you can drain a bit of the juice off as you are packing the jars. Also, the tomatoes that are above the liquid may darken a bit over time, but that’s okay- it’s just because of air exposure. They are still fine to use as long as the jar is sealed tightly.
Reply
Marie Dubé
Easy enough to follow thanks for all your pointersReply
Lydia Beiler
So glad it was helpful, Marie!
Reply
Laurie
My jars ended up only about 3/4 full after processing. The tomatoes must needed to be really packed down somehow…I packed mine a lot but still ended up with not enough.
Reply
Lydia Beiler
I’m sorry, Laurie, that is frustrating! Unfortunately, it does happen sometimes. Generally the causes are either the jar being filled a little too full, the jar ring not being tightened quite enough (they should not be overly tight, but snug) or the temperature fluctuating too much when canning. The contents should be fine though as long as not more than half of the liquid is gone. If more than half of the liquid has been lost, just pop the jars in the fridge and use them before too long. Also, if there are any tomatoes sticking out above the liquid, they may lose quality and discolor slightly over time (it’s just due the exposure to the air), but they are still totally fine to consume as long as the jar is still sealed tightly. I hope that helps!
Reply
Lindsey
When you’re dicing the tomatoes, do you leave the seeds and stuff in them? Also, you don’t cook them prior to canning them?
Reply
Lydia Beiler
Yes, you leave the seeds. I suppose you can take them out if they bother you but I’ve never noticed them being a problem. And the tomatoes are raw when you put them into the jars.
Reply
Diana G
How long can you store the jars?
Reply
Lydia Beiler
The quality should be good for at least a year, although I have had them longer than that before and they have been okay too. Over time, they do get a bit less firm but they are still very edible!
Reply
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