How to Can Stewed Tomatoes

I love using the fruits and vegetables I grow in my garden in new recipes. Not only is gardening fun, but it also saves money!

Canning Stewed Tomatoes

Have you grown your own tomatoes this year and have more than you bargained for? Or perhaps a friend has given you so many tomatoes from their garden that you don’t know what to do with them? Growing tomatoes has become more and more popular with beginning gardeners. With the rising cost of groceries, I am canning everything I can from my garden this year.

Not only is growing your own vegetables much healthier for you, but it can save you tons of money at the grocery store, too. This is my recipe for canning stewed tomatoes. I have included easy step-by-step instructions on how to can stewed tomatoes, and I have linked to some of my favorite recipes in which to use them.

Cook Time

Equipment Needed

• Large pot of slow boiling water
• Large bowl of ice water
• Collander
• Skillet
• Canning pot
• 4 one-pint jars with lids and rings
• Jar lifter
• Kitchen tongs
• Kitchen towel

Ingredients

• 8 cups tomatoes, cut in large chunks
• 2 cups onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp basil
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Step-By-Step Photos

Score the tomatoes for easy peeling.

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Instructions

1. First, you'll need to blanch and peel your tomatoes. To do this, after washing the tomatoes, take a knife and score the bottom of the tomato with a small “x.” Dip the tomatoes in boiling water for a few seconds. Now transfer the tomato to a bowl of ice water. By using this method, the tomatoes practically peel themselves. Now chop the tomatoes into large chunks and place in a 4-quart pot.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the finely chopped garlic and basil. Let cook for about two minutes, until the garlic is tender. Add the chopped onion and green pepper, and cook until tender; about five minutes. Add these ingredients to your tomatoes, and cook at a low simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring from time to time.
3. Once your tomatoes are finished cooking, pour them into the sterilized pint jars, leaving approximately 1/2 of an inch of headspace. (You can sterilize your jars by using your dishwasher.) Be sure to wipe any residue from the rim of the jars. Place the lids on the top and screw the rings down over the lid snuggly. I place my canning lids in a pan of hot water first, to soften the rubber and ensure a tight seal. Place the jars in your canner pot, or large pot, with about one inch of boiling water in the bottom. Process for 15 minutes. I always add a teaspoon of vinegar to the water to keep the jars from staining.
4. When your processing time is finished, remove the jars with the jar lifters and place on a heat resistant surface. (I use a folded towel on my counter.) As you remove the jars, screw the rings down tightly. Make sure to use a potholder. Let the jars cool down completely before removing the rings, and then check for any jars that may not have sealed by pressing your finger in the middle of the lid. If it makes a popping or clicking sound, your jar has not sealed, and you can either do a “re-bath” or refrigerate it.

My Favorite Recipes

Stewed tomatoes are so versatile, they can be used in many recipes. So it is very useful to always have some in your pantry. I like to use them in my favorite okra goulash recipe or my favorites venison and stewed tomato skillet. You can use stewed tomatoes in simple soups and stews, or in fancier dishes that you might find in an expensive restaurant.

I hope you have found my recipe useful as well as money-saving. Below are a few links to some of my favorite recipes that you can use for your own homemade stewed tomatoes as well as some related articles on vegetables.

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Comments

Maggie Nelson on May 14, 2018:

Lots of acid in tomatoes, Connie.

Connie Fischer on September 29, 2017:

Because of the non acid ingredients, these should be pressure canned.

Ronda Bates on August 20, 2017:

Do you add any lemon juice to the jars?

Peg Cole from North Dallas, Texas on January 19, 2015:

Back to look at these beautifully canned tomatoes again. My Aunt Jessie used to serve them over fresh cooked green beans. I'm going to try raising tomatoes this year in my garden.

Sheila Brown (author) from Southern Oklahoma on April 21, 2013:

Hi Rajan! I use a lot of tomatoes when cooking, so growing and canning them comes in very handy. Yes, they get expensive in the fall and winter times of the year. I'm glad you found my hub interesting and useful. Thank you for your kind comment and votes! Have a wonderful day! :)

Rajan Singh Jolly from From Mumbai, presently in Jalandhar, INDIA. on April 21, 2013:

Sheila, this is interesting and useful, certainly during the season when tomatoes become scarce and expensive. Thanks for sharing. Voted up and useful.

Sheila Brown (author) from Southern Oklahoma on September 05, 2012:

Hello vibesites! I'm glad you enjoyed my hub and I do hope you try my recipe. I really enjoy making my own foodstuffs when I can. They are always much healthier and you know what went in it! I have read, no longer than 2 years, but I have never had any left over longer than 1 year. I use a lot of stewed tomatoes when cooking and my kids usually take some picante sauce home with them, so I go through both rather quickly! Thank you for stopping in and commenting, it is always appreciated. Have a great day! :)

vibesites from United States on September 05, 2012:

Great hub! I'll try this recipe... I always enjoy making homemade foodstuffs. I want to ask, how long is the homemade canned tomatoes' shelf life? Thank you so much. :)

Sheila Brown (author) from Southern Oklahoma on September 04, 2012:

Hello urmilashukla23! I'm glad you like my stewed tomato recipe. I lost count at how many pints I made this year. I hope you give it a try. Thank you for your comment, vote and share, it is always appreciated! Have a great day! :)

Urmila from Rancho Cucamonga,CA, USA on September 04, 2012:

Thanks for the recipe and canning procedure. Love it. Voted up and shared.

Sheila Brown (author) from Southern Oklahoma on August 27, 2012:

Great unknown spy! I am so glad you found my hub useful. I use stewed tomatoes in so many different recipes, this way I never run out and I know what is in them... Thank you so much for stopping in and commenting, it is always appreciated! Have a wonderful day! :)

Life Under Construction from Neverland on August 27, 2012:

WOWWW!!! I love this i love this! I would definitely make stewed tomatoes. this is very great, and what i'm looking for.

Sheila Brown (author) from Southern Oklahoma on August 14, 2012:

Hi Stephanie! That's great that you are learning how to can. It is really not as hard as some people think and it is so useful! That's funny about your peaches, if you get any tomotoes, give this a try before you use them for salads or something! LOL Hubby and I have been canning for about 25 years now. We can everything from tomatoes and peppers to green beans and black-eyed peas. It's great to have all these vegetables put up in my pantry. Thank you for stopping in, reading and commenting on my hub. It is always appreciated. Have a great day! :)

Sheila Brown (author) from Southern Oklahoma on August 14, 2012:

Hello Au fait! I'm so glad you find my hub! I actually learned to can from my husband, who learned from his mom. As kids he and his siblings had to help their mom can. Hubby and I have been canning vegetables for about 25 years now, if you have any questions, please let me know. Thank you for stopping in, commenting and voting, it is always appreciated! Have a wonderful day! :)

Stephanie Bradberry from New Jersey on August 14, 2012:

This is a great tutorial. I just took a canning and freezing class at a farm nearby. And I will be taking another specific for veggies. I already have my canning jars ready to go, but even though I bought peaches with the intention of practicing, they never made it that far. I ended up using them in an ice cream recipe. I love your pictures and step-by-step instructions. I know they are legit because they are very similar to what I learned a week ago.

C E Clark from North Texas on August 14, 2012:

Believe it or not, I have been looking for these instructions. My mother used to can and freeze hundreds of quarts of vegetables and fruit, but I didn't learn all I should have from her. Some of this seems familiar because I watched her do it so many times, but it's just nice to have step by step directions to refer to because it's been quite a while since I observed this method and I never actually did it myself. Thank you for these instructions.

Voted you up, interesting, & useful.

Sheila Brown (author) from Southern Oklahoma on August 04, 2012:

Hi Peg! Thank you for your kind comment. I love to can my vegetables, but I don't have any fruit. We have 1 apple tree and 1 pear tree, but the squirrels and birds get all our fruit before we can. I can't seem to keep them out of the trees. How lucky you were to have guavas and mangos growing near you! Thank you for stopping in and commenint, it is always appreciated. Have a wonderful day! :)

Peg Cole from North Dallas, Texas on August 03, 2012:

Hello SG. These pictures look delicious. Like many others I didn't like stewed tomatoes as a child and now I love them. Your recipe and procedure looks really good.

My canning days were long ago when I lived near the u-pick farms and had access to fresh farm grown produce. Like PeggyW, I always used a completely submerged water canning method. I never tried hot bath canning. Sounds easier. I used to make strawberry preserves and mango-pineapple preserves and guava jelly. We had wild guava trees nearby and fresh mangoes.

Sheila Brown (author) from Southern Oklahoma on July 28, 2012:

Hello Deborah! Thank you for your kind words. I haven't tried tomato sauce yet, maybe next year. I think I am "all canned out" this year. I hope you like my recipe! Thank you for stopping in and commenting, it is always appreciated! Have a wonderful day!

Deborah Neyens from Iowa on July 28, 2012:

What a great resource. I grow tomatoes and always make and can tomato sauce. I will try a batch of stewed tomatoes this year, too. Thanks for sharing.

Sheila Brown (author) from Southern Oklahoma on July 25, 2012:

It is strange how our tasts change as we grow up. I didn't like stewed tomatoes either. My husband actually got me started eating them. One of his favorite meals is what we call okra goulash. Macaroni, hamburger meat, (actually we use venison), stewed tomatoes and sliced okra. It's really good, I was surprised I liked it. Now I can stewed tomatoes. I would have never thought! LOL Thank you for stopping in and commenting, it is always appreciated. Have a wonderful day!

b. Malin on July 25, 2012:

I Love Stewed Tomatoes...But as a kid, I hated them...Funny how are taste buds change when we grow up. Very Enjoyable read, Sgbrown, and I will file for Future reference.

Sheila Brown (author) from Southern Oklahoma on July 24, 2012:

Me too! My husband and I will count the lids as they pop, it's almost become a game with us. We do only put about 1 inch of water in the pan to "hot bath" the tomatoes. We've been canning our picante sauce this way for many years and not had a problem. This is my first year to can "stewed tomatoes", but I would think the results would be the same. Thank you so much for stopping in and reading and commening. You know I appreciate you! Have a wonderful day!

Sheila Brown (author) from Southern Oklahoma on July 24, 2012:

Hello RedElf! We love home-grown, home-canned tomatoes too! Our tomaotes did so well this year, I'm canning nearly every day! Whew! Thanks for stopping in, reading and commenting, it is always appreciated! Have a wonderful day!

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on July 24, 2012:

I love the sound of those lids popping as they seal. I found it really interesting that you can your stewed tomatoes in only an inch of water. Years ago when I was canning tomatoes they were completely submerged in water. Your method would be a lot easier. Voted up and interesting. Nothing quite like having your own homemade canned vegetables! :)

RedElf from Canada on July 23, 2012:

Love home-canned tomatoes - so much fresher tasting than store-bought, and so much better for you!

Sheila Brown (author) from Southern Oklahoma on July 22, 2012:

Hello Patsybell! I'm very glad you found my hub useful. I would be happy for you to include a link to this hub. As a matter of fact, I would like to include a link to your hub, "Top Tomato Tips". I like linking to others really good hubs. Helping each other is always a good thing! Thank you so much for all your kind words, votes and sharing. Have a wonderful day!

Patsy Bell Hobson from zone 6a, Southeast Missouri, USA on July 22, 2012:

Love this post. Later in the season, when the garden explodes, may I include a link to this sight? voted up, pinned, tweeted.

Sheila Brown (author) from Southern Oklahoma on July 18, 2012:

Hello lord de cross! Thank you for your kind comment. I'm glad you are book marking, I hope you decide to give it a try. Have a wonderful day!

Joseph De Cross from New York on July 18, 2012:

Extraordinary hub,

The pictures show your dedication in real action. Book marking this one! Thanks!

Sheila Brown (author) from Southern Oklahoma on July 17, 2012:

Hello yeagerinvestments! One of my hubby's favorites in stewed tomatoes with elbow macaroni. For a quick and easy supper, I add beef, (actually I use venison), and okra, it's delicious. There is a recipe for it amoung my hubs, Quick and Easy Okra Goulash. I bet you would really like it! Thank you for your kind comment, it is always appreciated! Have a great day!

Shawn Yeager from Wisconsin on July 17, 2012:

I love stewed tomatoes on pasta! Great recipe, I think I'm going to try it out.

Sheila Brown (author) from Southern Oklahoma on July 16, 2012:

Hello knwalter! You are very welcome! I am so glad you enjoyed my hub. I hope you give my recipe a try sometime. Thank you for stopping in, reading and commenting on my hub, it is always appreciated! Have a wonderful day!

knwalter from New Jersey on July 16, 2012:

I like this Hub. Thanks for posting it. Wonderful recipe!

Sheila Brown (author) from Southern Oklahoma on July 15, 2012:

Hello Mhatter99! Thank you for stopping by, reading and commenting. It is always appreciated. Have a great day!

Martin Kloess from San Francisco on July 15, 2012:

Thank you for this great recipe.

sincerely,

Tomato Lover

Sheila Brown (author) from Southern Oklahoma on July 15, 2012:

Hi Rebecca! :) Nothing is bothering my tomatoes, but the deer have eaten most of my okra plants now. The squirrels and rabbits are eating my squash. It never ends... LOL. Thank you so much for reading and commenting on my hubs. You are such a good HP friend! I just want you to know how much I appreciate you! Have a WONDERFUL day!!!

Rebecca Mealey from Northeastern Georgia, USA on July 15, 2012:

Fantastic Hub, sgbrown. You are so right and so lucky to have all those tomatoes. The dang squirrels keep getting mine. I love the idea of okra tomato Gumbo!