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Growing Tomatoes

Fresh Canned Tomatoes

15 years ago

I have a question that I know belongs on the canning forum but I asked over there some time back and no one knew. I have also asked my county extension office and they don't know. Many years ago a neighbor who is now deceased taught me how to can fresh sliced tomatoes and keep them in the refrigerator all winter. They were nearly as good as fresh and now it escapes me as to how it was done. Has anyone ever heard of this process? I remember that were not pressured canned or waterbathed.

Comments (7)

digdirt2
15 years ago
If they aren't pressure canned or BWB processed then they aren't canned. ;) They are either pickled or marinated.

There are many different Marinated Tomato Slices recipes around that will allow for refrigerated storage for a short period of time. But most of the old ones that claimed you could do long term storage have been un-approved and were pulled from the cookbooks and food preservation sites several years ago. Testing proved that long term storage of tomatoes wasn't safe unless acidified and heat processed. Even when marinated or pickled, bacteria, even botulism spore growth can still take place.

Dave
BeverlyAL
Original Author
15 years ago
Yes, in retrospect it does sound unsafe, but we ate on them all winter. I can see where they might not be called canned. They definitely were not pickeled or marinated. There was one thing put into the water they were in and I can't remember what it was. It prevented them from going mushy and didn't change their taste.
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oldroser
15 years ago
Helen Nearing had a recipe for tomatoes that were 'canned' by filling the jars with cold, clean water. This is NOT an approved method and the only reason Helen and Scott weren't poisoned by it was that they must have been immune to toxins! Helen did not use calcium chloride but that was probably the chemical you heard about - it firms up cukes for pickling, among other things.
Do NOT, repeat NOT, use this method. It's extremely dangerous.
BeverlyAL
Original Author
15 years ago
OldRoser, is there another name for calcium chloride? That may be what I did.

Beverly
oldroser
15 years ago
You can probably find it with canning supplies at Agway as it is used in pickles. Don't think it is a good idea - I prfer my food without the stuff used to spread on roads in winter!
Incidentally, Helen Nearing used jars with class clamp tops. The idea was to fill them to overflowing with cold water and then just put on the sterilized lid and rubber rings and seal which with that type of lid doesn't need heat.
solanaceae
15 years ago
As with canning the basic problem is the variability in acid levels of tomatoes. I am sure that one recipe may be perfectly safe for one tomato but a very bad idea for another.
carolynp
15 years ago
IMHO: you'd be nuts to try it. Botulism can lead to paralysis, not a fun way to spend Christmas. If it worked for you once, you've already dodged a bullet. Someone else had an awesome recipe for freezing tomatoes that sounded like it might work here on this site.

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