Yes.

Carol

i was taught that the salt is only for flavoring, has no effect on safety in things like tomatoes, canned dry beans,etc.

Many thanks!

Oukay,
Same comments. Salt is not a preservative in this type of canning. We add it blindly for taste for something we haven't even thought of making yet.
I never add salt to any tomato product. Tomatoes are one of those things that also contain sodium as a grown component of the tomato.
Jim in So Calif

Oukay's question has already been answered so the shouted comments above weren't really necessary or helpful. And for clarification, the above statement isn't quite accurate either.

Salt is needed and certainly does play an active preservative role in fermentation of vegetables and other foods.

Per the Guidelines:

However, the salt used in making fermented sauerkraut and brined pickles not only provides characteristic flavor but also is vital to safety and texture. In fermented foods, salt favors the growth of desirable bacteria while inhibiting the growth of others. Caution: Do not attempt to make sauerkraut or fermented pickles by cutting back on the salt required.

Dave

I beg to differ, salt does act as a preservative in a lot of cases - try leaving a stick of unsalted butter out on the counter and see how that compares to salted butter.

Almost all dehydrated meat needs to be salted too. Fermentation is another totally different process of preserving.

However, in canning (pressure and waterbath) the salt is not needed for preservation, as the canning process does that.

Also, it's not so much the salt, it's the balance of potassium and sodium that is important to your health.

Well, I don't want to step into the middle of an argument, so I won't go there per se.

What I would like to share with the OP is this -- if you're concerned over the sodium content of canned tomatoes, try substituting some Sour Salt (Citric Acid crystals) for some or all of the regular non-iodized salt called for. I find this works out quite well. My mother has to really watch her sodium due to coronary artery disease and high blood pressure, and to my taste, this results in a very acceptable product.

Granted, when I do this with a tomato that is already very acidic, like my beloved Fourth of July's, the result can be very sour -- my juice made from 4th of July's could double as a lime remover for household cleaning of hard water stains.

Thanks to all. I just didn't want to make a safety mistake since it was my first try with canning 'maters. The flavor was delicious (if a little too salty!) from the mix of Azoychkas, Black from Tulas and Striped Romans.

Kay