Tomatoes, Introduction

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Title: Tomatoes, Introduction
Categories: Canning, Information
Yield: 1 text


Quality: Select only disease-free, preferably vine-ripened, firm fruit
for canning.

Caution: Do not can tomatoes from dead or frost-killed vines. Green
tomatoes are more acidic than ripened fruit and can be canned safely
with any of the following recommendations.

Acidification: To ensure safe acidity in whole, crushed, or juiced
tomatoes, add two tablespoons of bottled lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon of
citric acid per quart of tomatoes. For pints, use one tablespoon bottled
lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid. Acid can be added directly to
the jars before filling with product. Add sugar to offset acid taste, if
desired. Four tablespoons of a 5 percent acidity vinegar per quart may
be used instead of lemon juice or citric acid. However, vinegar may
cause undesirable flavor changes.

Recommendation: Use of a pressure canner will result in higher quality
and more nutritious canned tomato products. If your pressure canner
cannot be operated above 15 PSI, select a process time at a lower
pressure.

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* USDA Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539 (rev. 1994)
* Meal-Master format courtesy of Karen Mintzias

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