How do you can your tomatoes?

[Earl]

Has anyone canned Picardy? It's been my stand-by for a few years now. In '05 I found one called Andes Horn that rivals Picardy, but it's a paste type, prolific, huge plant, and fruit is about 2 by 5 and pointed. Taste is good enough to use sliced. So now, my offical canners are Picardy and Andes Horn.

[clay199]

I am growing Picardy for the first time this year. I hope it to be as good as the testimonials. Just in case I am also growing out 18 other canner types. 5 Heinz types, 5 Campbell types, John Baer, Oregon Spring, Millionaire, Sophie's Choice, Morden Yellow, Pink Shipper, Simpson's Summer Palace, St. Pierre plus 4 Canadian canner types whose names I do not have handy this second. Minimum of 5 of each for 14 of them, and 12 each for the other 9.

I have almost an acre so I am putting half of it into tomatoes.

At the end of the year I think I will know which canner does best for me production wise, and taste wise. My in-laws think I am crazy, my wife thinks it is a good thing to get me talking about something else other than me whining about my GPA.

I am going to have fun this summer.

[Suze]

Another Picardy first timer here. Just set two plants this weekend.

However, I look at just about any variety as a potential canner, and don't really grow 'canner types'. I just cut the fruits in half stem to stern and scoop out much of the seed to keep the finished product from being too watery.

Andes Horn sounds interesting though, especially after seeing the wheelbarrow full you picked last fall (at GW) and reading your comments as to taste. 8)

[clay199]

Earl,
How many did you get off Andes Horn before you took those 180 off with the light frost. It looks kinda late for maturing?

thanks, Clay

[Earl]

Clay,
I don't remember. But I canned a few. I planted them in early June, so they would be considered a late type I reckon.

[Andrey_BY]

Similar to Anden Horn we have Pertsevidny and Pertsevindy Striped (Pertsevidny Polosatij). Both are very productive and excellent for canning.

Here is the list of other Russian/Belarusian/Ukrainian/Moldovan varieties which I usually use for canning:

Anna Herman (somebody somehow named it Russian Lime in 2006 SSE Yearbook)
De Barao (all 4 varieties: red, pink, golden, black)
World's wonder or Lemon-Lean or Miracle of the World
Vezha
Raketa (Rocket)
Onix
Auriga
Lady's Fingers
Khutorskoy Zasolochny
Giraffe
Novogodny (Happy New Year)
- last three are loong keepers
and sometimes Orange-1 even if its skin is not so thick.

Most of these varieties has plum or pepper shape and a very good productivity.

[clay199]

Andrey,
How many kilograms is good productivity?

[Andrey_BY]

For determinate type - more than 1,5 kg from 1 plant; from indeterminate type - more than 3 kg from 1 plant.
But it is only my classification when I transplant them with normal recommended distances :wink:

[jenn_sc]

I am wondering about methods/ingredients/recipes that you all use with canned tomatoes. I have never canned before, but would like to try.

Do you can them as sauce, whole tomatoes, diced tomatoes, or recipes (like salsa and such). What are your favorite things to do, and what might a newbie have an easy time with later this summer?

Jenn

[Earl]

Easy way it to can them whole but I prefer to cut them in half and squeeze out the seeds.

Just dip tomatoes in boiling water for about 30 seconds, then drop in cold water. The skins will slip off very easy. Cut the core out. Have jars ready, load jars, seal, have water bath canner ready and cook for specified time. I don't remember exat time. Get a Ball Blue Book. It will tell you how to do it.

Simple to do, but a bit time consuming. But it's worth it!!!

[gardengalrn]

I discovered the Villaware strainer last year and it sure made life easier in regards to canning tomato sauce. I just washed and quartered or halfed the tomatoes and put them in. I have a hand-crank version but there is a motorized one as well. It spits out a pretty runny juice and I then cook it down to the desireed consistency. No seeds, no skins. Some people don't mind seeds left in but I've found that when they are canned into sauce they leave an "off" taste when you bite into them. I still can whole or chopped tomatoes too and those are pretty easy as Earl describes above. It took me a couple of years to get the knack of it and learn a few tricks but it is well worth it to have your own canned tomatoes to get through the off season.

[Catntree]

I can quartered, plain tomatoes; salsa !!! ; tomato sauce; tomato paste and spicy ketchup.

[matermama]

Hi
are there tomatos that you have canned and not been to thrilled with , ? can all tomatos be canned ?
I knwo what i would like to can ,is the pork roast from the choptag yuuuuummmy lol
im trying canning this yr for the first time . I just cant' bare to go to the grocery store for the stuff there. yuk.
thanks
sue

[Mischka]

All tomato varieties may be canned. :wink:

If using the water bath method, there are a couple of true low acid varieties i.e. JetStar that should have a bit of extra ascorbic or citric acid added to each jar before canning them to prevent them from developing the dreaded botulism toxin.

If you use a pressure canner, you may omit adding the extra acid as the higher processing temperature will kill any toxin spores.

There are some varieties better suited for canning; the smaller the seed locules are (cavities) the more flesh and less juice you will have in the final product.

The above is more a matter of personal taste than a hard/fast rule. 8)

[matermama]

thanks Mischka
that helps me alot. I m going to get a pressure canner. Cant wait, yum.
best wishes
and tomato dreams
sue