I generally use my pressure canner for tomatoes and tomato products. There are studies that document better quality and better nutrition with pressure-canned tomatoes as opposed to boiling water bath.

I'm not sure if you're asking about using citric acid as opposed to bottled lemon juice or if you're asking about acidifying at all. I do use citric acid (except for certain tomato product recipes that don't require it) and wouldn't do without it. I've seen too high a pH on some of the tested tomato varieties to risk otherwise.

Your issue isn't really with the tomatoes or processing times, it's with your stove that you can't get a consistent pressure. I'd see about resolving that so that the full range of pressure canned products is possible for you.

Carol

I still waterbath my tomatoes, matter of fact I have a canner full now. Just make sure you use lemon juice, or citric acid. I prefer the citric acid. One hour and 25 mins. gives you time to work on another canner full or something else. Vonnie

That is a long time! My Ball book has 45 minutes. Has the time changed recently?

There isn't 1 set time for BWB tomatoes.

The processing time required all depends on the way you can them - crushed (35-45 min), whole or halves in water (40-45 min.), whole or halves with no added liquid (85 min.), or whole or halves in juice (85 mins.). Different processing times depending on the method, jar size, and altitude.

Pressure canning requires much less time but the acidification is still required.

Agree with Carol that getting consistent pressure takes some practice but it sure is possible since many do it all the time regardless of the type stove used.

Dave

I always BWB my tomatoes with no complaints.
Don't forget is you use a pressure canner, you have to add 10 minutes at the front to "vent" the canner, allow time for the canner to come up to pressure, the actually canning time, after turning off the canner you wait until the pressure returns to zero, and then you wait 10 minutes to take off the weight. When it is cold, I have to wait another 10 minutes to remove the lid of the canner as the jar contents are way too hot to expose to the air (violent boiling within the jar). So ADD another 40 or 50 MINUTES to the stated processing time in pressure canning and tell me how much faster it really was (and that is if you are standing there watching the process and move at every mark right on time).
Add up all that time and tell me how much faster pressure canning tomatoes is. The only advantage is that in the canner, you can double stack pints.
Jim in So Calif

For me there's an advantage in terms of less water, and as Jim mentioned, stacking pints.

When canning quarts I definitely prefer pressure canning.

I do agree, however, that in terms of total time, pressure canning isn't necessarily quicker.

It really is whatever works for you.

Carol

I've noticed a lot of folks mention having trouble controlling the heat on their stove burners. Most of the electric stoves I've looked at have a rheostat switch for each burner and those switches can and do go bad. Makes it just about impossible to control the heat. I replaced one on my GE stove a couple of years ago and I believe it actually works better than when it was new.

I can what I call pizza-pasta sauce, which has salt, vinegar and sugar in it and is very dense and safe for waterbath canning (it's a published recipe). But at nearly 3000 feet I've had a terrible time finding the right processing method. Water boils at 205 degrees here (I've measured it) so even the pressure canner is a problem because the sauce boils for such a long time in the jars. Leaving 1.5 inches of head space is required to protect the seal, which is not practical in pints. Waterbath canning for the required time results in overprocessed sauce.

The answer for me has been a steam canner, which at my elevation gets things hotter than a waterbath but not as hot as the pressure canner. A couple of university studies have found them to be as safe as waterbath canners when properly used. I find it easier to monitor the stream of steam coming out of the canner than watching a gigantic pot boil. When the sauce comes out of the steam canner it is boiling, but not boiling so hard that it threatens to blow the seal.

txtom50, a canning element for those touchy electric coil burner stoves can be a blessing for those of us with all electric kitchens who like to can. Not terribly expensive or hard to find. My experience has been that the larger canners operate much more smoothly heating with those...

Here is a link that might be useful: Canning element

The answer for me has been a steam canner,

Your choice of course as long as you understand that they aren't tested or approved and most likely would require different processing times.

I don't know which recipe you are referring to or what processing time/methods it calls for but I would think that the 15-20 mins. in a PC called for for most sauces would still be better than the 30-45 mins. required for a BWB at your altitude, no?

Dave

I'm not sure what published recipe you're referring to, but the fact that a recipe is published is no assurance of safety. There are many unreliable canning books in publication.

Also, while the studies regarding steam canners may be valid, I take them with a large grain of salt because they were sponsored by the company selling the steam canners, and naturally they have a vested interest in a supportive outcome.

When it comes to the safety of canning, a good dose of skepticism is a necessary ingredient.

Carol

I prefer to use water bath for tomatoes. I add the 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice the Ball book recommends. I've been doing this for years, and never have had a problem. Occasionally I'll do some in the pressure canner, but while the processing time is lower, but by the time you vent and cool down it's about the same - but more of a hassle. The only upside, in my opinion, to using a PC is that it keeps the kitchen cooler :)

Thanks everyone!