Canning Cherry Tomatoes (Two Simple Ways!)

Canning cherry tomatoes during the growing season is a great way to preserve them for long-term storage. We can do this in two ways; raw pack and hot pack. In this post, I’ll show you how to can cherry tomatoes both ways.

Lady Lee’s Notes…

One cherry tomato plant can produce so many tomatoes that, for the longest time, when I was only growing for our family, I had a few cherry tomato plants in the garden. We mostly ate them fresh; however, sometimes I had so many that I canned them.

Raw Pack Vs. Hot Pack…

• Raw Pack – we can simply pack jars with raw cherry tomatoes, add some acid and boiling water, and process the tomatoes in the water bath canner.
  Packing the jars with raw tomatoes is easy and takes just a few minutes; however, when you process the jars in the heat of the boiling water, the tomatoes will burst open and release some of their juice and shrink a bit. Sometimes, you’ll end up with a jar that looks half full after it cools.
• Hot Pack – or, we can cook our tomatoes for a short time before we pack the jars, add acid, and process. It takes a tiny bit longer (and a bit more work), however, we can fit more tomatoes in each jar.

How Many Tomatoes in Each Jar?

To give you an idea, I was able to pack a cup and a half of Matt’s Wild tomatoes (marble size) in each pint-size jar using the raw pack method, vs. two and a half cups of tomatoes in each jar using the hot pack method.

My preferred method is the hot pack, however, I’ll show you both ways, and you can decide which one you’d like to try. Or, for the first few times, try both ways and examine the end result. Then, you’ll have a better idea of which way works better for you.

Ingredient Notes…

• Cherry tomatoes – any variety or color.
• Bottled lemon juice or citric acid – we have to acidify the water when canning tomatoes in the water bath canner in order to help them preserve better, longer. Fresh lemon juice is not consistent in its acidity, so only use bottled lemon juice, or you can use citric acid instead. Either option does not affect the flavor of the tomatoes.
• Sea, canning, or Kosher Salt – this is optional. Some say that it adds flavor. I personally don’t feel a difference.
• Non- chlorinated boiling water – whenever canning, make sure to use non-chlorinated water. If you live in the city, use bottled water you buy from the store instead of tap water.

How to Can Cherry Tomatoes…

Raw Pack…

Step one – prep the canner and pack the tomatoes. Before you start prepping your tomatoes for canning, go ahead and fill your water bath canner with enough water to cover the jars by about an inch. Set it on the stovetop, cover the canner and bring the water to a boil. Also, wash your jars, lids, and bands in hot water and soap. There is no need to sanitize them, they just need to be clean.

Wash the tomatoes well in cold water and add them to the jars. Pack them tight but make sure to leave 1/2 inch of headspace.

Step two – add acid and boiling water. To each pint jar, add 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid, or 1 tablespoon of bottled lemon juice. To each quart jar, add 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid or 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice. If you choose to add salt, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to each pint jar or 1 teaspoon of salt to each quart jar, then fill the jars with boiling water, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace.

Tip: wait until the water in the water bath canner is boiling and you are ready to process your raw pack tomatoes before you add the boiling water to each jar. This way the temperature of the jars and the water in the canner is similar.

Step three – close the jars. Use the bubble remover to scrape the inside of the jar and remove air bubbles. Then use a damp paper towel to clean the rim of the jar. Center the lid and close the jar with the band finger tight. Your raw pack cherry tomatoes are ready for processing in the water bath canner.

Hot Pack…

Step one – add tomatoes to a pan. Wash the tomatoes well and add them to a pan with a little bit of water. For five cups of small cherry tomatoes, I added one cup of water.

Step two – cook the tomatoes. Set the pan on the stovetop and turn the heat to medium-high. Bring the tomatoes to a boil and let boil for five minutes before turning the heat off.

Step three – pack the jars. Use the canning funnel and your large spoon to scoop the hot tomatoes and their juice into the jars. Make sure to leave 1/2 inch of headspace. To each pint jar, add 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid, or 1 tablespoon of bottled lemon juice. To each quart jar, add 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid or 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice. If you choose to add salt, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to each pint jar or 1 teaspoon of salt to each quart jar.

Use the bubble remover to scrape the inside of the jar and remove air bubbles. Then use a damp paper towel to clean the rim of the jar. Center the lid and close the jar with the band finger tight. Your hot pack cherry tomatoes are ready for processing in the water bath canner.

Processing Cherry Tomatoes…

Step four – process the jars. Set the jars of cherry tomatoes on the rack of the water bath canner. Lower the rack to the boiling water, cover the canner, and process quart jars in the boiling water for 40 minutes and pint jars for 35 minutes. Remember to adjust processing time according to the table below if you live above 1000 feet in elevation.

Once processing time is over, turn the heat off and uncover the canner. Let the jars rest in the hot water for five minutes before removing them. Use the jar lifter to remove the jars from the canner and set them on a kitchen towel on the kitchen counter to cool overnight.

How to Store…

Once your jars have cooled completely check that they are all sealed before storing them. Press the center of each lid and if there is no movement there it means that the jar has sealed. If you have a jar that didn’t seal, you can try to process it again or store it in the fridge and use it first. If you choose to process it again, I recommend changing the lid since many times it’s the lid that causes the problem.

Wipe the jars and remove the band since it usually rusts over time and makes it hard to open the jar later. Store your jars of canned cherry tomatoes in a dark and cool place like a pantry for up to 18 months.

How to Use…

• In any dish that calls for tomatoes – I use my cherry tomatoes in any recipe that calls for tomatoes like this Southwest chicken chili or pulled venison.
• In drinks – bloody Mary anyone?
• In tomato soup – is there anything better than a tomato soup from summer garden tomatoes in the dead of winter? I think not.
• To make pasta sauce – creamy tomato pasta sauce is always better with fresh tomatoes. Home canned summer cherry tomatoes are as close as you can get to fresh tomatoes in the winter months and they behave very well in a pasta sauce!
• To make salsa – cherry tomatoes are great for making homemade salsa! Just open the jar and use them in any salsa recipe like this one.

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I love growing cherry tomatoes! They are easy to pick, fun to eat fresh right off the trellis, and each plant produces a ton of tomatoes. If you find yourself with a whole lot of cherry tomatoes don’t hesitate to can them!

More Ways to Preserve Tomatoes…

• Canning Tomato Sauce
• How to Freeze Tomatoes
• Canning Stewed Tomatoes
• Canning Crushed Tomatoes
• Fermented Green Tomatoes
• Canning Pickled Green Tomatoes

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