10 Minute Pressure Canned Tomatoes

No pantry would be complete without home canned tomatoes :) I can "raw pack" and "stewed" for many future meals. If you think you don't need a pressure canner then canning tomatoes will make you change your mind. Processing them in a pressure canner for only ten minutes is so much nicer than 85 minutes in a hot water bath!

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Step 1: Boiling water

Start out with lots of tomatoes. It doesn't matter if they have blemishes, marks, or whatever, most of them will be used. Wash them up but do get rid of any that are in really bad shape.
Drop them into boiling water for about 30 seconds or so. Small batches at a time.

amtrudell says: Sep 14, 2011. 7:55 PM

Using the lemon juice in the tomatoes to acidify them, you can process pints in 35 minutes, quarts in 45. What is not mentioned in this Instructable is that venting time (ten minutes after the water boils in your pressure canner) plus getting your canner up to pressure (another ten to fifteen minutes) plus letting the pressure go down (another 15 minutes or more) brings your real processing time to 45 minutes or more. I'm basing my times on using a gas stove; a neighbor with an electric stove found these additional times were even longer.

kansasa (author) in reply to amtrudellSep 14, 2011. 9:00 PM

But add quite a bit of time to bring your hot water bath canner which is filled to the brim with water to boil (1-2 inches over the jar lids), plus add the extra processing time, and don't forget the need to sterilize your jars, all this adds to the time. A pressure canner you only need about 2 inches of water so it comes to boil a lot quicker and eliminate the need to sterilize your jars due to the extra heat in a pressure canner thus saving more time. And yes I do mention venting the pressure canner.
I have canned tomatoes both ways and, in my opinion, it's much quicker to can in a pressure canner.

amartinez31 in reply to kansasaOct 10, 2011. 1:10 PM

I tried canning tomatoes for the first time this past week. I use the water bath method and was please with the results. I am looking into the pro's and cons of using a pressure canner instead of the water bath method. I appreciate the dialog in your post, it has been helpful. Do you recommend a particular pressure canner? And if so, why?
I have read that some people prefer weighted pressure control rather than the pressure gauge types, due to have a higher incidence of issues and failures. Do you have an opinion regarding this?
Thanks!

amtrudell in reply to amartinez31Oct 10, 2011. 4:18 PM

I have a Presto pressure canner. They've been making them for years and they are considerably cheaper than All American pressure canners. They are made of aluminum and consequently easier to handle than stainless steel ones. If you are only using it for canning rather than any pressure cooking, the aluminum will not pose a food issue (aluminum getting into food). They have a gauge which I prefer. I have found weighted pressure control to be a little more confusing, particularly if you are going from 10 lbs pressure (or 11 lbs, as now recommended by USDA) to 15 lbs pressure. A friend of mine got a weighted pressure control and it didn't work well. If you can, buddy up with someone in your area who does pressure canning and see what works for them. My friend ended up going to a gauge control. It is recommended that you have the gauge checked every few years (or maybe more frequently if you use it a lot) by your extension service to see that it is registering correctly. I run mine on a gas stove and my friend runs hers on an electric. What I like about a gauge is that you can readily see if you have too much pressure -- that causes over-venting and loss of liquid in your jars and as contents over-vent they can make a good seal on your jars impossible if food particles get between the sealing compound and your jar rim.

kansasa (author) in reply to amtrudellOct 10, 2011. 5:29 PM

I believe the Presto's have the rubber gasket and that's why I don't buy them. I've seen my MIL sit and wait for the gasket to come in so she could do canning as we don't live near a store where we can by them. The All American's are much more expensive but I think of it as more an investment because I know I will be passing them onto my daughter when she grows up. :)

amtrudell in reply to kansasaOct 11, 2011. 3:54 AM

I live in Canada and all the Presto rubber parts are stocked in a hardware store I can walk to. However, I do most my preserving by water-bath canning, solar drying, fermentation, so I carefully store my Presto between uses. Every person has to look at their own situation before making an investment decision in domestic equipment.

kansasa (author) in reply to amtrudellOct 11, 2011. 6:43 AM

How true amtrudell, and in my situation I have to drive 2 hours one way to the nearest hardware store that might stock the Presto parts I would need... and I live in Canada too. :) I don't think it matters how a person stores their Presto between uses, it wears out even when not being used... and I think lack of use would probably dry it out faster than using it.
amartinez31 asked me what I use and asked why I use what I do (my situation) and I think the best thing a person can do is yes look at your own situation but asked lots of other people's opinions too because not one person has all the answers.

madmedix in reply to kansasaMar 3, 2012. 11:17 AM

Your comment of "Wears out even when not being used" is absolutely true in all respects of hardware that uses rubber. Think of your car. The rubber timing belt is only good for five years whether the car is driven or not. (if your engine has one: usually four cylinders: think Honda). Check your owner's manual for proof. The miles/Km vs time; always lean to the time.
Helluva risk to cheap out on. Here, the pressure and heat could do severe
damage to human hands/arms.
Thanks for detail on this instructable!

kansasa (author) in reply to amartinez31Oct 10, 2011. 3:44 PM

I so like my All American pressure canners and own 4 different sizes. I like them because there is no rubber gasket to wear out, although there is a small rubber plug that needs replacing every few years (I've replaced only one in one of my canners). Even buying a used All American you can get parts for it and when I bought a 2nd hand one from eBay I removed the petcock and replaced it with the weight. I like having both the weight and gauge. I can visually see what the pressure is and I can also hear the weight rattling when I'm away from my gas stove. I'm pretty sure you can buy almost every part the All American has on it and they hold up well after years of canning so you won't be buying parts too often. They are expensive but do a search at eBay and you'll find a few good deals, just watch for high shipping as they weigh a ton!

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sunshiine says: Aug 21, 2011. 6:43 PM

This is super! Your pics are great! Thanks for sharing. I have never tried this method but I just might consider it next year.

jbankston montgomery in reply to sunshiineAug 31, 2011. 5:15 AM

I've never used a pressure canner in my life and wanted to know what is meant by "up to pressure"?

kansasa (author) in reply to jbankston montgomeryAug 31, 2011. 6:44 AM

You must lockdown the lid and bring the pressure up inside the pressure canner by heating it to a certain temperature on the stove. My pressure canner has a gauge as well as a weight. Some canners only have one. I turn the stove down when the gauge reaches 10 lbs and the weight starts to rattle, and then time from that point.