How to safely can tomatoes/tomato products

Suze · January 31, 2006

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can3_tomato.html

Sherry_AK · February 1, 2006

Thanks for this link. I'm going to try canning some this year.

clay199 · February 3, 2006

What a great link. Thanks!!

barbara · June 23, 2012

I have a quick question..Can I can yellow tomatoes with my red ones and is there any thing I should do special...Thanks from Texas with a garden full..

Jeannine Anne · June 23, 2012

Yes you can can yellow ones, just follow the USDA advice re canning low acid veggies.

XX Jeannine

Lilith · October 11, 2012

Jeannine -
I'm assuming yellow tomatoes have lower acidic values than red ones. Is that true? I'm new at canning so hope this question is not too dumb.

Also, many tomato canning recipes require hot peppers which don't appeal to my husband and me. Can I substitute milder peppers for the hot ones? For example, can I substitute ancho or poblano peppers for habanaros or scotch bonnets? Would a milder pepper effect the pH or water bath times? I want to be safe. Thanks.

Hotwired · February 9, 2013

I was always told that yellow were low acid tomatoes. I wanted to find out how much lower the Ph was. The Red and Yellow were nearly the same. Yellow had a little more sugar content. I was driving them crazy at Cornell with Ph tests. The tomatoes advertised as low acid, had higher sugar contents, but not lower Ph levels. It appears that higher sugar content is perceived as lower acid. I measured 16 varieties of tomatoes. Maybe low acid tomatoes exist, but I couldn't find them. I still have the report from Cornell somewhere. I remember that they all tested between 4.59 and 4.62, and test accuracy was something like +/-.03.

ddsack · February 11, 2013

Good to know that, Hotwired. I think this topic keeps coming up and I seem to remember Carolyn saying that yellow tomatoes do not have lower acid, but good to have verification from your recent Cornell tests.

I do believe that sugars cover up the acid in yellows. Azoychka is a yellow that has no sweetness, and enough acid zing to pop your eyeballs.

newatthiskat · August 9, 2013

I get paranoid every time I add a low acid veggie I pressure can my tomatoes. I also do not like a ton of vinager so I feel it is safer that way

January 31, 2006	#1
Suze Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 3,027	How to safely can tomatoes/tomato products http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can3_tomato.html

February 9, 2013	#7
Hotwired Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Ithaca, NY - USDA 5b Posts: 241	I was always told that yellow were low acid tomatoes. I wanted to find out how much lower the Ph was. The Red and Yellow were nearly the same. Yellow had a little more sugar content. I was driving them crazy at Cornell with Ph tests. The tomatoes advertised as low acid, had higher sugar contents, but not lower Ph levels. It appears that higher sugar content is perceived as lower acid. I measured 16 varieties of tomatoes. Maybe low acid tomatoes exist, but I couldn't find them. I still have the report from Cornell somewhere. I remember that they all tested between 4.59 and 4.62, and test accuracy was something like +/-.03. __________________ Give a man a fish and he eats for a day - Teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime. Last edited by Hotwired; February 9, 2013 at 05:59 PM.

February 11, 2013	#8
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,231	Good to know that, Hotwired. I think this topic keeps coming up and I seem to remember Carolyn saying that yellow tomatoes do not have lower acid, but good to have verification from your recent Cornell tests. I do believe that sugars cover up the acid in yellows. Azoychka is a yellow that has no sweetness, and enough acid zing to pop your eyeballs. __________________ Dee **************

February 1, 2006	#2
Sherry_AK Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Alaska Zone 3/4 Posts: 1,857	Thanks for this link. I'm going to try canning some this year.

February 3, 2006	#3
clay199 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Beyond Hope, British Columbia Posts: 201	What a great link. Thanks!!

June 23, 2012	#4
barbara Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: texas Posts: 12	I have a quick question..Can I can yellow tomatoes with my red ones and is there any thing I should do special...Thanks from Texas with a garden full..

June 23, 2012	#5
Jeannine Anne Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 1,553	Yes you can can yellow ones, just follow the USDA advice re canning low acid veggies. XX Jeannine

October 11, 2012	#6
Lilith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Aurora IL - zone 5b Posts: 10	Jeannine - I'm assuming yellow tomatoes have lower acidic values than red ones. Is that true? I'm new at canning so hope this question is not too dumb. Also, many tomato canning recipes require hot peppers which don't appeal to my husband and me. Can I substitute milder peppers for the hot ones? For example, can I substitute ancho or poblano peppers for habanaros or scotch bonnets? Would a milder pepper effect the pH or water bath times? I want to be safe. Thanks.

August 9, 2013	#9
newatthiskat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: texas Posts: 1,451	I get paranoid every time I add a low acid veggie I pressure can my tomatoes. I also do not like a ton of vinager so I feel it is safer that way