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How do I? ...Can Tomatoes

Selecting, Preparing and Canning Tomatoes

Whole or Halved Tomatoes (packed raw without added liquid)

Quantity: An average of 21 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 13 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 53 pounds and yields 15 to 21 quarts-an average of 3 pounds per quart.

Please read Using Pressure Canners and Using Boiling Water Canners before beginning. If this is your first time canning, it is recommended that you read Principles of Home Canning.

Procedure: Wash tomatoes. Dip in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins split, then dip in cold water. Slip off skins and remove cores. Leave whole or halve. Add bottled lemon juice or citric acid to the jars (See acidification instructions). Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart to the jars, if desired. Fill jars with raw tomatoes, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Press tomatoes in the jars until spaces between them fill with juice. Leave 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process according to the recommendations in Table 1, Table 2, or Table 3, depending on the method of canning used. (Acidification is still required for the pressure canning options; follow all steps in the Procedures above for any of the processing options.)

Table 1. Recommended Process Time for Whole or Halved Tomatoes (packed raw without added liquid) in a Boiling-Water Canner
  Process Time at Altitudes of
Style of Pack Jar Size 0 - 1,000 ft 1,001 - 3,000 ft 3,001 - 6,000 ft Above 6,000 ft
Raw Pints or Quarts 85 min 90 95 100

Table 2. Recommended Process Time for Whole or Halved Tomatoes (packed raw without added liquid) in a Weighted-Gauge Pressure Canner
  Canner Gauge Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
Style of Pack Jar Size Process Time 0 - 1,000 ft Above 1,000 ft
Raw Pints or
Quarts		 40 min 5 lb 10 lb
25 10 15
15 15 Not Recommended

Table 3. Recommended Process Time for Whole or Halved Tomatoes (packed raw without added liquid) in a Dial-Gauge Pressure Canner
  Canner Gauge Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
Style of Pack Jar Size Process Time 0 - 2,000 ft 2,001 - 4,000 ft 4,001 - 6,000 ft 6,001 - 8,000 ft
Raw Pints or Quarts 40 min 6 lb 7 lb 8 lb 9 lb
25 11 12 13 14


This document was adapted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning," Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA, revised 1994.

Reviewed June 2006.

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