Peeling tomatoes

I’m planning to use the Tomato Sauce with Chilies recipe from your Growing and Canning Your Own Food book. Unlike most of the tomato recipes in the book, this one does not state that the tomatoes must be peeled before they are chopped. This would be great, but I wanted to check with you to confirm.

I’d do anything to get out of having to peel tomatoes (by briefly boiling) in the August heat. Generally I freeze my tomatoes whole (for making juice in the crockpot every week throughout the year). I noticed that the skins come off easily as the tomatoes defrost. I’m wondering if I could use defrosted, peeled tomatoes in the Tomato Sauce with Chilies recipe. That way I could freeze the tomato crop in August and do the canning in December. What do you think?

Carol Elkins
Pueblo, Colorado

Sorry Carol, that was a miss on my part. As I automatically peel all my tomatoes I can, I missed that step in the directions. The only tomatoes I don’t peel are those I run through my tomato strainer; it separates the skins and seeds from the puree. Raw tomatoes work better in the recipe as frozen tomatoes, when canned, get softer and you lose the chunks we love in the Rotel-type tomatoes and chiles. — Jackie

Canning time mistake

I have your canning cookbook and in it I’m supposed to can my raw pack tomatoes for 85 min in water bath canner. I did that but then I only had half the liquid I had before. It all boiled out and 3 jars didn’t seal due to seeds boiling out under the lid. I could see increasing the time 10 min but I think doubling it is way too long. I have canned tomatoes for over 15 years using the 45 min/quart and have never had any trouble.

Terry
Harleton, Texas

Terry, thank you so much for finding an error in my book! EEEKkkkkk! 85 minutes IS too long to waterbath tomatoes! I process mine for 45 minutes, too. I’m so sorry; we’ll correct this at the next printing. Everyone who has Growing and Canning Your Own Food, PLEASE make this change on page 73 or page 79 in the first printing edition. You’ll notice that on page 74 the correct time is listed. How this one ever got past us all is a mystery. My apologies for the trouble it caused you. — Jackie

2 COMMENTS

  1. Hi Jackie! We just canned our tomatoes for 95 min.(had to add 10 min for altitude). I thought the time was excessive so we looked it up in the Ball book and it also said 85 min. We lost half the canner water but all the jars sealed. Should I reprocess the poor things? Thanks

  2. Jackie, is there a page on the web site that has all the changes for the book listed together? Thanks!

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