How to can tomatoes without a canner

Tomato season is in full swing in our garden, and as per usual, I planted WAY too many tomato plants. Well, actually I only planted 6, but those six have each grown to the size of a shopping cart. No joke. Last year we planted all cherry tomatoes (by mistake) and when they started to ripen I just could keep up them to even get them into jars. It's a good thing I planted half the amount of plants I usually do because we have a ton of tomatoes. Just this morning Roman and I suited up and picked two gallons of tomatoes, to add to the one gallon I already have waiting for me in the garage, and the two jars I have already canned.

You can can (can can, can you do the can can?) any kind of tomatoes, but Roma tomatoes work really well because they are mainly flesh and less of the juicy/seedy stuff in the middle. I have been picking ours only they start to show a bit of orange and letting them ripen in the garage in a cardboard box. I find this helpful because I don't have to trudge into the mosquito infested garden to check the state of the tomatoes. I just catch a quick glace on the way out the door and then I don't have to worry about them rotting on the vine.

Since we use a lot of crushed tomatoes during the year, whether it be for pasta or tacos, I like to can our tomatoes this way. I made salsa a few years back and it was delicious if your family isn't into crushed tomatoes. Canners are super expensive and frankly the whole process seems scary to me since I know squat about canning. The first year we planted our garden my mom came out and showed me how to can tomatoes without one. This method is super easy, requires minimal equipment, and takes no time at all. Let's get started!

Prep the sealers
Choose the size of sealer that works best for you. I found these pretty green sealers at Superstore and they are big enough to hold enough sauce for the whole family for a meal. Fill your sink and a smaller bowl with hot water. Submerge the jars in the sink and the collar and lid in the smaller bowl. The hot water will sterilize the jars, and I'm sure there are other reasons you do this but this is what mom told me to do so that's what I do.

Chop up the tomatoes
This doesn't have to be a really precise chopping job. I cut my tomatoes into 6 pieces, but even quarters would be fine. Toss all of the tomatoes in a very large pot.

Cook the tomatoes
Bring the tomatoes in a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to break down and the excess moisture is cooked away. The time will vary depending on the kind of tomatoes you are using. Remove the pot from the heat.

Blend
They easiest way to do this is with a boat motor. Most people call it an immersion blender, but I like boat motor better. If you don't have a boat motor, or yours has sprouted legs and moved out like mine, a blender will work just find. Be extremely careful though because the tomatoes are very hot and if the lid isn't on tight enough it might blow up in your face. Once all the tomatoes are blended, pour them back into the pot and bring to a boil again. You want them piping hot when they go into the sealers.

Seal
I like to keep the pot on the stove on low just so the tomatoes don't lose their heat. Ladle the tomatoes into the jars until it reaches the bottom of the threads. If you have small mouthed jars, use a funnel to make the filling process easier. Once the jar is filled, wipe the rim (you don't want any sauce on it before you seal it), top with the lid and twist on the collar. You'll want to use a towel to hang onto the jar because it's going to be smokin' hot. I borrowed John to make sure the collar was on super tight.

Sit your jars aside and wait to hear the "pop" of the lid sealing. You may not hear it from all the jars but you can see if they are sealed by pressing on the centre on the lid. If it pops up and down it isn't sealed, if it doesn't move you're good to go!