When your garden or market haul gives you more tomatoes than you can use fresh, canning tomatoes puree is one of the most practical ways to preserve them without locking yourself into one final recipe. Instead of making a fully seasoned sauce, you store a smooth tomato base that can later become spaghetti sauce, soup, chili, stew, or pizza sauce.
This method works especially well because plain tomato puree is flexible, pantry-friendly, and easy to season later based on what you are cooking. It is also a smart choice for people who want to preserve ripe tomatoes at peak flavor and decide later whether they want Italian-style sauce, soup, or a richer reduction.
Why this method works
The most reliable traditional approach starts with ripe, deep red, firm tomatoes, because underripe fruit lacks flavor and overly soft fruit can affect the taste and quality of the finished puree. Paste tomatoes such as Roma, San Marzano, Amish Paste, and Viva Italia are especially useful because they are meatier, contain fewer seeds, and cook down more efficiently, although other tomato varieties can be used too.
A classic tomato puree method is to soften the tomatoes first, pass them through a food mill or strainer to remove skins and seeds, and then simmer the puree until it thickens. That produces a smoother and more traditional canned puree than shortcut methods that blend everything together with the skins left in.
How to can tomato puree
Start by washing and sorting the tomatoes, trimming away bruised or damaged spots, and quartering them if needed. Place a few tomatoes in a large pot first, crush them as they soften, and keep adding more while stirring so they release juice and heat quickly.
Once the tomatoes are soft, run them through a food strainer, food mill, sieve, or similar tool to remove the skins and seeds. Return the puree to the pot and simmer it uncovered until it thickens and reduces, with one source describing a 15 to 30 minute reduction and another noting that a larger batch may take around 2 hours to reduce by half.
Before filling the jars, acidify them for safety because tomatoes must be acidified for proper home canning. Use 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid per quart, or 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid per pint, and use bottled lemon juice rather than fresh because its acidity is standardized. Add the hot puree to the jars, leave 1/2 inch headspace, remove air bubbles, wipe the rims, and apply the lids fingertip-tight.
Process the jars in a boiling water bath with the water covering them by about 2 inches. For pints, process 35 minutes below 1,000 feet, then increase to 40, 45, and 50 minutes as altitude rises; for quarts, process 40 minutes below 1,000 feet, then 45, 50, and 55 minutes at higher altitude ranges.
After processing, let the jars rest briefly in the canner, then cool them undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours before checking the seals. Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place and aim to use them within 12 to 18 months for best quality.
FAQ – Q&A
Question: What is the safest way to make canned tomato puree?
Answer: The safest method is to cook fresh tomatoes, strain out the skins and seeds, reduce the puree, add bottled lemon juice or citric acid to each jar, and process the jars in a boiling water bath for the approved time based on jar size and altitude.
Question: Do you have to add lemon juice when canning tomatoes puree?
Answer: Yes, tomatoes must be acidified for safe canning, and approved options include bottled lemon juice or citric acid added directly to each jar. Bottled lemon juice is preferred over fresh lemon juice because its acidity is standardized.
Question: How much lemon juice do you add when canning tomato puree?
Answer: Add 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid per quart jar, and 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid per pint jar.
Question: How long do you process tomato puree in a water bath canner?
Answer: Pint jars process for 35 minutes below 1,000 feet and quart jars process for 40 minutes below 1,000 feet, with longer times required at higher elevations.
Question: Do I need to peel tomatoes before making tomato puree for canning?
Answer: A traditional canning method does not require peeling first by hand because the softened tomatoes are later passed through a food mill or strainer to remove skins and seeds. Some shortcut methods blend the skins into the puree, but the strained method produces a smoother result.
Question: What can canned tomato puree be used for?
Answer: Canned tomato puree is a plain base that can later be turned into pasta sauce, soup, chili, stew, pizza sauce, and other tomato-based meals.
Question: How long does canned tomato puree last?
Answer: Properly sealed jars are best used within 12 to 18 months when stored in a cool, dark place.
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