Canning Tomatoes

Our garden is producing an overabundance of tomatoes. I can't let them rot. I decided to give canning a try. I have always been intimidated by the canning process, but gave it a go. Here's how I did it:

Blanch tomatoes in boiling water for about 30 seconds;
With a slotted spoon, scoop them out and shock them with a quick dip in ice water;
Skins should easily slip off -- remove core.

Get a large kettle full of boiling water;
Place clean canning jars + lids + rings into boiling water and boil for about 5 min;

Using care, remove jars one at a time and fill with skinned, cored tomatoes until about 1/2 inch away from the top. I put in a little fresh lemon juice and salt as well. I also put in a couple of fresh basil leaves. Place lid on; and twist ring on loosely.

Put filled jars back into large kettle of water making sure that water does NOT cover tops of jars (you may have to remove some water). You don't want your jars totally immersed in the water. Water should come up leaving jars sticking out about an inch or so. Cover large kettle and gently boil for about 50 - 60 minutes.

Again, using care, remove jars from kettle and place on counter top to cool. You may want to use a towel underneath to absorb the water. The "popping" sound is music to the ears, as that means the jars have sealed properly. It may take a full 12 hours for all the jars to "pop" so be patient. If the jar does not seal properly, use immediately. You can tell a jar is properly sealed if when pressing on the lid it does not have any "give." The lid should be inverted enough not to allow any air movement from underneath. Just think of a baby food jar. If the baby food jar top "clicks" you know it's not sealed when the lid is pressed; whereas, sealed (unopened) baby food jar will not 'click' when the lid is pressed.