Maybe it's the species of tomato?

Usually I've only canned plum varieties of tomato - they have less water in them. I believe that would be what you would find canned at the grocery store too. Now I mostly freeze them - all different varieties - they are watery when they thaw. But depending on use I cook them down more or less. I like fresh quick tomato sauce a lot and your's should be great for that. Yum!

*** What process are you using? ***

Part of it is just "the nature of the beast", but some can be controlled by process and variety of tomato.

Hot pack usually results in less floating and separation.
Sometimes crushed/diced with also help as will draining the tomatoes for a bit before packing the jars.

Deanna

What they said. I cook them down a bit and there's less separation.

I also hot pack tomatoes because they do separate less.

Depending on the tomato, the weather, the amount of moisture, how juicy the tomato, etc., I get separation some years, others I don't.

And I tend to just shake the jar before I dump it into chili or whatever and that mixes it all back in. Why? I dunno, it looks prettier, LOL.

Annie

Annie

Have noticed that, too, even though I jam pack the jars?? I just give them a good shake once jars are cool.

Commercially canned tomatoes probably have some kind of thickener added??

"*** What process are you using? ***
[...]
hot pack usually results in less floating and separation."

I'll have to try that. I've been putting 'em in the jar cold. The into the pressure canner.