Hi Lida,

The number of tomatoes per jar depends on the size of the tomatoes, the type (paste versus slicer), how you remove the skins & cores (boiling water dip versus food mill), other ingredients added (onions, peppers etc.) and how far you boil them down.

I happen to count and weigh my tomatoes before canning and measure the volume in the pot (sigh). If you are just going to can hot crushed tomatoes, I average 10 tomatoes per quart of a mixture of paste and slicer tomatoes. That said, the amount can vary from 8 to 12 depending on the ratio of paste to slicer. This is using a boiling water dip to skin the tomatoes.

When I make salsa, which has added ingredients and is boiled down, I average 13 tomatoes per quart, again a mixture of paste and slicer types.

Your mileage may vary, so best to experiment and keep some records.

TomNJ

Rather than calculate the number of tomatoes per quart or pint, I find it more helpful to judge by the "batch". We have been canning tomatoes (whole) for more than 20 years, and by now I know that 2 five-gallon buckets of our Viva Italia tomatoes gives us about 3 pressure canner's worth (21 quarts). That way I have some idea of how many jars and lids and time I need for a canning session.
{{gwi:935280}}From Garden

{{gwi:935281}}From Garden

See the other thread about weights of tomatoes.

Great pics, coffeehaus! Checked out your Garden album too and those are some impressive looking plants. Good gardening. :)

Dave

Beautiful tomatoes, coffeehaus! We've tried growing roma tomatoes but they've never looked like yours. I'll have to make a note to look for that specific variety.

I was sorta disappointed last weekend to find that 44 lbs of tomatoes only yeilded 5 quarts of sauce.

I used the recipe for seasoned sauce from the Ball Blue Book. The tomatoes were from a local farm that friends own. I don't know the variety of tomatoes, but my friend said they were good to use for sauce and canning.

I processed them through a food mill to remove seeds and skin and simmered to the desired consistency before canning.

I really thought I'd get more than 5 quarts of sauce, sigh.
Now I know for next time.

Not to hijack this thread, but thanks for the kind words. DH has been growing organically for the last couple of years, but it's all about the soil, and the mulching. Viva Italia is a wonderful hybrid tomato for canning: determinate, good flavor, high resistance to many diseases, lovely red color in the jar, and very productive! I've never seen Viva plants in stores, so I always grow my own from seeds, available from several sources. We picked 4 five-gallon buckets from 6 plants.

40 pounds of tomatoes for just 5 quarts? Thats terrible! Better off growing your own and planting, meaty paste, and plum types. I also like the mild Oxheart which is very high in pulp and very low in liquid. If you only ended up with a small amount of thickened sauce, its probbaly due to the tomatoes being very high in water content that gets boiled off. I will not grow any of the big sandwich types like beefsteaks, big boy or early girls, as they are just for eating plain. Some of my favorites include San Marzano and its cousin the super San Marzano. Its always a good idea to mix several varieties for making sauce, as that gives a more complex flavor combination. I never buy tomato plants, I only buy seeds and start my own indoors in late March or early April to plant outside in late May. Two sources for a good selection of tomato seeds is Tomato Growers and Totally Tomatoes.

Thanks everyone. I took the 'plunge' and labored this Labor Day canning! And I'm patting myself on the back because I actually got jars that sealed! I'm very grateful for my neighbors who held my hand through the process.

I ended up using 30 tomatoes of assorted sizes, which with the recipe I used converted into 2 1/2 qts raw tomatoes. I ended up with 7 1/2 pts of salsa (the one on the N. Mexico canning website).

I do see what you have said about a rule of thumb with exceptions and more exceptions. But, I'm a convert - I'll be canning again and again...now that I'm over my fear of it!

Is your recipe an approved one that factors in safety by making sure there is sufficient acid and isn't too dense?

Congrats lido! Glad you are over your fears. Just remember that the goal isn't so much "jars that seal", it is getting safe foods into the jars. ;)

Even sewer water processed in a jar will seal so let us know about the recipe you used and the techniques the neighbors suggested. Hope they were up to date on canning guidelines.

And be sure to take the time to review the guidelines at NCHFP so you can start off on the right foot. :^)

Dave

I started canning several years ago when we had a HUGE garden. We canned everything we grew and canned two hogs we raised. I'm addicted. My favorite part is hearing the lids pop. LOL. I've divorced, am excited about canning again. Am trying to find out how many tom's, okra, etc needed to can pints. Live alone and don't need much.

<Am trying to find out how many tom's, okra, etc needed to can pints. Live alone and don't need much.>

The NCHFP website provides some general guides for amounts but there are too many variables to be exact. Not all are the same size of course so while 9-10 Crimson Spineless may fit in a pint jar the smaller varieties would fit more. Same for tomatoes.

NCHFP

Plus it depends on how you do them. Many more crushed tomatoes will fit a pint than whole or halves will. So there is no set answer to your question.

Crushed is 14 lbs = 9 pints approx. but whole with no juice added needs 13 lbs for 9 pints.

If it has been awhile since you did any canning be sure to pick up a new copy of the BBB and check NCHFP as the guidelines have changed greatly over the years.

Dave

I'm also brand new to canning this year. My mom, aunt, and grandmother canned tomatoes for years, but now, not so much. I never really learned but going to give it a shot now. Anyway, I'm now re-thinking an order I placed with a friend of organic San Marzano Tomatoes from a nearby farm she belongs to. It was only a 20 pound box, which I'm thinking may not get me as much as I hoped, especially reading some of these comments. I'm thinking that this will maybe only get me probably around 6 quarts??? I really wanted more quarts than that for the process to worth my while. Has anyone ever canned just only just San Marzano Tomatoes? I would cut and boil them and put through the food mill without adding any seasonings really except for possibly a little bit of salt. I know it depends on how big and how meaty they are, but can anyone confirm my calculations?

< I would cut and boil them and put through the food mill without adding any seasonings really except for possibly a little bit of salt>

So you aren't canning tomatoes but will canning tomato sauce. Different problem with very different measurements. :)

You sure you want to can tomato sauce in quarts rather than the usual pints? If so then it takes an average of 35 pounds to get 7 quarts of thin sauce and an average of 46 pounds 7 quarts for a thick sauce. That is a standard banner load.

But that is using a mix of juicy tomato varieties. Using only San Marzanos will result in a less per pound as they are a dry tomato. So you will get approx. 1 quart less +/- a pint from those weight. It all depends on the type of food mill you use and how much you cook it down before jarring. So I think you need to at least double your order to get 6-7 quarts.

Keep in mind that these will require acidification using bottled lemon juice or citric acid.

http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_03/tomato_sauce.html

If you decide you want to can them crushed or in whole or halves rather than sauce the amounts needed will change greatly and the estimates are available also at NCHFP.

Hope this helps.

Dave

I understand what you are saying and I was afraid of that. I am not actually canning tomato sauce, per say, as I won't be putting any olive oil, onions, garlic, oregano, etc. in the quart jars. Maybe some salt and fresh basil. I understand I have a lot to learn, obviously, I misjudged being a true amatuer I guess. I am asking to at least double my order, and I am getting that I will most likely need to add other tomatoes if I boil down because of the nature of the San Marzano. So then, this being said, if I just want to can the San Marzano tomatoes peeled and whole, then, in that case, if I did that instead of boiling them down and just use those tomatoes alone, how many quarts would I be looking at? As you can see, I am no mathematician by any stretch. But I thank you so much for the website link and I do understand that measurements would all be quite different considering what I use and the process, etcetera. Thank you for the tip/advice/reminder I have been hearing about having to use the lemon juice or citric acid. I will look into this and find appropriate recipe. Would I need to use the lemon juice or citric acid still if I only can the actual tomatoes itself without actually boiling down to make a "sauce like" consistency? I am basically trying to jar crushed tomatoes in a sense, although I know they aren't actually crushed per say, but boiled down slightly.

When I buy tomatoes, I either buy whole peeled plum tomatoes in a 28 oz. can or San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes in a 28 oz. can with their juices for the base to my homeade tomato sauce. Or I would alternatively for a change use 3-4 28 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes to start the base for a thicker tomato sauce boiled longer. Either or Both of the above examples would be my intentions with the tomato canning process.

Adding lemon juice or citric acid to each jar of tomatoes (regardless of whether they are crushed, quartered or whole or sauced) ensures that the acid requirement is met for safe to eat home canned tomatoes.

I'm getting a bit concerned here about safety given your apparent lack of basic knowledge so please bear with me if I go over-board in details here.

First, tomato sauce doesn't require the addition of any of the ingredients you listed to be tomato sauce. What you are describing with all those added ingredients is not tomato sauce in the usual sense of the term. Perhaps you are referring to a marinara sauce or a meatless pasta sauce. But when one purees or mills tomatoes as you plan what results is tomato sauce. I provided you the instruction link , the approved and tested recipe for canning tomato sauce.

The same source also provides you with the instruction for canning the tomatoes whole (as you buy them in cans) or in halves or as crushed. So if what you want to end up with is like the cans you buy in the store (quart jars of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes in tomato juice) that's fine but you won't be boiling and milling them. You would use these instructions:

http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_03/tomato_juice_pack.html

Just peel them, fill the jars with the whole tomatoes, and add juice to fill the jars, add the lemon juice, and BWB process them for 85 mins.

Instructions are also available there if you wish to can them using water or with no added liquid or crushed. The method is your choice.

http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_03/tomato_crushed.html

http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_03/tomato_without_liquid.html

http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_03/tomato_water_pack.html

Note that each of those links tells you have many pounds of tomatoes you would need to get 7 quarts approx. and they all require different amounts. But no one can tell you an exact # of tomatoes due to size and weight variations. So total pounds of them is the method used.

So first decide which method you want to use and then just multiply the number of #lbs. needed for 7 quarts by the number of 7 quart batches you want to end up with to determine how many pounds to order, ok?

X pounds = 7 quarts (approx.) so if you want 21 quarts use X pounds x 3

The basic issue with canning is that you cannot safely use just any old recipe or any old method. Canning, to be safe for shelf storage, requires very specific recipes and instructions be followed. NCHFP is the definitive source for those instructions along with the Ball Canning Books.

Just as with the ones you buy in the store that have citric acid added, acidifcation of any canned tomato product is required, no matter the form, as canfan said. There are only a couple of approved exceptions and they are pressure canned.

Hope this answers your questions. If not let us know.

Dave

Thank You So Much with all of your detailed information and in your concern for my safety! I really appreciate all of the help and examples and reference sites you have provided. And I completely understand what you are trying to convey to me. I will definitely heed your advice and access this information and plan accordingly. If, after reading all you have provided, I have more questions/concerns, I will definitely post again. Thanks for your expertise!

I've been canning all types of vegetables for years and I've always understood or thought that Tomatoes had to be pressure canned or put in freezer. I've heard some people say that they did not pressure can their Tomatoes but I don't know if they lasted or not. So this is my question" is there a way to can tomatoes without pressure canning them"?

Yes, tomatoes may be canned in a boiling water bath, but additional acid must be used, such as lemon juice or citric acid. I use citric acid because I dislike the flavor lemon juice brings and my mother is allergic to lemons so I must avoid any accidental ingestions.

The National Center for Home Preservation says 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid per quart, and process in a boiling water bath for 85 minutes for raw packed whole or halved tomatoes.

For other methods, here is the link for NCHFP tomato canning instructions:

https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can3_tomato.html

Happy canning!

Annie