*If canning pints, use 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice

*Citric acid may be used instead of bottled lemon juice. Use 1/2 teaspoon per quart or 1/4 teaspoon per pint

If you are at a higher altitude, increase the processing time by the following amounts:

For whole or halved tomatoes packed in water - raw pack: 

·      Leave tomatoes whole or halve them

·      Add bottled lemon juice or citric acid to jars 

·      Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart to the jars, if desired

·      Heat water, for packing tomatoes, to boiling. Fill hot jars with prepared raw tomatoes, leaving ½-inch headspace. Cover tomatoes in the jars with boiling water, leaving ½-inch headspace.

For whole or halved tomatoes packed in tomato juice - raw pack or hot pack:

·      Leave tomatoes whole or halve them

·      Add bottled lemon juice or citric acid to jars 

·      Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart to the jars, if desired

·      Raw pack – Heat tomato juice in a saucepan. Fill jars with raw tomatoes, leaving ½-inch headspace. Cover tomatoes in the jars with hot tomato juice, leaving ½-inch headspace.

·      Hot pack – Put tomatoes in a large saucepan and add enough tomato juice to completely cover them. Boil tomatoes and juice gently for 5 minutes. Fill jars with hot tomatoes, leaving ½-inch headspace. Add hot tomato juice to the jars to cover the tomatoes, leaving ½-inch headspace.

For whole or halved tomatoes packed raw without added liquid:

·      Leave tomatoes whole or halve them

·      Add bottled lemon juice or citric acid to jars 

·      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. 

For crushed tomatoes with no added liquid:

·      Remove cores and quarter

·      Heat one-sixth of the quarters quickly in a large pot, crushing them with a wooden mallet or spoon as they are added to the pot. This will exude juice. Continue heating the tomatoes, stirring to prevent burning. Once the tomatoes are boiling, gradually add remaining quartered tomatoes, stirring constantly These remaining tomatoes do not need to be crushed. They will soften with heating and stirring. Continue until all tomatoes are added. Then boil gently 5 minutes. 

·      Add bottled lemon juice or citric acid to jars 

·      Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart to the jars, if desired

·      Fill jars immediately with hot tomatoes, leaving ½-inch headspace.