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Oven Canned Crushed Tomatoes

Canning Tomatoes 2

It’s tomato canning season and I am right in the thick of canning crushed tomatoes.   I crush a half bushel one day, refrigerate over night, and then can it the next day.  I need 300 quarts to get our family through the year.  I never look forward to whole process, but it must be done.

 

CannedCrushedTomatoes

Don’t cringe when you hear this but I still do my tomatoes the old fashioned way by canning them in the oven.  I know, I know the experts (whoever they are) say this method is not safe but I have been doing it this way for 20 years and haven’t killed off a family member yet with my tomatoes.  It is so easy and you can do many more jars at one time.  You fill your jars with the tomatoes and put them all in your oven, turn the oven on to 250, once it is preheated turn the oven off and let the jars remain in the oven till cool.  I normally do it in the evening and leave them overnight.  I have never had a jar that hasn’t sealed.  Do you use this method?

 

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206 Comments

  1. Paula R Pfister says:

    This is amazing! Do you boil the lids and jars first, or just put everything in the jars and place the lids on there and put in the oven?
    I would love do make salsa this way too.
    Thanks,
    Paula

    1. Paula, I just put it all in the over, no boiling. You could surely do salsa this way:)

      1. I’ve never done this before, canning period but could you can soups and beans using this method? Would be fabulous seeing how I don’t have a pressure cooker.

        1. Tarlee can’t do anything with meat in it for sure. I’ve only done tomatoes this way, so Im no help with the soup and bean question.

        2. I would like to try this method, but nervous being the first time. It talks about the lids very little. You fill the jar in cold oven. Your meyhod is filking with cold tomato , 250 heating, put the seal lid with rubber on it and tighten down with the other section of the lid correct? You mention 30 minutes to process , turn off and you will hear the lids popping.

          1. Cathy I add hot tomatoes to hot jars with hot lids, put in a cold oven, turn oven on to 250. Let jars filled with tomatoes sit 30-60 minutes in 250 oven, shut oven off and let jars cool until they seal.

        3. It has to be fruit is what my MIL told me because of the acid of fruit. Tomatoes, apples, pears, peaches, etc. Vegetables don”t have that acid.

          1. Tammy, That’s good to know.

      2. I have canned tomatoes this way for years and they turn out pretty in the jars they don’t separate. and not one person in my family has ever gotten sick from them.

        1. Ruth, that’s so good to hear. I have a lot of people tell me how wrong it is, but I’m with you I’ve been doing it this way for years.

          1. Marilyn Warren says:

            I have been canning my tomatoes this way all my life as has my mother and my grandmother and probably Granny’s mother though I can’t attest to that because she died when I was a small child. The women I mentioned canned all types of fruit and veggies in the oven. They had to because the items canned had to sustain then and their large families through the winter. Mom had 600+ jars of all sizes in our cellar. You can’t do all that canning 7 or 8 jars at a time. She also canned chicken, beef, pork and venison if Daddy killed a deer in a water bath canner for an hour and then in the oven for another. I have only cooked chicken for our country fair in a water bath canner and then only a couple of jars. I won best of class and we enjoyed eating them after a chicken salad. If it was really akin to poisoning of anyone who ate it, my family and all the millions of women who canned just the same way we did would be dead. If you open a jar that has not sealed or bubbles or has mold on it or smells like rotted meat or veggies then don’t eat it! No one is so stupid that they would do so.

          2. Marilyn, I loved hearing your story about all the women in your family and their canning process. I’ve had so many people scold me for canning this way and it warms my heart to hear no one had died using this method either. People did methods back then that they don’t use today, but that doesn’t mean it’s the wrong way.

        2. thank you so much for informing me you did it that way for years and no one ever got sick I am going to do it that way all the time now what a tremendous time safer and wow you can do so many jars at the same time we safe so much energy and gas and time that way that great with a busy responsible life style with so much to do Thanks and God Bless that you said you did for years with no one get sick results I have been canning for years and water canning is so slow and time consuming and you can only fit 7 jars in the canner at 45 minutes each time with your way I can put 21 jars easy in the oven and do them all at once in 1 hour what a time and energy safer on us and the enviorment less gas and electricity is less pollution and less damage to the enviorment They say proof is in the pudding and you surely proofed it to me with your years of applied experience no matter what the government or ball canning says they dont have all the answers in the world they are normal people with brains just like us! Thanks again for all your help

      3. So you donโ€™t have to cook tomatoes first
        Do you remove skin by a hot water bath then cold water to remove skin ?
        Iโ€™ve never done Tom. But really want to
        And this sounds like the right process for me !!!

        1. So happy with this method,did all my tomatoes last year in oven worked perfectly,going to use this oven method for much more.thanks
          ..spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, Rotel etcโ€ฆ..

      4. Please give me the step by step in this process!! Do you not add salt or lemon juice? Do you Blanche tomatoes first and peel, then cook again??

    2. Paula you should always put your lids and scew cover in steeping water first before you put on jars it make for a better seal and disinfects them aswell plus I feel you shoulds always have oven on first and heat jars in oven it also disinfects them plus they will not crack when you put hot recipe in them cause I certainly feel you should cook your recipe for atleast 1/2 hour then put in jars then over for 45 minutes to 1 hour I feel then you are almost guarenteed no bacteria and high temperature they say you need in center of jar will be reached easily a good seal and probably then will last for years in the jar! I am not a rocket sciencetist but this seem to be a natural conclution well thought out with all the good info I got on this site! I have been canning for atleast 12 to 15 years now so I do know a little bit about canning and do all my own gardening and I am almost 63 years old now hope this helps you God Bless

    3. Peter Fox says:

      I have done it this way works great. Another way I did it with hot sauce, tomato juice or stewed tomatoes on stove bring to boil or simmer. Hot jars which I just took them out of the dish washer our 175 out of the stove. and hot lids. So if you have hot jars , hot lids and hot sauce put lids on and screw down ring. set on towel if it pops or seals . You have success haven’t died yet and been doing it for five or six years.

    4. Did this oven canning last year, not one jar didnโ€™t seal, was so nice,this year already did up 12 quarts works great so , still more to do,a bumper crop of tomatoes thank you for making my job easier.

    5. This is NOT a safe canning method. You may be lucky to not have encountered illness. Canning requires constant temperatures to destroy bacteria. Oven can not guarantee consistent temperature. Acidic foods such as tomatoes can use the boiling water method. Length of processing times depends on altitude. Steam pressure is essential for low-acid foods.

  2. Gosh, I don’t can, though I know I should! Your cans remind me of my Grandmother’s canned tomatoes. Great memories!

    xo
    Claudia

    1. Claudia, I made the mistake one year of making all my own tomato products (spaghetti sauce and so on) and now my family won’t eat store bought. I also can for my mom and grama. I keep the whole family stocked for the year.

      1. What recipe do you use for canning spaghetti sauce?

        1. Joanne I’ve ruined my family they’ll only eat home made now.

      2. Lol. Spoiled. My family too. Why I donโ€™t make homemade tortillas or tamales cause boyyyyyyy. Hehe. Congrats on canning such great stuff though. What a compliment when we make our loved ones tummies so happy!

  3. I don’t can a thing but greatly admire those who do!!! Your method seems like a great idea to me. Where do you store 300 jars of tomatoes?

    1. Ann, the kids laugh at me and say I have my own grocery store in the basement. If you need it I probably have it on my shelves. I think I have enough toothpaste, tp, paper towels, and things like that stocked up for 3 years. I extreme coupon and so I have lots on hand all the time.

  4. Hi Dawn,
    I do not can either but I think your method is great. Hey if it works why do it any other way.
    Kris

    1. Kris, that’s what I say. If the ole’ timers could do it why can’t I?

      1. I was just told I need to throw all my tomatoes out! I put raw tomatoes in the jars, tightened lids and “baked” for 1 1/2 hours at 275*. They all sealed and pinged when they cooled. Now what?

  5. Ok…now this seems like a very non-intimidating process…so you placed the tomatoes in the jar, place the seal on the top and let it go…right?…I love it!

    1. Shirley, yes put the tomatoes into the jar, put the lid and ring on the tomatoes. Put them in a cold oven. Turn the oven on 250 and let the tomatoes process for about 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and let the jars cool in the oven. You will hear them start to seal after a while. Easy as can be.

  6. I have never canned, but want to. I will try you method.
    XO Kris

      1. Can you do whole tomatoes

  7. This sounds so neat, I can see that you speed everything up by doing more jars at once. I have a few questions so I’m going to send you an email.

    XO,
    Jane

  8. Oh, well! I couldn’t find you email address! Anyway, my question is…how do you can something that isn’t hot from cooking? I have canned red sauce and salsa while they are hot off the stove, but I am wanting to do some uncooked veggies. Is that possible?

    Thanks so much!

    XO,
    Jane

    1. Jane, I have never tried doing veggies this way only tomato products. I think it has something to do with the acidity of the tomatoes. You would have to hot water bath the veggies Im afraid.

      1. Most veggies need pressure canned, not hot water bath d/t the acidity.

    1. Debra, I have done it that way too, but love how many I can do at one time this way:)

  9. You are ambitious … 300 jars. If your method works, then you should continue to use it.
    I just froze a lot of field tomatoes to add to soups and stews. I like the simple method that I use.

  10. Linda, I would freeze mine too if I had the room. I have a huge freezer and it is full of meat. I am all about what is easiest:)

  11. That Ball jar photo is a thing of beauty! I don’t can, but I’m going to bookmark this for the future just in case I do – it sounds pretty easy. ~Mary

    1. Mary, tomatoes are one of the easiest things to can. It actually is pretty fast and takes some of the dread out of doing it. LOL

  12. what about green beans and corn

    1. Arbara, I don’t think you can do veggies that way. I have never tried and would hate to give you bad advice.

  13. I’ve never canned. But I watched my grandmothers can food for the whole winter.
    Brenda

    1. Brenda, I do the same I can enough to get us through the winter. It is nice to have a stockpile when the snow is on the ground and no one wants to make a trip to the store.

  14. Do you not peel them or but the tops off or anything? I don’t like the peels in mine. I do mine different but don’t know that might work but sure you got to do more to them than that. My oven wouldn’t hold very many thought as I have a older gas stove. They do look pretty in the jars but don’t want peels and cores in mine. Let me know what else you do.

    1. Peggy, I have a commercial juicer that has a screen in it. I pushes the peel out one spot and the juice into another spot. It makes the skins so fine you never notice them. All I do is wash mine and run the whole tomato through the juicer. It takes about 15 minutes to do a half bushel. I do can it all together, we like the whole tomato in ours. I also make fruit jam and can that. and freeze veggies. Tomatoes are the only thing I do in the oven. I can do about 30 jars at a time.

      1. I wonder if fruit jams could be canned this way. I remember my aunt putting her hot jam in sterilized jelly jars and putting boiled lids on them and just inverting the jars upside down. Then when Cool turning them upright and they would be sealed. You way with the oven sounds like it may work well and it would make a stronger seal?

        1. Bobbi I had an aunt do it that way also but I’ve never tried it I know all those old time methods seem to work.

          1. well, i will know soon. my strawberry jam is in the oven
            thank you so much for sharing. my tomatoes will be next!

          2. Bobbi how it it turn out?

          3. I lowered the temp to 210 for20 min then turned it off and left the jars in the oven until cool. not a single unsealed jar. the jam was boiling hot when it was put in the sterile jars with warmed lids. it was nice not to have to use the bulky bath canner!

          4. Bobbie oh Im so happy for you. Thanks for keeping me updated ๐Ÿ™‚

  15. I don’t can. It’s something I’ve been thinking of doing but never got around to it. I usually just freeze my excess tomatoes.

    1. Manuela, if you want to start canning pick up jars at garage sales. They are so expensive in the stores any more.

  16. Don’t you skin them first? I wonder how it is that I have never heard of this method, and I am certainly old enough that I should have. It sounds amazing.

  17. Mary, I use a commercial juicer to run my tomatoes through. No skinning at all. Mine turn out just like the crushed tomatoes you buy in the store. Oven canning is definitely an old method, my Aunt always used this method.

  18. The only thing I disagree with you on is not cooking your tomatoes ahead of time. My mother has canned the same way for well over 50 years (my grandmother probably 70 – until she died) but, NEVER do we not let our tomatoes come up to a rapid boil for a minimum of 30 minutes before canning. My mom has taught me – 200 degrees for the jars, boil the lids (I don’t use 2 piece lids – I prefer my Italian jars…). We turn off the oven the remove the jars just before we are ready to can – we never let them cool. To each his own but, letting your jars “cool” and not doing any cooking ahead of time could eventually spell disaster – and trust me – I DO NOT subscribe to the FDA opinion that pressure or water bath is required. Interesting perspective. What are of the country are you? My mom grew up on a farm in the DEEP south… Cheers, D

    1. I am in Michigan. I have been doing it this way for 20 years and I know many disagree, but so far so good for me:) Thank for adding your method to the comment section, I know others will want to read.

      1. I feel like we are missing something from your recipe or instructions. You said to cut up your tomatoes and put them in the jars with lid, place them in a 250 degree oven for 20 minutes. But later in reading the comments back and forth you said you cook them and put them in a juicer in hot jars. Can you start over and give step by step how you actually can them

        1. Barb I juice mine or cut them up, whatever works best for you and put the hot tomatoes into hot jars, place in the oven and cook.

          1. Sorry this seems a bit silly but your last blog says you juice your tomatoes and then put hot tomatoes in hot jars. How long do you cook them before pitting then in the jar?

          2. Megan just until they’re hot, close to boiling.

  19. I make my sauce in the oven, let it simmer for 5 hours, then turn the oven off overnight as the tomatoes continue to cook throughout the night. Then in the morning ( or later) I put into clean sterile quart jars, and add the lids that have been simmered 10 min; wow yours…what an easy way to process them, the problem is my way only produces 9 qts. I guess it would be easy enough to do the fresh toms, and make sauce as I need it, but boy it is so easy having it made and letting the flavors intermingle on the shelves. However, I am going to try your method, wouldn’t hurt to have both kinds! Thanks I will let you know how this turns out.

    1. Rebecca, I do like how fast it is and when you do hundreds of quarts of year you want it to go as quickly as possible:)

  20. I make my sauce inthe oven, let it simmer for 5 hours, then turn the oven off overnight as the tomatoes continue to cook throughout the night. Then in the morning ( or later) I put into clean sterile jars, and add the lids that have been simmered 10 min; what an easy way to process them, the problem is my way only produces 9 qts. I guess it would be easy enough to do the fresh toms, and make sauce as I need it, but boy it is so easy having it made and letting the flavors intermingle on the shelves. However I am going to try your method, wouldn’t hurt to have both kinds of sauce! Thanks I will let you know how this turns out.

    i don’t have a websight

  21. Dawn, I am having serious envy over your commercial juicer that makes quick work of crushing the tomatoes! If we keep planting so many tomatoes, I’m going to invest in one of those! When I can tomatoes, it’s the peeling and cutting up of the tomatoes that I find so time consuming. I remember you telling me how you can your tomatoes in the oven so I’m glad you did a post about it to explain how you do it.

  22. adela olivero says:

    sorry to bother you with yet some other questions:

    i live in Italy so you can imagine how great this recipe is for me!. we eat pasta every day ๐Ÿ™‚

    1) do you pre-sterilize the jars and lids?

    2. you don’t peel the tomatoes but i don’t have the juicer so, can i use my FP or blender?

    3. sorry but I don’t have this clear: after you pour the sauce into the jar., do you close the lid tightly?

    I’m going today to the store to buy the canning bottles. can’t wait to do it!!!!!
    THANK YOU!!!

  23. Adela,
    I used clean jars right from the dishwasher. I do not heat up the lids or rings. Yes I think you could just puree the tomatoes in the blender. Yes I close the lid tightly.
    Let me know if you have any other questions:)

    1. adela olivero says:

      so nice of you to reply! will let you know if i succeeded!

      1. Adela make sure you put the jars of tomatoes into a cold oven. Preheat oven to 250 and let the jars sit for an hour. Turn oven off and leave jars in oven till cool:) Good luck!

    2. adela olivero says:

      Hi Dawn! (I love your name)

      I have my bottles, I have the tomatoes and I am ready to do my canning this afternoon.
      But there is something else I want to ask you: you say that you puree them in the blender and then refrigerate them overnight. Is that necessary or is it just because you are canning hundreds of bottles?
      Thank you

  24. Dawn,
    I definitely want to try your method. The only question I have is can I just half or quater my tomatoes instead of crushing them?

    1. Anita, You sure can:) I do my spaghetti sauce the same way. Any tomato product will work with this method.

  25. I have another question. Your instructions say to turn the oven off once it has preheated, but one of your email replies says turn oven on to 250 and let the tomatoes process for about 30 minutes. Is that 30 minutes just with the oven cooling down after you turn it off?

  26. Anita, I directions actually say to shut the oven off after it is preheated, but I always let it process for 30 minutes and then shut the oven off:)

  27. ann herford says:

    Dawn, Just a couple of questions on your procedure here with the tomatoes…First of all could you just core and peel the tomatoes whole and use this process…and also do you add salt…I have always added salt thinking it would help preserve them. Thanks in advance for your reply… Ann

    1. Ann, Yes you can do the tomatoes any way you want to. Skin on or off. I juice the whole tomato, but it can be done any way you want. No I don’t add salt, but you can if you wish. It will not affect the canning process.

  28. Mom didn’t process tomatoes in a canner or the oven. She had everything hot and they sealed perfectly. I know it’s not recommended but her Mom did it and so do I and we’ve never had any problem. Tomatoes are the only thing she did that way. Makes life easier.
    Hugs,
    Dru

  29. Dru, I had an Aunt do it that way too and she always turned the jars upside down while waiting for them to seal.

  30. I’m sorry to tell you this but oven canning is not a safe way to put up foods. It tells you on the box that jars should not be put into the oven. They will warp and in some cases break. You will also have the potential for botulism since you are not processing your jars properly. I hope that your followers see this message so they don’t repeat this mistake.

    1. Cindy, I know what it says but old farmers wives have been doing it this way for years with no problems. The FDA isn’t always correct they just have to follow a standard that sometimes is overly cautious.

    2. amy watson says:

      Well, I too have been doing it this way for 35 years….and Dawn is right, The FDA is certainly not right all the time….If you listen to them, you are throwing away perfectly good food because the shelf life they give on most EVERYTHING frozen or canned is a lot shorter than actual shelf life…..I don’t pay it any attention and I come from a long line of women that made do with what they had, and didn’t follow FDA reccomendations and we have not only survived, but have THRIVED……

      1. Amy you are right they set the standard high because one person became sick one time. I didn’t want this post to cause such a stir. Everyone is entitled to process their food any way they like:) and for me this works so I will be sticking to it. Thank you for your comment, I totally agree with you!

    3. amy watson says:

      I certain didn’t mean to insinuate that you, Cindy Shipp were throwing away or wasting food, I was speaking in general about it, and from your comment that you left, it sounded as though I made you mad, and it was certainly not my intention to do that or to cause a problem, on this great blog, although I don’t see the comment anymore, If I made anyone uncomfortable, I am sorry..It was not my intention…I think No one should be criticized or made to feel bad for the way the do things…..We are all different and have our ways….I believe what works for you and your family..Works…I always have…

      1. Amy, I am the one who deleted Cindy Shipps comment. I write material for everyone to read and make their own choices, and felt she was just looking to be disagreeable. You have not made anyone mad here at my site and are welcome back any time. I enjoy reading your comments and interacting with you:) Have a pleasant day.

        1. amy watson says:

          Thank You,Dawn I am really enjoying your blog ๐Ÿ™‚ I will be liking you on Fb too Have a great day!!!

  31. amy watson says:

    OMGosh…I did not know anybody still did them this way..I DO TOO!!!!!!My Great Aunt Vada taught me this way to do tomatoes about 35 years ago…and I too can a lot of tomatoes and this is how I do them…I don’t own a pressure canner, Never have…My Mama cooked with a pressure cooker when my sister and I were young, and she put the fear of it in our brains FOREVER!!!….. I can hear her now ” Stop running in the house, I have the pressure cooker going” …”Don’t slam that screen door, I have the pressure cooker going” Well..You get the picture, Me or my sister to this day are scared to death of pressure cookers/canners….So I was thrilled to read someone else that does them in the oven…..I too have been raked over the coals about it being unsafe, so I quit telling people thats how I do it…..and I haven’t killed anyone in the 35 years that I have done them this way….I even give them for gifts in food baskets…..SHHHHHH…..don’t tell ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. Amy, my mom had a terrible experience with a pressure cooker and things exploded every where inside of it. I know many don’t like this method but it works for us and I do all the canning for 3 generations of our family. My grandparents are in their 90’s and still going strong after eating my tomatoes. LOL

      1. Christine says:

        Modern Pressure Cookers are much safer than they used to be. My mother never had one, but I was intrigued so I taught myself. You can find them CHEAP at yard sales. I found a brand new 16 qt one for $10! — it had been a wedding gift- and the new bride was afraid to use it. It has 2 safety seals that will blow if the pressure gets too high and a safety twist function that keeps hot steam from your hands when you release it. It will NOT open when it is under pressure. Not completely idiot proof but they have put much more thought into them. I can put a pot roast on the table from rock hard frozen to OMG this cooked all day delicious in 90 minutes when I defrost it in the microwave and then cook it in the pressure cooker. ๐Ÿ™‚

        1. Christine, I have 2 pressure cookers one to can with which I seldom use and a small one to do meals in. You are right it is amazing how fast you can cook a frozen meal in one. I have an uncle that makes all there meals in a pressure cooker.

  32. Love this technique. I think I’ll still cook my tomatoes because we like making a general pasta/pizza sauce to have on hand. Canning by water bath I never mastered, but the oven looks SO much easier. It was such a overwhelming year for tomatoes, I’m going to need to do something to preserve them. Only so much spaghetti, pizza, and tomato sandwiches the family can handle lol.

    1. Kara, I do spaghetti and pizza sauce too. I do cook that for hours, but can it in the same way, in the oven. Our tomato season wasn’t the best this year, so I am doing all I can to get us through the winter. Do you ever make salsa?

  33. Thanks for this post. My MIL used to can chili just by heating the chili and putting it in hot jars and putting on the lids and rings, but I was never too keen about that. I think processing them in the oven is a great idea and an improvement on her method. For the record, she never made anyone sick. I also think she checked her jars/seals very often. I will try the oven and this will get a lot more done all at once rather than doing 7 jars in my water bath canner out on my garage stove.Brilliant!

    1. I agree doing 30 at a time is much better than 7. My aunt used to do them like your MIL but she always turned them on there top and she never had a problem with them sealing. I just used 4 jars of mine today and every lid went pop when the seal was broke.

  34. Ok, my wife is out of town right at the peak of tomato season (how convenient!). She asked me to use this method. I just did a batch of 4 jars and have a few of questions:
    1) She wants me to skin them, but I see you use a juicer. We have a Jack LeLane juicer, so I just tried using that. I get mainly tomato juice. My peels did not get as small as yours, but I still took the tomato guts from the discarded side and tossed them in the jars with the juice. I did take out a few of the bigger hunks of skin, but most were <1/2" so left them in. Is that going to ruin them?
    2) She has two different jar sizes. I put them all in the oven together. Do I need to adjust the cooking time?
    3) I read through the entire blog, and see you mention several times to put the lids on tight, but just wanted to ask again – I put the lids on, then thread the 'ring' on tight before putting in the oven, right?
    4) Can I use Cherry and Grape tomatoes as well as the bigger ones?

    1. Bob,
      1) Perfect. Leave everything in the jar, that is exactly what I do mix the juice and guts all together:)
      2) Put every size jar in together no different cook time.
      3) Yes that is right put the lid on and then the ring and tighten with your hand is sufficient.
      4) Yes, mix them all together. I even juice a little garlic, onion, or green pepper some times into the mix it gives it great flavor.
      Put them in the oven and turn the oven on to 250, once it is preheated set a timer for 30 minutes after 30 minutes turn the oven off and let the jars cool in the oven. I leave them at least 2 hours in the oven to cool, if I need the oven I time it so they at least get the 2 hours. Set them on a dishtowel on the counter and you will start hearing the seal popping:) Good luck hope your wife is proud of you.

      1. Thanks for the quick response, Dawn.
        Two of the jars appear to have sealed, while the other two did not. I think maybe because I live in a higher altitude location I need to increase the time to 45 min and temp to 260.
        And even though I left the two ‘unsealed’ jars out about 20hrs I’m thinking about just using them to make some spaghetti sauce and freezing. Hopefully the heating will kill any bacteria that may have formed.

        1. Bob, very interesting about the altitude. I have no idea on how to direct you with that. It would be interesting to see if it works by processed them for the 45 minutes. If 2 sealed I think the process time is pretty darn close. I bet the 45 minutes would do the trick. I hope your wife is happy you got it done:)

          1. Looks like that did it – 13 of 14 sealed.
            Will use the one that didn’t seal for my favorite ‘bachelor’ meal -a spicy Beef Vindaloo!

            Thanks for all your help.

        2. Christine Sherman says:

          Thanks for the altitude tip, I was just about to try this!

    2. Bob, I am so proud of you figuring it all out. I bet your wife will be glad that task is taken care of. Enjoy your bachelor meal:)

  35. Carla Van says:

    I am so thrilled that I found this today as I have my Mother in law and Sister in law coming over tomorrow to help me can tomatoes!I am going to try your method. I had never even heard of it before reading your blog. Thanks for sharing! I will let you know how I do.I am already anticipating the time saved. I think I will call them now to tell them they don’t need to come so early after all. Thanks again and God Bless!

    1. Carla, Make sure you read all the comments it looks like if you live where the altitude is higher you need to process them a little longer. Good luck, and I am glad you are getting some help:)

      1. Jessica C says:

        I just followed your method and 2 out of 3 sealed. Am I able to put the unsealed one back in the oven to seal or should I put it in the fridge to be used this week? I am at an elevation of 6700 feet (Colorado Springs) and just saw that I should process a bit longer (a bit late). Is there still hope?? lol

  36. May I ask what all you use the tomatoes for? Also, do you leave the skins on? Thanks!

    1. Verna, Yes I leave the skins on and run the whole tomato thorough my juicer everything ends up in tiny piece so you would never know the skins are there. I use them for chili, goulash, spaghetti sauce, macaroni and tomatoes (something hubby likes), I pour them over a roast and cook it in the crockpot, for soups. We go through about 300 quarts a year.

  37. Carla Van says:

    I am actually in Michigan like you. SW side. Question. ?..do you put on cookie sheets when you put in oven? Got them done and ready to put in but was asked if they should be put on pans. My guess is no but want to be sure. Thanks Bunches Dawn!!

    1. Im in SW Michigan too:) I have never put them on a cookie sheet but see no reason why you can’t.

  38. My sister cans her tomatoes this way as well and enjoys perfect results. This year my daughter and I were looking for a quick peel method and found it. We mostly grew plum and Roma tomatoes so it may differ slightly for regular tomatoes. First, we boiled a large amount of water (water canner full). While that was coming to a boil we put the stopper in the sinks and filled both sides with tomatoes (probably close to thirty pounds). Then, we poured the boiling water over the tomatoes and set the timer for two minutes. After two minutes, we pulled the stoppers (using tongs) and drained the hot water and immediately ran cold water over the tomatoes to cool them off and stop the cooking process. With a sharp knife, remove the core and give the tomato a gentle squeeze. The tomatoes pop right out of ther skin and it took us about 45 minutes to skin all 30 pounds (30 lbs is a LOT of Roma and plum tomatoes). Worked like a charm.

    1. Lawna, wow you had a lot of tomatoes to do. My hubby helps me, I bet you enjoy your daughters help. It is a lot of work, but worth it when winter rolls around. Glad to hear your sister uses the same canning method. I just did another 20 quarts last night with perfect results. Thanks for stopping by:)

  39. Christine Sherman says:

    Thanks for sharing this. My husband is bringing in tomatoes and I was just wondering what I should do with them all when I saw your post on pinterest, thanks!

    1. Christine, make sure you read all the comments and you will get a good feel for what will work for you:)

  40. I have a flat top stove, which comes with tons of warnings regarding canning. I have had to drive to my parents’ house (pounds of tomatoes in tow) to use their beautiful gas range. Your recipe has saved me a drive! A heavy rain in Kansas last week caused tons of my tomatoes to get ripe, so I was lucky to stumble on your recipe today. Thank you so much!

    1. Madison, good for you I had no idea you couldn’t use a canner on a flat top, that is disappointing but good to know. Make sure you read all the comments and get a good feel for what works for people.

  41. Wow! Now I find this post…. I’ve been canning for a straight month and my tomatoes are overwhelming me! I’m definitely going to do this. Oh how much time it saves, and sweat lol. Thanks

    1. Linda it is a life safer and makes the task so much more enjoyable! Make sure you read all the comments do you get a feel for what works in different altitudes.

  42. Oh my…this is the first time I have every heard anyone else do it this way. I grew up with my parents doing it this way and this is the way my husband and I do tomatoes. The only difference is once we stick them in the oven we wait until we see them bubble and then take them out. We also never had any spoil. I think next year we will try turning off the oven and letting them set. Thank you for posting

    1. oh..we have also done spag sauce, salsa, pizza sauce this way. After reading all the comments I also want to day we cook our tomatoes first and sterilize our jars, then fill the jars and place them in the oven. I will do the water bath if it is a small batch..but when your husb plants 35-40 tomato plants, there is rarely a small batch.

      1. Lynn, I also do those tomato items in the oven too. I would rather do a large batch any day and have it over quickly.

    2. Lynn, It is nice to find a fellow canner who also uses this method. I know it is an old one but it’s still in use:)

  43. In your picture, you don’t have the rings on the jars. Do you remove the ring after you take them out of the oven?

    1. Gail, I remove the ring when they have cooled down enough to put them into storage, I find if you leave the ring on they tighten up and sometimes you can’t get them off when you are ready to use what’s in the jar.

  44. Also, can you use this process if you put meat in the sauce?

    1. Gail, NO meat can be processed this way. We don’t like meat in ours so I never use it anyway, it is something you would need to add once you open the jar:)

  45. Hi there! I am new to canning and some sites are so confusing! I portion and freeze homemade Alfredo sauce but now that I can and found this I wonder… Would it be safe to just can my Alfredo sauce this way and refrigerate or freeze it?

    1. Heather, I wouldn’t do alfredo sauce this way but I do think you could freeze it just fine.

  46. Dawn may I ask nicely why some well written comments seem to have been deleted?

    I recongized Darlene from other canning groups we are both on and she is an expert canner whom I respect a lot. The BALL Blue Book from the BALL canning jar company is excellent and one most libraries as well as Amazon.com has. I highly recommend it for any newbie.

    LOVE your blog and you do great photography of all you do.

  47. I followed your recipe and it worked like a charm!!! Thanks!! Now I have a winters supply of tomato juice, sauce, etc. I was wondering, have you ever canned veggie soup with meat in it? I made a huge batch and have left overs. I’d like to just can it but am a bit worried about the meat. What are your thoughts??

    1. Ann, so glad you had success:) I would not do anything with meat for sure this way, but veggies may be ok. Maybe try a small batch first. I do, do broth with this method.

  48. I was wondering, is this method suitable for canning jalapeno peppers? I know when I was a teenager we canned some pickles and did not water bath. Just fulled with hot brine and put the lids on. The jars sealed as they cooled. No problem.
    Everything seems to have to be water bathed or pressured to keep. Our pickles were crisp and nice. Cooking seems to
    make them soft. Anyway, just wondered what you thought of putting jalapeno peppers in a jar and doing the same way as
    the tomatoes. They are put in a brine of vinegar and salt and water.

    1. I am not sure, my opinion would be that it would work fine but have never tried it.

  49. Agnes Grey says:

    I have been canning for years and have never heard of this method. It sounds wonderful and I can’t wait to try it. I have one question: how much head space do you leave in the jar? When I water bath mine I usually leave about 1/4 – 1/8 inch, is it the same with this method?

    1. Agnes, I leave 1/2″ head space in my jars. No matter which method I use that is what I leave.

      1. Question, have you ever water bath canned succotash made with tomatoes?

        1. No I haven’t and I have never heard of it….what is is?

          1. my daughter buys it in the gro store. Onions, tomatoes, whole kernel corn, lima beans, seasoning. Wondered about adding lemon juice for the acidity factor.

            I’m one of those little old women who still water bath (3hours) green beans and we have never had a problem. Thanks for your comments.

            pj

          2. Nan I believe you would be fine to add the lemon juice.

  50. Becky Frazier says:

    my hair dresser told me about this last year. I canned about 18 pts… they were great… This year I have 25 tomato plants; my only complaint is the buying of more jars. I have found some at yard sales. Do you have any salsa or spaghetti sauce recipes… I’m old but not retired; looking forward to canning tomatoes this way. It’s such a reward come winter.
    thanks, Becky

    1. Becky, I will send you over my secret spaghetti recipe by eamil ๐Ÿ™‚

      1. I would love to have your spaghetti sauce recipe. I’ve never canned spaghetti sauce but have canned many, many pints of tomatoes through the years. There is nothing that compares to home canned tomatoes. I’m going to give your method a try this year, it sounds so much easier. I live in Colorado at 5500′ elevation, I am wondering if I need to increase the processing time……some research might be in order.

  51. Loved this blog…I am canning tomatoes tomorrow And I will definitely try this method. Thank you so much.

    1. Shirley I hope it all goes well for you. I love this easy method.

  52. Michelle Delk says:

    Do you just put the jars on the rack or do you put them in pans?

  53. This is my first year for gardening. I am really enjoying it and I am very glad I found your post. I only have 5 tomato plants but they are unbelievably huge and have a ton of tomatoes on them. I can’t wait to try this method and I would love to know how you make spaghetti and salsa.

    1. Bonnie, I have had several people ask for my spaghetti recipe so I will post it on Sunday for everyone. I don’t make salsa so Im no help there.

  54. Gayle Jones says:

    Can I process spiced peaches this way…..I plan to boil simple syrup and pour over raw peach halves with my spices, seal and put in oven like your process. Think this would work??

    1. Gayle, I have no idea. I only do tomatoes this way. I would google it more and see if you can find the answer.

  55. I’m so excited to hear that someone else does the “oven method”. This is how I’ve been doing it for 20+ years and how my folks did it also. I never even knew what a “water canner” was until I started telling people how we did tomatoes. Thank you for this blog and I look forward to your spag. recipe.

    1. Lynn, The spaghetti sauce recipe is up today:) I love this method but I know many disagree with it.

  56. Hi Dawn! I intend on trying this method to can 2 bushels of roma tomatoes for our family. I’ve heard that you have to add a little lemon juice to all your jars before putting the tomatoes in, to avoid botulism… My MIL who was Italian, canned tomatoes her whole life and other than basil leaves, never added anything to her jars, including lemon… Have you heard of this? Is it really necessary?

  57. I can like this all the time!! Someone had asked about putting lemon Juice to preserve … When my grandma taught me to can she always taught me to put a tsp. of salt and sugar on top before sealing. I also always boil my seals to insure a good seal. To spice my tomatoes up for chili I add a hot pepper I have cut the top off into the tomatoes. Happy canning!!!

  58. Hi Dawn,

    First time posting to anyone’s blog. ๐Ÿ™‚ You will be my hero once I buy some new jars. I’m super excited that I won’t have to keep throwing away rotten tomatoes! We had an early blight (I think?) and have massive amounts of tomatoes that we can’t use up fast enough!!

    I bought jars last year, but was never able to buy all the other canning supplies everyone said was needed. Those jars are now scattered about the house being used to hold pens, change, candy, screws, etc. I was also completely overwhelmed by all it seems to take to go through the process of canning with the pressures and the baths… I can manage LANs and WANs and routers, oh my!, but I am utterly stumped by canning methods! Go figure.

    My question:
    We also have a bunch of cucumbers. It’s our first time growing them and evidently we did a really good job for city folk, but I have no idea what to do with all of them! My husband has taken a lot to work, but so is everybody else. I’m pretty sure cucumbers aren’t good candidates for freezing… They aren’t acidic (right?) so there’s no oven method for them, is there? What would Dawn do? =)

    Thank you!!!

    1. Shelley, Lucky you to have so many tomatoes ๐Ÿ™‚ You can make pickles with the cucumbers but you can’t freeze them they would be mush. I would use them to make pickles and reslish.

  59. Can you do can jelly in the oven too? I have never done canning and I have a flat top stove. We have a guava tree in our yard and I would like to be able to make my own jelly. Can you tell me how to do this?
    Thank you!

    1. Alyce, I have no idea on that. I just do tomatoes in the oven.

  60. Judie Leckrone says:

    I was so glad to find your blog!! My friend’s Mom gave me this recipe 10 or more years ago and I cannot find it and have tons of tomatoes sitting here, waiting for me. My only question is: can I use red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice and, is an acid really needed? I don’t think it was in the other recipe. Thank you.

    1. Judie, No you don’t have to use any acid. So glad you have lots of tomatoes to can ๐Ÿ™‚

  61. I read the instructions wrong, and/or I confused your directions with other peoples’. I made tomato sauce, as I’ve done every year for quite a while. However, I have always frozen my sauce, and really wanted to try canning this year. I put hot sauce into hot jars, pre-heated oven to 250, put my jars in, and turned the oven off. I am about 20 minutes in. I re-read your directions, and saw that you leave the oven ON after your jars go in, for 30 minutes. Since I didn’t do this, should I turn the oven back on, or let it go? If I don’t turn the oven back on, will my sauce run the risk of going bad?

    1. Sheri, it works both way. I have used both methods and they both work just fine.

  62. My two cents – I haven’t read every comment, so forgive me if I’m redundant. I’ve eaten tomatoes like this my whole life (54 years). I peel them, blanching them in the kitchen sink. I quarter them, removing the core and any hard white bits. I push them down well in a quart jar, leaving about 1 inch of headspace.. I do heat the lids, then place the lids and rings on the jars. I place them in a cold oven at 250 for 2 1/4 hours. Turn off the oven and let them sit over night.

    1. Avis that’s perfect. I have never tried them for 2 1//4 hours. I will give that method a try next time. I still have spaghetti sauce to do.

  63. Have 12 large jars of tomato sauce canned so far! ๐Ÿ™‚ All lids popped. I put them in oven, turned to 260, left them in for 30 mins after oven reached temp, then turned off oven and left them in until cool. Hopefully it worked. Today, I am trying hot pepper jelly. I’m going to try them in the oven too.

    1. Sheri, way to go:) I love the hot pepper jelly, I make it with ghost peppers.

  64. Holy moly, ghost peppers? That’ll be HOT! I used jalepeno, hot banana, red and yellow bell peppers. If nothing else, it’s pretty. I am trying them in the oven, because I am using so much vinegar, but may refrigerate them anyway.
    Any suggestions on how to keep the peppers from floating to the top? I used chopped, rather than blending them. Am thinking that, after they “pop”, I might invert them. Not sure if that’s a good idea or not.

    1. Sheri, I have never found a food hot enough for me. I like things hot, hot, hot. I have never had problems with them floating to the top. Could you make your jelly thicker?

  65. Yeahโ€ฆmy beginner status is showingโ€ฆguess I didn’t use enough pectin. As the jars cool, I see that they will be more like a heavy syrup. Feeling sad. Will have to try again after I buy more pectin and jars. Do you use liquid or dry pectin?

  66. Hi, I love your idea! Could you send me the detail process? I was wondering if I could just cut up my tomatoes, and spices and green peppers, plus a little onion? I read all the comments, and got over loaded with all the info…. Thanks in advances!!!

    1. Freida, yes you could put all that into the tomatoes. It’s very easy. Heat up the tomatoes to a simmer. Put empty jars in the oven at 250 until hot, simmer lids and rings on top of the stove. Once everything is hot fill jars, add lids and return to 250 degree oven. Bake at 250 for 1 hour to 2 hours, depending on where you live and elevation. Turn oven off, leave jars in oven till oven is cool. This can be all day if need be. You will hear the jars sealing one by one.

  67. I make salsa with store bought cans of tomatoes and fresh peppers. Can I oven can this?

  68. This is my third year of canning tomatoes and always used my oven. What I do is turn my oven on 220 and put jars, lids and caps in and leave them in the oven til I’m ready for the sauce. Pour the sauce in each jar, adding lemon juice in the sauce, leaving 1/2 inch at the top, hand tighten each jar and let them sit on the counter til they seal. Each jar has sealed and I, like you, haven’t killed any family members ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. Jen, so glad to hear you use this method too. I love it when it all works out ๐Ÿ™‚ and Yep my family is still alive and kickin.

  69. Dot Craft says:

    I to have been canning for many years approx 45 years am now 62 but have never heard of the oven method for tomatoes. I am always up for new ideas thank you for sharing,for the record I am from North Carolina!

    1. Dot yes you should give it a try. I know it’s an old method but it’s still used:)

  70. This article is interested and I must to follow it.

  71. I have a friend and she oven cans everything. She has been doing it this way for years. Her whole family does it this way. It was handed down to her and they oven can everything from meat to vegetables and they have had nothing go bad for them or their children. So I am going to learn to do this. When I find out how they oven can their meat and vegetables, I will post it and it is up to whoever wants to try it.

    1. Barb, I would love to know how they do their meat. I’ve never tried that. Thanks for the info ๐Ÿ™‚

  72. i make a Spaghetti sauce that U cook on the stove that has ground beef, Italian sausage, lots of tomatoes, onions, garlic, spices and cheesesteak. B would I be able to use this method of canning in the oven to preserve this for the winter?

  73. laura church says:

    Wow I must try this!!!! Thank you so much!!!! Question does this work with all canning? I do a lot of canning and this would save a lot of energy because I try to put up as much as I can.

  74. Hi Dawn,
    I tried your method today with cooked down tomatoes in quart jars, and I heated the oven to 300 because it tends to be cooler than the set temp – they all sealed but while in the oven they leaked some onto the pan I had them sitting on. Has this ever happened with yours and do you know if I need to start over?

    Thanks for your advice!

    1. Kelly, they should be fine. I find if they leak they’re too full, so just add a little less next time.

  75. Rita Dawson says:

    Hi Dawn just found your blog for oven canning…I have an italian tomato squeezing machine which skins and seeds tomatoes..works great , my question … I usually heat the tomatoes then put them in hot jars … Should I still heat them before the oven method?

  76. Thank you for the
    past reply. I’m seeing mixed comments on the lids and rings being being heated, also the tomatoes. In other comments lids where hot but not rings. Tomatoes you put through the juicer. Did you heat them after ? Where can I find the full step directions, please? Just want to make sure I am following all the steps. Can you recommend a type of juicer ? There seem to be many and mix reviews.

    Sincerely
    Cathy

    1. Cathy I think you can do the rings and lids however you choose with the same results. Yes I heated the tomatoes (to a low boil) after the juicing. I have a champion juicer and have had it for 30 years.

  77. This is interesting!!! Before you put the jars in the oven, do you tighten the rings on the lid tightly first? Another question is, do you put the jars right on the oven rack or do you put them on baking sheets?

    Thank you.

    1. Lyuda yes tighten the lid and you can do either the rack or a sheet. I normally do the rack because I can fit more into the oven that way but either works.

  78. Hi Dawn i am still misding parts of the recipe, can you please send a description step by step, you are mentioning cooking, how long what temp before or after juicing…alot is missed here and i want to do it right so i dont waste money on the tomatoes. Thank you

  79. I just tried to do this! And my jars kinda still pop on the top.. does that mean it didn’t seal properly?

    1. Aalisa yes that’s what it means. Not sure where you live but if it’s out west where the altitude is higher you may have to turn up the oven to 350 to get them to seal.

  80. Stephanie says:

    I have done oven canning with pickles before but am getting a bushel of peaches this week and was hoping to can some of them without buying a pressure cooker. Think it would work similarly as your crushed tomatoes?

  81. Susan R Merritt says:

    Do you grow your own tomatoes or do you buy them?

  82. GLORIA TINDALL says:

    Hi, Dawn! My husband and I just did the oven method last night with 50# of tomatoes. I did not pre-heat the tomatoes, other than to skin them. I did not pre-heat my jars, just took them out of the dishwasher. I did them in a 275* oven for 45 minutes. All sealed but 5. I’m now concerned that I should have boiled my tomatoes! Should I re-do them???
    Thanks, Gloria

  83. Here a recipe for tomato sauce someone asked for:tomato,crushed garlic,finely dice onion&pepper hot or mild your choice,shredded carrots to add sweetness against acid flavor brown sugar aswell to taste two table spoons of lime juice per pints or 50/50 applecider vinegar and lime juice if you oven can it put all lime and vinegar in pot at end of cooking its easier,oregano,salt at beginning it melds all flavors lid in hot water fill hot jar put on lid put in 250 degree oven for one hour shut off let coll for a while with oven door slighly open take out cover top with cloth let cool till cover pop in next day put in pantry

  84. I can’t wait to try this method! I only have a small garden & can as I need to when I have too many fresh ripening at once (I usually end up with 6-8 pints a season). Great not to have to have a pot of water at a low boil for 40m in the middle of August each time I decide to can surplus tomatoes!

  85. I tried a similar method but didn’t start with a cold oven… it was already preheated to 250. Does that make a huge difference?

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