Also, can I assume it is NOT ok to increase the size of the fruit/veg from that in the recipe but it would be ok to decrease the size of the pieces without compromising safety? I only ask because I might want to add a few smaller pieces to a jar than the half tomato size just to bring it up to the proper level in the jar? Obviously, not all tomatoes are the same size and some might need to be quartered to fit in the jar, lol.

I plan to use citric acid as per the nchfp recommendations. I used the BWB method 3 years ago when I did this for the first time and I was very happy with the results the following January and February when I opened up those cans! I was not able to get a large enough harvest the last 2 years though to try it again. I am not sure why, but I have read here that pressure canning gives even better results?

Thanks for your help!

I think which pack is the "best" depends on how you use your canned tomatoes and which you and your family prefer. Some are also quicker to prep and therefore offer convenience when you're short of canning time or over-burdened with a lot of tomatoes. You might want to think of this canning season as your "learning time" and try out different ways of processing the tomatoes. Make notes as to which is preferable in terms of canning and also which you and your family find most useful for your recipes.

Then next year you'll be a pro!

Carol

I don't have a huge garden so getting enough tomatoes to can is always a little iffy, and I may only get one batch put away.

If anyone remembers what time/pressure combination they use or if they have tried both BWB and pressure canning tomatoes which you preferred and what any differences were in the final product, I would love to know. :)

Do you want whole packed raw or packed hot? Packed with no added liquid or with water or with tomato juice? What is your altitude? Does your PC have a gauge too or just the weight?

Those answers will determine your pressure canning time.

Dave

PS: please note that the added lemon juice is still required either way.

I had checked the NCHFP and there 3 times/pressures given for the above, and I wasn't sure what difference they would make in the final product:

Processing for Whole or Halved Tomatoes (packed raw without added liquid) in a Weighted-Gauge Pressure Canner gives you options for different weights, true, but with no difference in the results because the pressures and the times are balanced out.

40 min @ 5 lbs.
25 min @ 10 lbs.
15 min @ 15 lbs.

Since your canner has the 3 piece weight set you can use any of those. It just depends on how much time you want to spend. Logically the shortest time at the highest pressure uses the least amount of energy and time.

Personally, when I do raw pack - which isn't often as I much prefer hot pack - I use 25 min. @ 10 lbs. simply because 10 lbs is what I have to use for everything and that is the weight I have on all my canners. I don't want to have to dig out my other weight piece to up it to 15 lbs. and I don't want to have 40 mins of steam in the kitchen when I can get by with 25 mins of it. :)

It really is your choice.

Dave

Based on past discussions here about the methods, I think most of us prefer hot packing.

Dave

The reality is the nature of tomatoes is such that canning them in any form is going to alter the texture. It's an inevitability. I think sometimes we set ourselves up for failure when we try to circumvent seasonality. Fresh (raw) tomato pasta sauces with fresh garlic, onion and basil or tomato-and-onion sandwiches with the best mayonnaise are summer pleasures. Maybe we appreciate them more for that reason.

Also, the variety of tomatoes you're working with will make a huge difference in final quality and you're going to have to work out what is the optimal canning variety for your climate. The nearest Extension service for your region can assist with that.

For example, we've had two terrible summers here (not this summer but the two previous). Cold, wet and cloudy. Terrible tomato weather. Our best tomato was Stupice, but it's not a good "canner" except for sauces. Too juicy, too little meat and simply too fragile to hold up.

Carol

I have my first batch just heating up in the canner now. It is 90 degrees out and the AC is on, so I will probably go with the 15 lb, 15 minute method. I do tend to over think and over research things sometimes, esp when I am concerned about safety.

This year my tomatoes will some mixture of the one of each plant I have of Rutgers, Jet Star, Brandywine, Anna Russian, Kosovo, Orange Minx, Kellogg's Breakfast, KBX, Cherokee Purple, Donskoi, Reif Red Heart, and Costoluto Genovese.

Carol