This year my yellow tomatoes have been bountiful; I’m enjoying them with almost every meal.  While the lack of rain has caused some gardens to pause production, others haven’t had a problem offering non-stop produce.

Whether you are choosing to preserve your food by canning, freezing or drying, remember there are guidelines to follow for the best results both in safety and flavor that can be found at Ohioline.osu.edu.

 If you frequent farm markets, grow your own, or have some shared with you, taking advantage of local foods is a blessing in our community.   Right now, tomatoes are the item of choice that I’m receiving questions on, so I thought I’d share some of the information that might be of interest to you as well.

Remember to use only disease-free, fresh fruit.  Do not can tomatoes from dead or frost-killed vines.  All types of tomatoes can be processed, green, yellow, orange or red, and for best results, the tomatoes are processed within two to three hours of harvesting. 

*Do all tomatoes need to be acidified?  Yes, all tomatoes and tomato juice need to have additional acid to ensure their safety.  You may use lemon juice, citric acid or vinegar to do this.  Check out our Ohioline.osu.edu (food tab, then food preservation) to find the canning tomato fact sheet that will give you the amounts for each.

* May I can whole cherry or grape tomatoes?  It is not advised by USDA, but they may be frozen for use in soups and stews this winter

* How many pounds of tomatoes does it take to make 7 quarts of juice?  About 23 pounds of tomatoes are needed per canner load of 7 quarts; 14 pounds will yield 9 pints.  If you are buying or picking a bushel of tomatoes it should yield about 15-18 quarts of juice.  Remember to add acid to your juice as well.

* Do I have to add salt? The use of salt is optional in all canned tomato products.  Salt can be used for flavor or color protection of the product.

* Can I process if I use my grandmothers spaghetti sauce recipe?  If you really want a specific recipe, then freeze it.  Only tested, approved recipes should be used to can low acid vegetables and meats.  In addition to Ohioline, check out the National Center For Home Food Preservation website at the University of Georgia for a great library of tested recipes.  It is really important not to alter the tested recipes as it will change the pH value and thus the processing times. 

* What about salsa?  Can I make up my own recipe?  USDA recommends only using tested recipes to ensure your family’s food safety. Salsas are a mixture of both high-acid ingredients (the tomatoes or fruit) and low-acid ingredients (peppers, onions, and herbs). These mixtures are only safe to process in a water bath canner if the pH of everything combined is less than 4.6. In a “special recipe” or “homemade” versions” it is impossible to know if the pH is within a safe range for home canning.

“Special recipe” or “homemade” versions using untested recipes can be safely frozen. It is recommended to test a small batch as the texture and flavor will change due to freezing and thawing. Add herbs and spices once the mixture has been thawed for best results.

If you haven’t had your gauge style canner tested yet this year, I’ll be at Lehman’s on Thursday Aug. 22 from 9 a.m. to1 p.m. I’d love to see you!

Melinda Hill is an OSU Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Educator and may be reached at 330-264-8722 or hill.14@osu.edu
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This article was previously published in The Daily Record.