Canning: Part 2 - Tomatoes

Tomatoes are some of my favorite things to can. They are relatively simple and fast (although the processing time is quite lengthy). Home canned tomatoes taste wonderful in soups and sauces all year long. When I can tomatoes I usually just can them as crushed tomatoes because it's a lot faster than boiling them down to make a tomato sauce or soup. The other benefit is you can add new spices and flavors and whatever vegetables you have on hand to the tomatoes, making a new tasting sauce each time. A few things to consider are:

• Always can good quality fruit.
• You need to add acidity to tomatoes if you are canning in a water bath canner (*see note below).
• An average of 21 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of
  13 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints.

Here's the recipe that I use; I got it here.
Crushed Tomatoes

Procedure: Wash tomatoes and dip in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins split. Then dip in cold water, slip off skins, and remove cores. Trim off any bruised or discolored portions and quarter. Heat one-sixth of the quarters quickly in a large pot, crushing them with a wooden mallet or spoon as they are added to the pot to create juice. Continue heating remaining quartered tomatoes, stirring constantly. These remaining tomatoes do not need to be crushed. They will soften with heating and stirring. Continue until all tomatoes are added. Then boil gently 5 minutes. Add bottled lemon juice or citric acid to jars.*(see note below) Fill jars immediately with hot tomatoes, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process according to times below (based on your current elevation).

Processing Times:
Pints
35 min (0-1,000 ft) 40 min (1,001-3,000 ft)
45 min (3,001-6,000 ft) 50 min (Above 6,000 ft)
Quarts
45 min ((0-1,000 ft) 50 min (1,001-3,000 ft)
55 min (3,001-6,000 ft) 60 min (Above 6,000 ft)

* Acidity (Add acid directly to jars before filling. A small amount of sugar can be added to offset acid taste, if desired):
Pints: add 1/4 teaspoon citric acid or 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice
Quarts: add 1/2 teaspoon citric acid or 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice