Elm Farm

Family owned & farmed in Marshfield, MO

Canning Tomatoes

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I have a bunch of screenshots and slips of paper in my recipe binder that I pull out every year when September hits and I can’t keep up with eating fresh tomatoes. I decided to compile all my favorite tomato recipes in one spot so I can access them more easily (and because my sister keeps asking for them and I keep having to go dig them out).

Tomatoes, whole or halved or diced, packed raw without added liquid

Procedure:

Wash tomatoes. Dip in boiling water for 30-60 seconds or until skins split; dip in cold water. Slip off skins and remove cores. Leave whole or halve.

For diced tomatoes with skins on, simply dice tomatoes and raw pack into jars. Proceed with instructions as-is.

To acidify tomatoes, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice per quart to the jar. Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart to the jar. Fill jars with raw tomatoes, leave 1/2″ headspace. Adjust lids and process.

Processing Time:

Water Bath – Raw Pack: process pints or quarts for 90 minutes.

Dial-gauge Pressure Canner – Raw Pack: process pints or quarts for 25 minutes at 12 pounds of pressure.

Weighted-gauge Pressure Canner – Raw Pack: process pints or quarts for 25 minutes at 15 pounds of pressure.

Add 5 minutes per 1,000ft of altitude. All my canning recipes have been adjusted for 1,500ft altitude in Marshfield, MO.

Tomatoes, crushed


Crushed Tomatoes

Recipe by Cherith Mitchell
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

50

minutes

Ingredients

  • Tomatoes

  • 1 TBSP lemon juice

  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

  • This recipe can be used for any amount of tomatoes because it's based per jar instead of per pound.

    Score x on tomatoes and dip in boiling water for 1 minute. Dip in cold water. Slip off skins and remove cores. Quarter.
  • Heat one-sixth of the quarters quickly in a large pot, crushing them until juices release. Continue heating tomatoes, stirring frequently.
  • Once tomatoes are boiling, gruadually add remaining quartered tomoatoes. Boil gently for 5 minutes.
  • Add 1 TBSP lemon juice and 1/2 tsp salt to each pint jar.
  • Add hot tomatoes to hot jars and cover with juices. Debubble and wipe rims.
  • Process in water bath for 45 minutes.

Notes

  • Processing Time:
  • Water Bath – Hot Pack: process pints for 40 minutes, quarts for 50 minutes.
  • Dial-gauge Pressure Canner – Hot Pack: process pints or quarts for 15 minutes at 12 pounds of pressure.
  • Weighted-gauge Pressure Canner – Hot Pack: process pints or quarts for 15 minutes at 15 pounds of pressure.
  • Add 5 minutes per 1,000ft of altitude. All my canning recipes have been adjusted for 1,500ft altitude in Marshfield, MO.

Tomato Sauce:

It’s as simple as it comes and tastes like the day it was picked.


Basic Tomato Sauce

Recipe by Cherith Mitchell
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

  • Tomatoes

  • 1 TBSP lemon juice

  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

  • Score x on tomatoes and dip in boiling water for 1 minute. Dip in cold water. Slip off skins and remove cores.

    OR:

    Roast tomatoes for an hour & put through food mill (or use immersion blender to puree without deseeding or peeling).
  • Add to pot and cook down until desired consistency.
  • Add 1 TBSP lemon juice and 1/2 tsp salt to each pint jar.
  • Add hot tomatoes to hot jars and cover with juices. Debubble and wipe rims.
  • Process in water bath for 45 minutes.

Tomato Paste:

A staple in every pantry.


Roasted Tomato Paste

Recipe by Cherith Mitchell
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

2

hours 

Ingredients

  • 12 lbs roma tomatoes

  • 1 tablespoon salt

  • 4 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

  • Heat oven to 200-350 F. Wash tomatoes, core and cut in half.
  • Squeeze or scoop seeds out of tomatoes and roast until skins are wrinkly and starting to char.
  • Press through food mill.
  • Stir in salt and lemon juice.
  • Spread the purée out on a baking sheet. Bake at 200 - 350 F until it is very thick, and a dark red. Stir the purée to prevent burning every 30 minutes.
  • Freeze in ice cube trays or put hot tomato paste into heated 4 oz jars. Leave ¼ inch headspace. Debubble and wipe jar rims.
  • Process in a water bath canner for 45 minutes.

Tomato Soup Base:

Add a jar of bone broth and a couple cups of cream to heat this soup to perfection.

Pizza Sauce:

This is so thick because of a trick I learned from Beth Declercq on IG.

The Chunky Salsa we like:

This one tastes fresh but it’s a thicker, bulkier salsa.

The Restaurant Style Salsa we like:

This one is runny but has a great flavor.


Salsa (Mexican Restaurant)

Recipe by Cherith Mitchell
Servings

7

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 c diced fresh tomatoes

  • 1-2 c jalapeños, diced

  • 1 large onion, diced

  • 6 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro

  • 1 TB salt

  • 3/4 c apple cider vinegar

  • 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)

Directions

  • Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Add more jalapeños if you like heat. 1 cup will be quite mild tasting.
  • Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
  • Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes.
  • Pour hot salsa into hot half pint canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space and add lids.
  • Process in boiling water for 20 minutes.

Tomato Jams:

These sound odd but they’re so worthwhile.


Roasted Yellow Tomato jam

Recipe by Cherith Mitchell
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

50

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes

This tomato jam is a little sweeter than red tomato jam.

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs yellow tomatoes

  • 3 c sugar

  • 1/2 c lemon juice

Directions

  • Roughly chop tomatoes into smallish pieces. Roast in oven for 40-50 minutes or until beginning to brown.
  • Combine tomatoes with sugar in a large pot, add lemon juice and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
  • Cook at a boil for an hour or more, stirring frequently, until thickened. Check set with plate test.
  • Once you’re satisfied with the set, pour jam into prepared half pint jars. Wipe rims, apply lids and rings.
  • Process jars in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes.


Yellow Tomato “Plum Jam”

Recipe by Cherith Mitchell
Servings

3

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

2

hours 

30

minutes

The perfect addition to any charcuterie board. Serve with cream cheese on crackers.

Ingredients

  • 5 lb yellow tomatoes

  • 2 cups sugar

  • 1 cup honey

  • 1 inch piece ginger, peeled

  • 1 tbsp whole allspice

  • 8 inch cinnamon stick

Directions

  • Wash and quarter tomatoes. I used "Dad's Sunset" tomatoes, but yellow pear tomatoes work as well.
  • Place in a large saucepan; stirring frequently, bring to a boil. Reduce heat; stirring occasionally, cook until tomatoes are soft, 30-45 minutes. Press through a food mill. It should measure about 8 cups tomato liquid.
  • Combine tomato liquid, sugar and honey in a large stainless steel saucepan. Tie ginger root, allspice and cinnamon in a large square of cheesecloth, creating a spice bag. Add to tomato mixture.
  • Cook slowly, stirring frequently, until thick enough to mound up on a spoon, an hour or two.
  • Ladle hot sauce into a hot half pint canning jar to within 1/4 inch of top. Remove air bubbles and wipe jar rim.
  • Process in water bath for 15 minutes.

Spicy Skillet Tomato Jam

Recipe by Cherith Mitchell
Servings

3

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs tomatos

  • 2 diced & deseeded jalapeños

  • 1 1/4 c sugar

  • 4 TBSP lemon juice

  • 1 TBSP fresh grated ginger

  • 2 tsp red chili flakes

  • 1 tsp smoked paprika

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1/4 tsp cayenne

Directions

  • Dice tomatoes roughly & add sugar to a bowl. Leave in fridge overnight. Pour into large cast iron skillet and add remaining ingredients. Cook down 20-30 min (may need up to an hour depending on how liquidy the tomatoes were). Pour into 3 half pint jars & process for 15 min.