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Tomatoes
The tomato is one of Mississippi’s favorite foods. It is
a fruit, but usually we eat and serve it as a vegetable. Our
long, hot growing season and native soils are perfect for
producing high-quality fresh tomatoes. Tomatoes come in
a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. They add flavor
and color any way you use them—freshly sliced, in salads,
as a side dish, or in main dish recipes.
Tomatoes may be the most popular food to be canned
at home because of their versatility and abundance. When
local tomatoes are ripening faster than you can eat them or
give them away, there’s no need to let them go to waste!
Instead, fill your pantry or freezer with delicious canned or
frozen tomatoes, sauces, juices, and salsas.
Tomatoes are one of nature’s greatest health foods.
They are very low in calories, are practically fat free, are
cholesterol free, and are low in sodium. Tomatoes are
an excellent source of vitamins A and C and the mineral
potassium. Their pretty red color comes from lycopene, a
powerful antioxidant that protects against some cancers
and even helps reduce cholesterol!
Selecting Tomatoes
Choose tomatoes with good color that are smooth,
firm, and plump. Green tomatoes have more acid than
ripened tomatoes. They are safe to can. Avoid soft,
overripe, or bruised tomatoes and tomatoes with sunburn
and growth cracks. Do not can or freeze tomatoes from
dead or diseased vines.
A tomato can be good quality whether it’s large or
small. The variety of the tomato usually determines its size.
But the tomato should be heavy for its size. The best flavor
usually comes from locally grown tomatoes produced on
nearby farms.
Preparing
Handle tomatoes gently to avoid bruising. For best
flavor, bring tomatoes to room temperature before serving.
Slice tomatoes just before serving raw to preserve their
natural juiciness, flavor, and nutrients.
Peeling tomatoes (removing the skins) to serve raw
is a matter of preference, although nutrients concentrated
just under the skin are lost in peeling. If you choose to peel
them, wash the tomatoes and put in boiling water for 30
to 60 seconds. Immediately plunge them into cold water.
Drain and remove loosened skins with a paring knife.
Storing
Ripe tomatoes store best at a temperature around 60
degrees. At refrigerator temperatures, their quality rapidly
deteriorates. For best canning results, use tomatoes within
3 days of harvest. Store unripe or green tomatoes at room
temperature, out of direct sunlight, until they ripen.
Canning
Can tomatoes whole, in halves, crushed, or as tomato
sauce or juice. They can be canned in water or juice. With
added ingredients, they can also be prepared as catsup,
salsa, chili sauce, barbeque sauce, or spaghetti sauce.
To can tomatoes whole or halved:
Prepare as directed above. Leave whole, or cut in half.
Wash and sterilize canning jars.
Raw pack
Put 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or 1⁄4 teaspoon
citric acid in each pint of tomatoes or 2 tablespoons of
bottled lemon juice or 1⁄2 teaspoon citric acid in each quart.
Add 1⁄2 teaspoon salt in each pint or 1 teaspoon salt in
quarts, if desired. Pack prepared tomatoes in hot jars,
leaving 1⁄2-inch headspace. Fill hot jars with boiling water
to 1⁄2 inch from top. Process.
Hot pack
Place prepared tomatoes in saucepan; cover with
water. Bring to a boil; boil gently for 5 minutes. Add lemon
juice or citric acid to hot jars, as above, and salt if desired.
Pack hot tomatoes in hot jars, leaving 1⁄2-inch headspace.
Fill to 1⁄2 inch from top with hot cooking liquid. Process.
To process: Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rims; adjust
lids. Choose one of the following methods (pints or quarts):
• process in a boiling water bath for 85 minutes, or
• process in a dial gauge pressure canner at 11
pounds pressure for 25 minutes, or
• process in a weighted gauge pressure canner at 10
pound pressure for 25 minutes.
Store jars in a cool, dry place. Properly stored canned
tomatoes will keep their quality for at least 1 year.
Freezing
Freezing changes the texture of tomatoes, breaking
down their shape and making frozen tomatoes perfect for
cooking in soups, gumbos, stews, sauces, and casseroles.
Select firm, ripe tomatoes with a deep red color.
To freeze raw: Prepare as directed above. Freeze whole
or in pieces. Pack in containers, leaving 1 inch headspace.
Label and date each container. Seal and freeze.
For best quality, store frozen tomatoes at 0°F or below,
and use within 8 to 12 months.
Drying
Imported sun-dried tomatoes are a popular but
expensive recipe ingredient. Drying tomatoes at home is
easy and economical in a food dehydrator. Outdoor drying
of tomatoes is not recommended in Mississippi because of
our high humidity levels.
To dry tomatoes: Prepare as above. Cut larger
tomatoes into 3⁄4-inch wide slices or halve the smaller
tomato varieties. Steam blanch for 3 minutes, or water
blanch for 1 minute. Dry in food dehydrator for 10 to
18 hours. Drying times vary because of the amount of
moisture in the tomatoes and the particular dehydrator
you use. Store dehydrated tomatoes in freezer containers in
the freezer; use within 1 year. Chop dehydrated tomatoes
for soups, stews, sauces, vegetable dishes, and casseroles.
For more information about canning, freezing,
or drying vegetables, contact your Mississippi
State University Extension Service office, or visit
www.msucares.com.
Information Sheet 1782 (POD-12-15)
Distributed in Mississippi by Brent Fountain, PhD, RD, LD, Associate Extension Professor, Food Science, Nutrition, & Health Promotion.
Copyright 2015 by Mississippi State University. All rights reserved. This publication may be copied and distributed without
alteration for nonprofit educational purposes provided that credit is given to the Mississippi State University Extension Service.
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Extension Service of Mississippi State University, cooperating with U.S. Department of Agriculture. Published in
furtherance of Acts of Congress, May 8 and June 30, 1914. GARY B. JACKSON, Director