Preserving tomatoes from the garden

Preserving the vegies from my vegie patch is a skill I’ve been honing for many years, especially for tomatoes – a crop I can’t get enough of. Each year we grow a dozen or so plants to eat from fresh and to preserve. But why bother preserving when you can buy almost anything from your local shops any time of the year? It’s a good question that has multiple answers.

The benefits of preserving tomatoes

Preserving your produce can save you money and reduce unnecessary packaging. It also creates a safety net of bulk food that you can access during times of shortages. What am I talking about? Remember the many fresh food shortages we’ve experienced over the past few years due to Covid? Well, climate scientists say we should expect (and be prepared for) similar types of disruptions to our food supply as the global climate emergency rolls on. Growing and preserving some of our own food is a practical solution to this. Importantly, it’s also fun, and the more climate solutions we can embrace, simply because they bring us joy and improve our quality of life, the better.

How to preserve tomatoes

There is a dazzling array of options for preserving tomatoes. I prefer this canning method for making a simple passata that can be used for pretty much anything. It goes a little something like this…

• Prepare your tomatoes. Some folks put them into jars whole and cover them with whizzed-up tomatoes, but I like to cut some and whizz some for a range of textures. I use a food processor for the whizzing.
• Divide the tomatoes among your jars, removing any air pockets as you go.
• Leave a few centimetres of space at the top of the jar. Pop the rubber ring on each jar, ensuring there are no twists in the ring.
• Add one tablespoon of either vinegar, lemon juice or citric acid. These acidic ingredients protect the contents from spoiling. Screw on the lids and secure with clips, then place the jars into a water bath canner. Fill canner with water to three-quarters the height of the jars. Depending on what type of canning unit you’re using, this step may vary. More modern units recommend completely covering your jars with water, however, this doesn’t work for my old-style unit, as the water would leak out of existing gaps. Both methods appear to work well.
• Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for one hour.
• Remove the jars and leave them on the bench for 24 hours to cool. If the contents separate during this time, gently shake the jar. Store tomatoes in a cool pantry out of direct sunlight for months or years, and enjoy as needed.

Header image credit: Natalie Mendham

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