Canned Diced Tomatoes

Many recipes include Canned Diced Tomatoes. Why not make your own with those local and fresh end of summer tomatoes? They’re very budget-friendly and taste so much better than what you can buy in a store. Stock your pantry and have that fresh tomato flavour all winter long!

CANNED DICED TOMATOES

Canned Diced Tomatoes is an additive type of recipe. They’re best used in dishes that require chunks of cooked tomato. Think of dishes such as pot roast, or foods that require longer cooking times, such as stew and chili. Pop open a jar anytime you need to add tomatoes to a recipe.

Having these tomatoes on hand eliminates the need to buy canned tomatoes at the store. All you need is three ingredients and a little patience. Besides, canning can be a family event. Get everyone involved and make it a fun day. The reward is enjoying the fruits of your labour in the winter months when local tomatoes are not available.

WHY YOU SHOULD PREPARE CANNED DICED TOMATOES AT HOME

You can find diced tomatoes in the canned vegetable section of most local grocery stores. But, the taste of homemade is much better. When you make your own, you can control the sodium. You also eliminate the use of chemicals and preservatives found in the store-bought variety.

I find that most of the diced tomatoes you buy at the store are okay in a pinch. I do use them from time to time, but there’s one thing particularly that I don’t like about them. Most of the brands leave some of the skin on the tomatoes. I don’t know about you, but I do not care for cooked tomato skins.

The skin doesn’t break down very well at all. If you get a fair-sized piece of it, you’re left with this weird, chewy bit that’s hard to swallow. Take the time to prepare the tomatoes now, you’ll save yourself time and energy when preparing meals later!

ONLY 3 INGREDIENTS!

Here’s the deal. You can prepare this recipe as a small batch or you can make enough to feed an army. It really doesn’t matter how much you make, because the recipe for these tomatoes is not so much a recipe as it is assembly instructions.

You need tomatoes – the amount is up to you – and salt and lemon juice. That’s it! I would highly advise that you use roma or plum tomatoes for canning purposes. They are meatier and have less moisture content.

Use good salt. Don’t use regular table salt. Most table salt is iodized, which basically means that it’s not pure salt. It has been chemically treated with potassium iodate. I have not put this to the test, but I have read so many times that normal table salt may cloud the liquid in your processed tomatoes. Use good kosher salt or salt clearly labeled preserving salt.

Many canning professionals will tell you that you should use store-bought bottled lemon juice instead of fresh squeezed lemon juice. I have used both, but will only use bottled lemon juice if I’m preserving a large amount for long term storage.

Fresh lemon juice is fine if you plan to use the tomatoes in a few days. Bottled lemon juice has the perfect amount of acidity, which will guarantee the right levels for your canning needs. Fresh lemons can vary in terms of the amount of acidity. Bottled lemon juice is often cheaper too!

WATER BATH CANNING METHOD VERSUS PRESSURE CANNING

Until this year, I have only ever used a water bath canner. Recently, I purchased a pressure canner and I absolutely love it! I will most likely use it regularly moving forward.

Here’s the thing – you can use a pressure canner for all canning needs, but you cannot use a water bath canner for every recipe. This recipe, particularly, will work in both. A water bath canner is used to can and preserve recipes that have high acid levels. In the case of Canned Diced Tomatoes, there’s plenty of acid with the tomatoes and the lemon juice.

In the recipe card below, I have included instructions using a pressure canner. If you’d like to use a water bath canner, you can refer back to my previous canning recipes. My Bread and Butter Zucchini Pickles are a great example of water bath canning.

STORING CANNED DICED TOMATOES

Once you have safely removed the jars of processed Canned Diced Tomatoes from the canner, and they have cooled completely, it’s time to store them.

Storing properly is just as important as every step you take to ensure your efforts are safe and sterile. The first thing I like to do is wash the jars. Sometimes, the jars will be covered with a residue from the boiling process. This normal and will depend on your water source. If I can in our city apartment, the jars are not too cloudy at all. But, at our home in the country where we use well water, the jars will have a chalky, white residue on the outside.

You can wash the jars under warm running water with a little bit of dish detergent. Dry the jars well with a clean towel. Next, it’s important to label them properly. Trust me – if you fall in love with canning, you’ll come to rely on labels. In the beginning, I could easily mistake a jar of canned tomatoes with a jar of salsa or a jar of sauce!

Your label should include the name of the recipe and the date you made it. Store the jars in a cool, dark place. You don’t need to push them all to the back of the corner in your unfinished basement! Any pantry or cabinet will do as long as it’s not directly above a heat source. I store mine in a built-in pantry under the stairs. Just keep them cool and way from direct light to prolong the shelf life.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down to follow me and never miss another recipe!