Why I'm not canning tomatoes.

I LOVE summer tomatoes.  It's just not summer without them.  When I was a kid we used to go to the local pick your own farm and bring back huge boxes full of them.  My family wasn't one for preserving, so we just ate and ate and ate tomatoes until the season was over.  Then we waited until next summer.  That's seasonal eating at it's finest.

It's been a very strange summer season here.  My husband diligently planted tons of tomato seeds.  Caring for them for weeks in pots all over the house.  Then he loving and carefully planted them.  Then the cold came, and the rain, and the winds, and not enough heat.  We are barely getting a few precious cherry tomatoes and some heirlooms.  Not enough to preserve.  It's been frustrating to see all his hard work not really pay off.  Makes us appreciate our local farmers even more.  In fact one local farm lost everyone of their hundreds of tomato plants to blight.  Ugh.

Yesterday we were lucky enough to find a farm that has tomatoes.  A small local farm using mostly organic practices.  We bought a bushel of ripe tomatoes for 30 bucks.  I had been eager to can some to use through the winter.  But there are some issues with that. 

1) I've only canned a few times. It was quite a process and I don't have a huge pot or canning pot = extra expense.  So I'm not fully comfortable with the whole canning process.

2) All the talk of safety issues kind of freaks me out.  Botulism? Um, no thanks.

3) and then there's the whole BPA issue in the canning lids.  But BPA is one of the reasons I'm trying to get away from store bought canned tomatoes.

4) Pantry space is at a premium.  Home canned goods need a place to stay.

5) It's still warm here and the thought of babysitting can after can of hottness doesn't appeal to me.

What I AM blessed with is freezer space!  I have a whole stand up freezer and a small chest freezer all to myself.  Yesterday I peeled and cooked down half the bushel of tomatoes.  I ended up with 7 quart jars full.  That whole process was enough to push me over to the side of not canning.

 

These jars are going into the freezer just like that.  I don't know enough about the BPA issue to know if it effects the tomato sauce even if it's not touching it and is frozen.  Anyway, I only have 7 of these quarts.

I decided to do a little digging on freezing tomatoes.  I stumbled on this blog post and thought - 'what the heck!  Why not?'  Makes sense to me.  Of course they won't be good in salads or sandwiches, but what preserved tomato is?  So I washed, dried, and set them on a cleared out shelf in my freezer.  When they are solid then I'll transfer to a bag.  I guess the coming cooking months will be the test as to whether or not this works well.  But it seems to have been tested by others.  When they defrost the skin peels off, chop and throw into whatever I'm making.  Genius!
 

 

I think I'll go back for another bushel.  I'd like to freezer more.  My herb garden is still growing so I'd also like to actually make a big pot of sauce to freeze into portions.  Grand, huh?

And check it out!  Looks like a delicious smelling vanilla candle, right?  Nope.  That's part of 30+ lbs of grass fed beef tallow that I'm rendering right now (another reason not to dive into canning at the moment). Last night I was admiring this jar of tallow since it's the only jar like this I have.  I've been wondering to myself where I got it.  My husband said, yeah it looks like a candle.  DUH!  of course, I must have washed out a candle jar a long time ago.  I've been using it in the kitchen for quite awhile now.  All the other jars are regular pint sized mason jars full of tallow.  If you pour it in hot, then the lids seal as they cool.  Tallow is shelf stable and will last for months in the pantry.

 
This post is part of Pennywise Platter at Nourishing Gourmet and Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade.

Comments

[Wardeh @ GNOWFGLINS]

Last week I cooked down tomatoes, put them in jars and froze them. Just like you did. I loved not having to do the whole water bath thing.

Today I brought home about 50 pounds of tomatoes. I do not have freezer space for more quarts of stewed tomatoes, so I'm going to dehydrate these.

I wish I could freeze the whole tomato like you are doing. Sounds so convenient and wonderful!

Your tallow -- and the jar -- are beautiful!

[Courtney]

You should really try either slow roasting a bunch or drying some (I think you have a dehydrator??). They are great in soups, stews, stir fries and pizzas.

[Katie @ Riddlelove]

Yeah, I've been wanting to steer clear of canned tomato products because of BPA, but have had concerns about botulism, too. We're living in a trailer right now, so there is no space in the pantry OR in the tiny freezer. This year, I've decided to just eat diehard seasonal. Next year, though, when we have more room, I'll for sure be freezing. I've never thought of freezing a whole tomato. It works OK?

[healy]

nice tips. . I love tomatoes! Actually we have live tomatoes so this ideas is really perfect for us. Thanks for sharing;0

[nika]

This is a link to BPA free canning lids http://www.reusablecanninglids.com/

I didnt can our harvest this year - I got a chest freezer and have been using that. Mostly I just stuff the children full of fresh ripe tomatoes as they come off the plant - I also send them out into the garden and command them to just eat till they are full!

I prefer these days to freeze - less nutrients, especially vitamin C - lost to heat.

[Carla Veinot]

I am declaring this a canning free year. After a batch of faulty lids ruined my canned goods and the food went bad, it has scared me from canning. I am freezing and dehydrating instead. It's healthier, less time consuming and less work/not as messy, lol!

[Paula]

I didn't realize you could just freeze them with the skin and everything on it. Well, it'll be much more simple to do that than break out all the jars, sterilize them, fill up the propane tank and process jars of tomatoes outside in July.

[Rachel]

On the tomatoes - I do that too! In fact our freezers look alike! :-) (I don't can tomatoes because of the little kids underfoot.)

[Sustainable Eats]

Tomatoes are safe for water bath canning without fear of botulism! The USDA recommends you add a small amount of lemon juice or citric acid to each jar just to be safe (you can find the amounts online, depends on jar size), however, in Europe they don't. They don't even water bath. They literally let the jars seal and put them away. So don't fear canning tomatoes because of botulism. On the BPA front the chemicals are coating the lids, rather than the entire container which would happen in a can and the longer it's processed and the higher temp the more the chemicals leach out. In the food industry they process at much higher temps and the the entire can is lined. You are much better off on all fronts canning your own tomatoes, plus you know who grew them, what kind they were, how many rodent parts were included and you aren't giving any food dollars to a company you don't want to support. Instead, you are supporting a local farmer. But yes, it takes time to can. Real food takes time. It's lovely that you have enough freezer space though!

You might consider making something fermented like tomato salsa. Mine comes out great and last for 6-9 months in the fridge! No canning required.