Canning tomatos: The Minnesota mixture

Ingredient list

• 12 cups of tomatoes (approximately 32 medium, round tomatoes)
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 3 teaspoons canning salt
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• Bottled lemon juice or citric acid

This recipie yield 6 to 7 pints. The recipe can be doubled for 6 to 7 quarts.

Note: Do not increase the amount of pepper, onion, or celery. Doing so will alter the acidity level and make it unsafe for canning.

Preparing to fill your jars

1. Preheat your jars

• Inspect canning jars for chips and cracks.
• Wash jars in hot soapy water, rinse well.
• Fill the canner half full with clean, warm water.
• Center the canner over the burner and preheat the water to 140 degrees Fahrenheit for raw-packed foods and to 180 degrees Fahrenheit for hot-packed foods. Use a food thermometer to monitor temperature.
• Put jars into the canner so they fill with water.
• Prepare the tomato mixture while preheating jars.

2. Prepare your produce

Wash tomatoes

• Use tomatoes that are disease-free and firm. Do not use soft, overripe, decayed or tomatoes harvested from dead or frost-killed vines. Doing so will alter the acidity level and make it unsafe for canning.
• Wash tomatoes under running water that is 10 degrees warmer than the tomatoes' temperature. 
• Scrub gently with clean hands and a soft cloth.

Blanch and peel tomatoes

• Bring a pot of hot water to a boil.
• Put tomatoes in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins split.
• Dip tomatoes in a pot of ice water.
• Remove skins with a knife.

Core and prep tomatoes

• Remove tomato cores. Don't use bruised or decaying tomatoes. 
• Quarter tomatoes.
• Place tomatoes in a large cooking kettle.

Wash and chop pepper, celery and onion

• Wash pepper, celery and onion under running water. 
• Scrub gently with a produce brush.
• Chop pepper, celery and onion.

Heat the tomato mixture

• Add chopped pepper, celery, onion and salt to the kettle of tomatoes.
• Stir and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Prepare your lids

According to research done by Jarden Home Brands' quality assurance team, pre-heating metal canning lids is not necessary. To prepare lids, wash them with soapy water and keep at room temperature until ready to use.

4. Fill your jars

• Use a jar lifter to remove jars from the canner, pouring water from the jars back into the canner.
• Place hot jars upside down on a towel or cake cooling rack.
• Add 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid per pint jar or 1 tablespoon of bottled lemon juice per pint. Add 1/2 teaspoon citric acid per quart or 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice to each quart jar.
• Ladle tomato mixture into hot jars using a funnel (jar filler).
• Fill to 1/2 inch from the top of the jar (this is called headspace).