February 14, 2008
My Procedure for Perfect Canned Tomatoes
I love fresh, ripe tomatoes from my garden. In the Spring each year I start craving them and then comes the long wait until there are some tomatoes that are red and ripe and ready to pick from the vines.
I want to be able to enjoy that flavor year 'round so once those gems start ripening by the bucketfuls I know it's time to preserve them. I've been canning tomatoes for probably 25 years the same way that I was taught by my talented mother in law. But this past year I altered the process ever so slightly and with fantastic results! Who would've thought that snipping some large Sweet Basil leaves from my plants right outside my kitchen door would change the way I canned tomatoes from then on!
Allow 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds very ripe, unblemished tomatoes per quart. Wash tomatoes. To peel, dip tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds or until skins start to split.
Dip in cold water; core and skin. 
Fill clean, hot, sterile jars with whole or halved tomatoes, pressing to fill spaces with juice. Add bottled lemon juice: 1 tablespoon for pints, 2 tablespoons for quarts. Add salt, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon for pints, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon for quarts. Leave a 1/2 inch headspace. Run a knife down the sides of the jars to release any air bubbles. Then add the freshley cut, large Sweet Basil leaves to each jar (I use 2 or 3 per jar), slipping them up against the side of the jar so they can be seen. Apply sterile lids and rings to jars being careful not to apply lots of unneccessary pressure to tighten.
Place in pressure cooker filled to manufacturer's directions with boiling water. Cover and process. For a dial gague canner use 11 pounds of pressure; for a weighted gauge canner , use 10 pounds of pressure for 25 minutes. Turn off heat and let canner set, undisturbed until cooled down and gague then lid can be removed.
Remove jars and set on towel in a place where they will not be disturbed for 24 hours before storing.
The basil just adds delicious flavor that is not overpowering to the tomatoes. The taste is fresh and clean and any dish you add your tomatoes to will be so much better than anything you could get at the grocery store! A bonus is how pretty the jars look with the bright green and red colors all lined up on the shelves.
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February 14, 2008 - Those look Good
 Posted by browns71280
Your recipe looks and sounds great. This summer I am going to try that. I love to buy the tomatoes that have some of the goodies in them, like the Italian style or Mexican style. It has just enough to add to the tomatoes but not too over powering. Thanks
Debbie
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February 14, 2008 - Untitled Comment
 Posted by homesteadmama4
That's a wonderful idea. Thanks for the tip!
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February 14, 2008 - Untitled Comment
 Posted by Kitty
That is what I should probably invest in, a presure cooker. Each year I put up a few jars of tomatoes. I recently opened a jar from last year and they were bad, they smelled funny. I have no idea what I did wrong either. Trial and error I guess. ........Kitty
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