Canning Tomatoes

About 8 weeks ago, I used the last of our tomatoes I had put up last summer. We had been conservative in our use of them for the last few months. Typically I like to plan on using 2 quart jars a week when we are not in Tomato season (August through October). That's 54 jars a year to put up. But anyone who has canned tomatoes knows it is a labor of love. There is nothing like that bright, fresh taste (way better than store bought) come mid February.

Well, since losing our farm I had given up on the idea of canning for this year. And yet, we managed to work out a deal of Tom helping out on a friend's farm (she also grows without chemicals) in exchange for "seconds" or stuff that she doesn't sell at the markets. We put up 18 jars of diced tomatoes and 1 of juice. To be fair the quarts of diced tomatoes are half juice anyway so I don't worry about putting up juice, but this was the leftover juice from dicing them.

What you will need:

A water bath canning system
Jar Tongs
Funnel
Ladle
Serrated Knife
Chopping block
2 large bowls
Mason jars, lids, rings-quart size
Stock pot

Lots of fresh, ripe Tomatoes
Lemon Juice
Salt

Start by bringing water to boil in the stock pot.
Fill one side of your kitchen sink with cold water and ice cubes.
Blanch the tomatoes in the boiling water for 30 seconds to one minute. Then straight into the ice bath. When you are finished blanching, dump the water. This will keep your kitchen from staying hot, since it is August.
Start the canner water boiling. Know where to fill the water to by placing the jars in while empty and filling everything up to 3 inches above the jars. When you remove the jars, dump the water that accumulated in them.

While that comes to a boil:

Peel, core, cut out bad spots (use your sense of smell), and dice tomatoes into one the large bowls, into the other put your tomato waste.
When the water bath canner comes to a boil, dunk each of the quart jars to sterilze them.
In a separate pot put your lids and rings onto a simmer until ready to use.
In each clean and sterlized jar, put 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice and 1 teaspoon salt.
Fill with diced tomatoes to 1 inch from top.
Use a knife to remove air bubbles.
Wipe rims and secure with sanitized lids and rings.
Lower jars into boiling water bath, and when water returns to a boil, boil for 1 1/2 hours. I like to do this with the lid on, on a lower temperature. It keeps my kitchen from heating up so badly and the water from evaporating.
Remove Jars and let cool.

I've had trouble with siphening.  Where after I remove the jars the tomato juice bubbles out over the rim.  This is due to not enough head space (allegedly).  And it can prevent the seals from sealing.

Be careful about using ceramic top stoves to can.  Make sure it is alright, I've heard stories of stove tops cracking.