Canning Tomatoes Old Fashion Grandma Way [Open Kettle] – My First Time to Now

My First Time Canning Tomatoes (and How I Still Do It Today)

Here we are my first ever canning day (September of 2019).

From left to right, it’s my aunt Cindy, me, my mom and my aunt Sandy. Aren’t we cuties? LOL And yes, those are flowers behind my mother because they brought me them to celebrate my first time canning tomatoes with them. They are the absolute sweetest and I love them dearly.

It’s neat looking back at these photos because this is shortly after we moved into our house so we have an updated kitchen now.

If you want to learn how to can tomatoes on your own, you will NOT regret learning. It is one of my absolute favorite (out of my very few) cherished skills I have learned over the years.

Just keep in mind that we canned them the way they were taught by their mom, my grandma.

This is called open kettle canning.

What is Open Kettle Canning?

Open kettle canning is a means of boiling, peeling and putting food straight into sterilized warm jars.

That’s it.

No water bath or any other ingredients.

Just an FYI: This process is not considered “safe” by the FDA….but….

That’s because FDA is an American regulation, however, this process is and has been done all around the world for many many generations and today in other countries who aren’t under the strict guidelines of the FDA.

You can check out this grandma in Italy who shows how she does it:

Watch a full video by Buon-A-Petitti showing this same method: “Italian Grandma Makes Canned Tomato Puree“

Learning how to can tomatoes has been essential for my home cooking because I use them all year long, especially during the winter.

How Many Tomatoes Should I Get For Canning?

Rule of thumb is to order three pounds of tomatoes for each quart of canned tomatoes you want to make. This would generally be a BUSHEL, which can usually fill around 15 quarts, give or take a few pints if you want to have smaller portions like I do.

Be sure to set aside a few August or September days to preserve the bounty of summer.

Before I get into how we did our canning, if you are considering canning tomatoes yourself, I would strongly suggest you to review the safety issues and guidelines for canning. When canning tomatoes (or any foods) the level of acidity will dictate the preservation method. I’ve included some awesome up-to-date resources below.

How to Can Tomatoes Open Kettle Style

There are three steps to the way we canned the tomatoes (open kettle canning): prepare the jars, prepare the tomatoes, and canning of tomatoes.

STEP 1: Prepare the Jars

Canning jars need to be washed and sterilized (place in 225 ° F oven for at least 10 minutes). Leave them in the oven until ready to be filled up. You can also run them through the dishwasher which is what I do most often.
Lids also need to be sterilized; just 10 minutes in simmering water is all it takes. Leave them in the water until you need them
The rings only need to be properly washed but you can put them in the water with the lids

STEP 2: Prepare the Tomatoes

Tomatoes need to be washed. We get farm plump tomatoes for canning, but some people think Roma tomatoes are the best when it comes to canning. Regardless of the kind, be sure to use tomatoes that are blemish-free.
Score the tip of the tomato with an “x” OR just slice off the tip. I find that slicing the tip off allows for the tomato skin to just slip off once it has been blanched
Drop the tomatoes in a pot of boiling water for about 60 seconds
Work in batches if necessary
Remove tomatoes and place in a bowl to cool down (if you want, you can place them in an ice-water bath)
When cool enough to handle – peel off the skin and cut the meat of the tomato into chunks.
Place all tomato chunks into large kettle and bring to a boil, stirring frequently
Remove the layer of froth as it builds up
Cook until there is very little froth build up, about 45 minutes to 1 hr & half (can vary)

STEP 3: Canning (Packing) the Tomatoes

Add one tablespoon of concentrated lemon juice per pint (or 2 tablespoons if using quarts)
Each quart of tomatoes will need a teaspoon of salt
Fill each hot jar with peeled tomatoes and their juices;
Leave 1/2 – 3/4 inch head-space from the top;
Remove air bubbles by running a knife along the side of the jar or use the tool
Wipe the rims clean with a clean towel
Place a sterilized lid and screw on the bands until “finger tight”

At this point, many people put the jars into a water bath, however, this is NOT how my family has done it….

We just let them sit out and wait for the jars to seal by listening for the POP.

I will be updating with the most recent pictures and add a link here for the past few years since (2021 – 2024).

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Canning Tomatoes Old Fashion Grandma Way [Open Kettle] – My First Time to Now

My First Time Canning Tomatoes (and How I Still Do It Today)

What is Open Kettle Canning?

How Many Tomatoes Should I Get For Canning?