A safe home canned version of “Rotel” that is flawlessly substituted into recipes. This stewed tomatoes recipe is still one of my favorite home canning finds. It combines the nice tang and acidity of tomatoes with the kick of a pepper and a slight sweetness. Exactly like Rotel? Maybe not. But it just might be better.
We go through so much “Rotel”. Diced tomatoes and pepper are just a great addition in so many home cooked recipes. In fact, before I found this recipe, I was picking up cans and cans of “Rotel” at the store which seemed like such a waste when I grew the main ingredients in my garden every year. Why couldn’t I make that myself? Yet I could never find a safe and tested recipe that was word for word what I was looking for. You have to be careful when canning to follow tested recipes so that everything is preserved correctly and you don’t fall victim to food poisoning.
When I stumbled upon this gem, I instantly went to the kitchen and made a batch. And made another… and another. Friends, when cooking now, I tend to reach for my stewed tomatoes before I ever grab Rotel. It’s that good! And not to mention easy to make. This recipe literally whips up easier than tomato sauce. A true win-win all around.
Tried and Tested
This recipe comes straight from a university. It’s been tested to be safe and effective which is so important when using canning recipes. Home canning, if done without using a safe recipe, can lead to food poisoning. However, like I pointed out, this recipe has been tested by a university and so it’s more than safe when followed correctly.
Type of Tomato
Almost any type of your typical canning tomato will work well for this recipe, however I prefer using a Roma of San Marzano mixed with a few beefsteak type tomatoes. Roma’s and San Marzano tomatoes tend to be a little firmer and hold their shape more. By mixing in some beefsteak tomatoes with the San Marzano’s, a nice combination of flavor and tomato chunk is achieved.
Type of canner
The stewed tomato recipe that I follow recommends only using a pressure canner because of the pepper inclusion. So therefore, I strongly advise against NOT water bath processing this recipe even if many other tomato recipes are safe to water bath. Some things just aren’t worth the risk. I always recommend following a tested recipe. Personally, I prefer pressure canning anyway as it adds an extra level of safety against bacteria and toxins. There are two types of pressure canners available, a dial guage and a weighted gauge. Because there’s room for less error with a weighted gauge pressure canner, that’s the type I choose to use. You tend to have to be a bit more specific with a dial guage.
For this recipe, please use these guidelines supplied by the University of Georgia when determining how many pounds of pressure to process your jars at.
In a Dial Gauge Pressure Canner
As the altitude increases, the processing time for each food stays the same, but the canner pressure must be increased as follows:
At altitudes of 1001-2000 feet the processing pressure does not change. Process at 11 pounds pressure.
- At altitudes of 2001-4000 feet, process at 12 pounds pressure.
- At altitudes of 4001-6000 feet, process at 13 pounds pressure.
- At altitudes of 6001-8000 feet, process at 14 pounds pressure.
In a Weighted Gauge Pressure Canner
- At altitudes above 1000 feet, the processing time for each food stays the same, but the food must be processed at 15 pounds pressure.
–(Andress and Harrison, 2015)
Making Stewed Tomatoes
When making stewed tomatoes, the process is as simple as can be. Actual cooking time is significantly shorter than tomato sauce which makes this recipe quite easy to whip up.
- Start by removing the tomato peels by doing a quick blanch in hot water following with a dunk in cool water. This allows the peels to easily be removed.
- Follow with chopping the tomatoes into quarters. You don’t want the tomatoes to be too small or they can deteriorate in the cooking process.
- Next, chop up the green pepper of your choice and onion.
- Combine the tomatoes, pepper, onion, celery salt, sugar, and salt in a stock pot.
- Cover and cook the mixture for 10 minutes making sure that the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom.
- Fill your hot, sterilized canning jars with the tomato mixture making sure to leave a ½ inch of headspace in the jar.
- Make sure the rim of the jar is clean by wiping it with a damp towel. Add your canning lid and ring and process the jars in a pressure canner for set time and correct pressure.
- Once the jars are processed, let the canner naturalize pressure. Remove the jars and carefully place them on a towel on the counter. Allow the jars to cool for 24 hours before checking to make sure the jars sealed properly.
- And done! The jars are ready to go into your pantry to be used in your regular cooking. When you go to open the jars, make sure the seal is still good when you open it by the pressure equalizing with a sucking in noise.
How to use stewed tomatoes
Using stewed tomatoes in your cooking is just like using Rotel, except it might just be easier. I’ve thrown this in my Mexican dishes, used it in spaghetti, and just about anything else that requires diced tomatoes, with or with-out pepper.
My stewed tomatoes tend to turn out maybe just a little bit more watery than your typical diced tomato. So, for someone who likes less tomato chunks, it fits the bill perfectly. Also, since this recipe has a little bit of added sugar, you very well could adjust your cooking to account for that.
The Recipe & More Info
If you’re interested in where I found this stewed tomato recipe to see the original publication as well as more details about how to home can tomatoes, I highly recommend looking into University of Georgia’s publication, Preserving Food: Canning Tomatoes and Tomato Products. They lay out all of the all the information you need to understand for canning tomatoes.
References
Andress, E. L., & Harrison, J. A. (2015). Preserving Food: Canning Tomatoes and Tomato
Products. Athens; University of Georgia Extension.
Stewed Tomatoes
This recipe comes from The University of Georgia's extension. Find more here: https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/uga_can_tom.pdf
Ingredients
- 2 Quarts chopped tomatoes
- 1/4 C chopped green pepper
- 1/4 C chopped onions
- 2 tsp celery salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a stock pot, combine all of the ingredients and stir to combine. Cover/place the stock pot lid on and cook for 10 minutes. Continue to stir every little bit to prevent sticking.
- Ladle hot tomato mixture into hot jars making sure to leave 1/2 inch of headspace.
- Remove any air bubbles and double check headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars so they are clean.
- Process in a pressure canner for the appropriate time and at the correct pressure. Pints - 15 minutes. Quarts - 20 minutes. See pounds of pressure to use in notes section
Notes
In a Dial Gauge Pressure Canner
- At altitudes of 1001-2000 feet, process at 11 pounds pressure.
- At altitudes of 2001-4000 feet, process at 12 pounds pressure.
- At altitudes of 4001-6000 feet, process at 13 pounds pressure.
- At altitudes of 6001-8000 feet, process at 14 pounds pressure.
In a Weighted Gauge Pressure Canner
- At altitudes at or below 1000 feet, process at 10 pounds pressure.
- At altitudes above 1000 feet, food must be processed at 15 pounds pressure.
This recipe is not my own, but comes directly from the University of Georgia Extension's publication: Preserving Food: Canning Tomatoes and Tomato Products found at the following link.
https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/uga_can_tom.pdf
