One of the most important things you can do after preserving your tomatoes is to store all of your canned tomato jars so they not only stay at their peak of flavor – but so they also stay safe!
From tomato soup to diced tomatoes and more, it’s hard to beat all of the amazing products you can preserve from the beloved tomato. However, the care and attention you take in making and saving those tomatoes shouldn’t just end when the jars are sealed.
Properly storing all of your canned tomato products ensures your canning jars will be filled with the best flavor, nutrients and quality possible. But even more, it also means they will stay safe for you and all of those who consume them in the months that follow.
How To Safely Store Canned Tomato Jars
Although processing your tomatoes properly when canning is the first key to safety and success, the next key is to make sure you are storing your tomato products in the right container – and in the right way.
Whether you have made canned pasta sauce, tomato juice, salsa, pizza sauce – or simply diced tomatoes, it’s never good to open up a jar to find gray, fuzzy mold growing under the lid.
But there can also be other issues far worse than simple mold. One of the scariest is botulism. The problem with botulism is that you can’t smell, see or taste the toxins in your canned tomatoes. And it can cause a serious risk to the health and safety of anyone who might consume it.
For all these reasons and more, that is why it’s so important to always follow approved canning recipes when canning and preserving. See: How To Safely Can Salsa – 4 Must Know Tips Before Canning!
But equally important is making sure you store them correctly afterwards as well. After all, even if your jars were processed properly, they can still go bad if you store them in the wrong environment.
It All Starts With The Jars! How To Safely Store Canned Tomato Jars
Success in storing tomatoes begins with using the right kind of jars. Always use only clear glass jars that are made specifically for canning. Attempting to save money by re-using other types of glass jars is simply asking for trouble.
When using approved jars, make sure they are free from cracks or chips. Even the smallest chip on the rim of the jar can cause a seal to fail. Be sure to check each and every jar before adding your tomato products.
After you have waited the proper time after canning – usually 24 hours – you now need to check to make sure the seals are strong on each jar. To do this, remove the band of the lid. You do not need the band and should remove it when storing.
The band can actually harbor moisture, causing rust and other issues to form around the seal of your jar. In addition, the band can cause a false seal, not letting you see if a lid is properly sealed to the rim of the jar or not.
Checking For A Proper Seal – How To Safely Store Canned Tomato Jars
After you have removed the band, carefully lift up the jar using only the lid. If the lid holds, it has a proper seal. Another way to check is to press on the center of the lid. There should be no movement at all in the lid.
Move any jars that did not seal properly to your refrigerator and consume them within two weeks. Label the sealed jars with the date and tomato product inside. The sealed jars are now ready for long-term storage.
Picking The Right Location For Long Term Storage – How To Safely Store Canned Tomato Jars
Now that your jars of tomatoes have properly sealed, it’s time to find the perfect place for safely storing them. You need to choose a location in your home that stays within 50 to 70º Fahrenheit. This ideal range is not too cold and not too warm and helps preserve the best flavor and texture of your canned products.
Avoid ever allowing the jars to freeze or get near freezing as this can cause the jars to break. In addition, foods have a tendency to expand as they freeze, which may end up causing a break in the lid’s seal.
Also, avoid locations with high temperatures as well. High temperatures will cause the food to spoil much quicker. If you have your jars in an attached garage during the colder months, ensure that the same garage doesn’t get too hot during the summer months.
You also need to avoid moisture, since this can corrode and damage the lids. If your basement or storage area has a tendency to have high moisture, use a dehumidifier. Lastly, avoid any location that has direct sunlight. This can cause the foods to lose nutrition as well as warm up the jars to unsafe temperatures.
The best place for safely storing your canned tomatoes is a root cellar. However, most modern homes no longer have root cellars, so the next best option is a dry basement or a cool interior closet.
Never Stack Jars – How To Safely Store Canned Tomato Jars
Store the jars in a single layer on a shelf to make the most of your space. This is important. Stacking jars on top of one another can easily damage the rims and the seal. You can use any type of shelving as long as it can safely hold the weight of the filled jars. The last thing you want is your shelving unit to break, ruining all that precious canned produce.
Always store jars upright on the shelves. Placing them upside down or on their side will cause excess pressure to build up on the lids and allow the acid from the tomatoes to be in constant contact with the lids. This can cause the seals to weaken.
When adding your jars to the shelving units, make sure to put the newest jars to at the back of the shelves. This allows you to easily grab and use the oldest jars first. Again, this is where labeling the jar lids with the date is extremely helpful.
Before the next canning season rolls around, take inventory of what canned tomato products you have left. Most seals are guaranteed to last up to 18 months. However, to enjoy the best flavor and quality, always try to use homemade canned tomatoes within one year of processing.
By following these simple tips to safely and properly store your home canned tomato products, you can enjoy that fresh from the garden flavor all year long!
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