Instructions

1. Before you start prepping your tomatoes for canning, go ahead and fill your water bath canner with enough water to cover the jars that you are going to use 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.
2. Raw pack - wash your tomatoes well in cold water. Pack the jars tight but make sure to leave about an 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.
3. Add boiling water to each jar leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. 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.
4. Hot pack - 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 (just to give you an idea). 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.
5. Use the canning funnel and a 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.
6. 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.
7. Processing - 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 in the notes if you live above 1000 feet in elevation.
8. 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.
9. Once your jars have cooled completely check that they are all sealed before storing them. 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.