Discover how simple canning diced tomatoes is with this easy fire roasted water bath canning method. Experience the rich, summer tomato flavor year around in all your favorite recipes that call for diced tomatoes.
Some links in this article are affiliate links and if you click on them I will receive a small commission at no cost to you.
Preserving summer tomatoes in simple recipes that we can use all winter long has always been a goal of mine and why I grow a lot of tomato plants each year.
Whether it's as simple as whirring up tomatoes roasted with other delicious ingredients for a recipe-ready sauce, freezing whole tomatoes, or canning salsa, barbecue sauce, roasted tomato sauce or yummy tomato chutney (to use on practically anything), I find a way to have that summer tomato flavor throughout the winter.
But sometimes it's nice to be able to use the season's bounty of tomatoes in recipes, too - tomatoes that haven't been seasoned in a certain way.
Having some plain tomato sauce on hand is nice, as is having canned diced tomatoes to use in lots of recipes from soups to rice dishes to braises.
In the past I would put off canning diced tomatoes simply because of the step of peeling the tomatoes by dipping them in boiling water.
Even though I found an easier way to dip and peel them, it was still a barrier in my mind to canning - having to boil a big pot of water, dip pounds and pounds of tomatoes and then slip the skins off, one by one.
Then when I roasted the tomatoes for this water bath safe sauce, I realized how easy the roasting method made skinning tomatoes!
So of course I tried it with canning diced tomatoes, using the same safe Ball Blue Book method to raw pack tomatoes but just roasting and skinning them first instead of dipping.
It worked wonderfully and seems like less work to me, so that mental barrier is gone.
The bonus is, of course, the added flavor that comes from lightly blackening the skins and flesh in the roasting.
So this is a two-for-one recipe, with an easier prepping and peeling step AND added flavor.
And I think you will love seeing your rows of roasted canned diced tomatoes on your pantry shelves just waiting for your next recipe!
Ingredients
Since this is simply diced tomatoes you only need three ingredients - really just two, since one is optional:
- Tomatoes - any kind, though paste tomatoes will produce the firmest diced tomatoes after canning (I had a few yellow heirloom Pineapple tomatoes to use up, so they are the yellow pieces you see in the photos).
- Citric acid OR canned lemon juice - I always use citric acid since most canned lemon juice contains preservatives and the citric acid tastes less citrusy to me in the finished product. (See FAQs about why we add this.)
- Salt - this is optional, though I usually do add it. Use either canning salt or pure sea salt.
Equipment Needed
- Large baking trays/sheet pans - these USA pans are my all-time favorite for price and use (non-stick, non-warping, heavy duty).
- Serrated knife and cutting board - serrated knives make cutting tomatoes a breeze and an over-sink cutting board allows the tomato juice to run into the sink so you don't have a mess on your counter.
- Canning jars and lids - pint and/or quart sizes, regular or wide mouth lids
- Water bath canner and jar lifter - this is the canner I love and it's WAY better than the cheap enamel canners, plus can be safely used on glass-top stoves.
- Stainless steel canning funnel and stainless steel ladle - I recommend stainless when working with hot foods and water.
TIP: I like to use pints jars to can diced tomatoes because they are similar to the size of store bought cans. Using quarts are a good idea if you make bigger recipes that use 2 or more cans of diced tomatoes.
Canning Diced Tomatoes with Fire Roasted Method
Detailed quantities and instructions are included in the full recipe box below, but here are a few extra tips to help with each step:
1. Fill a water bath canner and wash jars and lids. Keep jars warm (I fill them with hot water and let them sit in the sink). Also fill a 2-3 quart pot with water and bring to a boil, turn down and leave simmering while completing the steps.
2. Halve your washed and cored tomatoes and lay them face down on the largest baking tray you own. TIP: squeeze each half a bit before laying on the tray to remove any excess seeds/juice.
Broil the tomatoes on high for about 10 minutes or until most of the tomato skins are blistered and blackened. Check around 8 minutes and broil longer as needed.
3. Remove the tray and add another tray in to broil. Let the first tray cool a few minutes and then use tongs (or your fingers if cool enough) to pull off the bubbling skins.
On a cutting board (using an over-sink cutting board makes this less messy as the juice can run into the sink) chop the tomatoes as needed for a dice.
4. When you have a small pile of tomatoes chopped, grab a warm jar and add the citric acid (or lemon juice) and the optional salt.
- Citric Acid: 1/4 teaspoon for pint jars, 1/2 teaspoon for quart
- Bottled Lemon Juice: 1 tablespoon for pints, 2 tablespoons for quarts
Use a spoon to add the chopped tomatoes to the jar, leaving a 1/2-inch of space between the tomatoes and top of jar.
Proceed one jar at a time with the following steps, repeating as needed for the amount of tomatoes you have.
5. Top the tomatoes with a bit of the hot water, leaving 1/2-inch of headspace.
6. Run a non-metal spatula around the edges to release any air bubbles. If needed, add more hot water to bring back to 1/2-inch headspace.
7. Wipe the rim of the jar with a clean cloth or paper towel and attach lid and band to just fingertip tight (do not tighten too much).
8. Add jar to raised rack in canner over simmering water and continue filling jars, one at a time, until your jars and tomatoes are used up (or your canner is full).
9. Lower rack and make sure the water is a good 1-2 inches above the jars because this has to process longer than other water bath recipes. Bring canner back to a boil, then lower to medium high and process for 40 minutes for pints and 45 minutes for quarts.
10. Turn off heat, remove lid and let jars sit in canner for 5 minutes. Remove jars to a towel-lined surface where they will be undisturbed for 12 hours. Then remove the bands, test the seal and label lids before storing (without the bands).
TIP: this is a "raw pack" method, so you will have more tomatoes floating like shown in the photo on the right above after removing from the canner. This is normal. Do not touch or disturb the jars for 12 hours. After cooling completely, you can turn the jars upside down and redistribute the tomatoes.
FAQs
The USDA recommends/requires the addition of acid when water bath canning modern day tomatoes that vary in acidity more than they did 50-60 years ago to have a safe, shelf-stable product.
BOTH boiling water and pressure canning recipes require acidification.
Citric acid is more acidic than ascorbic acid - it would take a lot more ascorbic acid to acidify tomatoes properly and there are no tested recipes with ascorbic acid.
Citric acid doesn't flavor the tomatoes like lemon juice can, so I prefer it but both are safe and recommended by the USDA.
This has happened to me a number of times! You do risk bacterial growth without the proper acidity, so they will need to be refrigerated and not stored on a pantry shelf.
If they've just been canned, you can remove the lids, add citric acid, attach new lids and process again, though you risk degrading the tomatoes even more with the longer processing and may end up with more of a sauce.
Plum (paste) tomatoes are recommended for many canning recipes because their firm, less juicy flesh holds up better to the heat of canning than slicing or large heirloom tomatoes. Some favorite varieties are Roma, San Marzano, Heinz, and Amish Paste.
Recipes With Canned Diced Tomatoes
Here are a few of my favorite recipes that use diced tomatoes:
- Mediterranean Fish Bake - Easy, Healthy Dinner
- Quick Cajun Beef on Spiced Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Italian Style Pot Roast
- Savory Tomato Seafood Stew
Canning Diced Tomatoes - Easy Fire Roasted Water Bath Method
Equipment
- Large baking trays/cookie sheets
- Serrated knife and cutting board
- Canning jars and lids - pint and/or quart sizes, regular or wide mouth lids
- Water bath canner and jar lifter
- Stainless steel canning funnel and ladle
Ingredients
- 10 pounds tomatoes*
- 1 quart water
- 1/4 teaspoon citric acid PER PINT JAR (see notes for specific amounts for quarts and for using lemon juice)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt PER JAR (optional)
Instructions
- Fill a water bath canner and wash jars and lids. Keep jars warm. Fill a 2-3 quart pot with water and bring to a boil, turn down and leave simmering while completing the steps.
- Halve your washed and cored tomatoes and lay them face down on the largest baking tray you own. TIP: squeeze each half a bit before laying on the tray to remove any excess seeds/juice.
- Broil the tomatoes on high for about 10 minutes or until most of the tomato skins are blistered and blackened. Check around 8 minutes and broil longer as needed.
- Remove the baking tray and add another tray of prepped tomatoes to broil. Let the first tray cool a few minutes and then use tongs (or your fingers if cool enough) to pull off the bubbling skins. Continue broiling and peeling until all your tomatoes are prepped (at the same time as you're chopping and filling jars).
- Proceed one jar at a time with the following steps, repeating as needed for the amount of tomatoes you have:
- On a cutting board chop the tomatoes as needed to dice. When you have enough tomatoes chopped to fill a jar, grab one of the warm jars and add the citric acid (or lemon juice) and the optional salt.
- Use a slotted spoon to add the chopped tomatoes to the jar, leaving a 1/2-inch of space between the tomatoes and top of jar.
- Top the tomatoes with a bit of the hot water, leaving 1/2-inch of headspace.
- Run a non-metal spatula around the edges to release any air bubbles. If needed, add more hot water to bring back to 1/2-inch headspace.
- Wipe the rim of the jar with a clean cloth or paper towel and attach lid and band to just fingertip tight (do not tighten too much).
- Add jar to raised rack in canner over simmering water and continue filling jars, one at a time, until your jars and tomatoes are used up (or your canner is full).
- Lower rack and make sure the water is a good 1-2 inches above the jars because this has to process longer than other water bath recipes. Bring canner back to a boil, then lower to medium high and process for 40 minutes for pints and 45 minutes for quarts.
- Turn off heat, remove lid and let jars sit in canner for 5 minutes. Remove jars to a towel-lined surface where they will be undisturbed for 12 hours.
- Then remove the bands, test the seal and label lids before storing (without the bands). Store in a cool, dark place for up to 18 months.
Notes
- Citric Acid: 1/4 teaspoon per pint jar; 1/2 teaspoon per quart jar.
- Bottle Lemon Juice: 1 tablespoon per pint jar; 2 tablespoons per quart jar.
Carol Williams says
Can I use a pressure canner at 5 pounds instead of a water bath?
Jami says
This is the Ball Blue Book raw pack tomatoes with just the prepping of the tomatoes as the difference. You'll have to refer to that to see if it's adaptable to pressure canning and at what pressure you process them at.