Having a stash of homemade tomato soup concentrate in your pantry is like doing a favor for your future self. Portioning it out in 26 ounce jars from Fillmore Container makes it look extra snazzy!
My tomato preservation approach is one that is forever evolving. I make a point of trying at least one new-to-me tomato recipe to each season, always hoping that I’ll discover something particularly delicious and worthy of my time, resources, and shelf space.
This year, there were two experimental recipes. The first was this barbecue sauce (which is quite delicious, but probably won’t be something I make every single year). The second is the tomato soup concentrate that I’m sharing today. I’m already hoping that when I get home from the trip I’m currently on (I’ve been away for a week, which accounts for the blog silence), I’ll be able to get enough tomatoes to make another batch.
Recipes for tomato soup concentrates that are safe for the boiling water bath canner aren’t always easy to find. I did a lot of reading and worked out more math problems than is typically required for a basic canning recipe in order to bring this to you today. I built my recipe upon the framework laid out in the National Center for Home Food Preservation’s water bath safe Tomato and Vegetable Juice recipe.
The thing in that recipe that made everyone here possible is the fact that it specifies that, “Not more than 3 cups of other vegetables may be added for each 22 pounds of tomatoes.” Taking my cue from there, I used 15 pounds of tomatoes, and a scant two cups of diced onions. I felt comfortable doing that, because I was keeping to their approach while reducing the batch size by one-third.
From there, it was a matter of chopping the tomatoes and cooking them down with the onion. Once they were soft, I pushed them through a food mill fitted with its finest screen. At that point, I had approximately 24 cups of flavorful tomato juice.
I added Italian seasoning and granulated garlic, and cooked it down until I had a thick, tasty 16 cups. Once I was finished cooking, I added salt to taste (it’s always best to wait until you’ve finished cooking something down before salting it. Otherwise, you can end up with something inedible).
Then I portioned 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid into five square sided 26 ounce jars from Fillmore Container and filled them up with my soup concentrate. I added five minutes to the processing time required by the NCHFP for the tomato and vegetable juice, to compensate for the increased thickness.
I love canning tomato products in these square sided jars because they give it a more professional look, and I find that the squared off sides make them easier to grab when I’m moving quickly. The 26 ounce size is also great from a portioning perspective. Reheated with a bit of milk, there’s just the right amount for two people to enjoy bigs bowls with a side of cheesy toast or garlic bread.
Oh, and if you find yourself liking the looks of the square shape, know that they’re also available in 8 ounce and 16 ounce sizes.
Disclosure: Fillmore Container is a Food in Jars sponsor. Their sponsorship helps keep the site afloat. They provided the jars you see here at no cost to me. All opinions expressed are entirely mine.
Tomato Soup Concentrate
Ingredients
- 15 pounds of tomatoes
- 2 cups diced onion
- 2 tablespoons granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon salt plus more to taste
- 2 1/2 teaspoons citric acid
Instructions
- Wash the tomatoes and cut them into quarters. Heap the chopped tomatoes into a large pot and add the diced onion.
- Add about a cup of water to the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching. Place the pot on the stove and bring it to a boil.
- Cook, stirring occasionally for about an hour, until the tomatoes have lost their structural integrity and the pot contains nothing but super saucy tomatoes.
- Remove the pot from the stove. Fit a food mill with its finest screen and position it over a large heatproof bowl.
- Working in batches, start pushing the cooked tomatoes and onions through the food mill. You will probably need to stop three or four times to empty out the bowl into a clean pot.
- Once all the tomatoes are milled, add the granulated garlic and Italian seasoning. Set the pot on the stove and bring to a low boil.
- Cook for one to three hours, until the soup concentrate has reduced by at 1/3 and hopefully a bit more.
- When you're pleased with the consistency, stir in the salt. Start with a tablespoon. Taste and add more as needed.
- Divide the citric acid between five jars 26 ounce jars (the Ball brand 24 ounce Pint & Half jars are also a great choice for this one).
- Funnel the finished soup concentrate into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
- Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath canner for 45 minutes (if you live above 1,000 feet in elevation, please adjust your processing times accordingly).
- When the time is up, remove the jars and set them on a folded kitchen towel to cool. When the jars have cooled enough that you can comfortable handle them, check the seals. Sealed jars can be stored at room temperature for up to a year. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used promptly.
My favorite homemade preserves are canned apricots.
I often go for a jar of canned tomatoes because I’m making Chili or stew or soup
I really like chunky tomato products too!
Nothing better than apple butter, we love it!
Canned peaches are an absolute must. Those bright yellow orbs bring a burst of sunshine into the dark, dreary days of mid-winter and taste wonderful.
Strawberry preserves since they have such a short season 🙂
Thanks for the recipe and giveaway!
Apple butter!
My version of Annie’s Salsa, with heirloom tomatoes and lime!
Canned tomatoes are so versatile, but berry preserves always make me me think of sweet summertime!
Blueberry butter or tomato jam.
Tomatoes for a quick and easy sauce or for spaghetti
Apple butter. I wish I could can Tomato Confit!
Beautiful jars for beautiful tomatoes!
I love Fillmore and could always use some more of their jars:)
Tomato Soup Concentrate with yummy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches!
Delicious Blueberry Preserves canned from this past season’s harvest!
A Winning Combination in our home!
Is this how you enter giveaway?
Yes!
Canned tomatoes!
Tomato Jam made with honey. It is so good with a quality cheddar.
I am so looking forward to spiced peach jam in January!!
I’m definitely going to try this recipe…as soon as I get a few more tomatoes off the vines!!
I love having homemade tomato sauce in the pantry. None of the commercial brands can compete.
Plums in honey syrup. They are so versatile, I can almost anything with them!
raspberry jam
Strawberry jam for cold winter nights.
This year, I’m hoping it will be ketchup!
I love to preserve tomatoes, I make several different kinds of pasta sauce for a quick and easy after work dinner that can be served with garlic bread.
Strawberry preserve is our family’s favorite!
Strawberry. But, anything peach is a close second.
It seems to vary from year to year, but blueberry-maple sauce to put on pancakes for a snow day are definitely right up there.
Canned lemon/ginger pears is my favorite thing to have on the shelf from our homegrown D’Anjou pears.
My favorite to have on hand are berries! Blueberries, blackberries, all berries. Wonderful to open and enjoy in the middle of winter for a sweet taste of summer.
My favorite is any jam – but especially blueberry rhubarb!
Huckleberry jam, but it is possibly my favorite because 1. I so rarely get to make it and 2. It’s always from huckleberries I went out and picked with friends, so it comes with good memories 🙂
Mango jam is a wonderful treat in the middle of winter
our soil and water issues makes growing fruits a no-no (believe me, we have tried, lots of $$ and no results) but tomatoes and chillies do fantastic, so tomato sauce, concentrate, whole and diced, and juice as well as pickled chillies and chilli sauce are perennial favourites that are a must
I love having homemade jams and homemade bruschetta style salsa on the shelf- a toasted baguette and you have a great snack and a little bit of summer in a jar!
I love jam jars for pickling!
Strawberry jam has always been my favorite.
Raspberry jam! But this year strawberry-rhubarb maybe a close second!
Plum jam – the recipe that hooked me on canning
What I miss is my grandmother’s pear preserves made from hard pears.
Crushed tomatoes and bone broth! I love making hearty stews and soups when the snow starts!
My most favorite will certainly be Birthday Jam and Tomato Jam!!
Canned tomatoes and peach and strawberry jams would be great to have in January!
Strawberry rhubarb jam reminds me of summer in January
diced tomatoes in their own juice, strawberry preserves and peaches
My favorite late winter preserves are tomato jam and canned whole peaches.
Where do I start? I think canned tomatoes would be one of the top items. I’m thinking this tomato soup concentrate might be a good one to add!
My favorite canned delight in January would have to be tomato sauce…too bad there’s never any left by January!
Peach jam and candied dill pickles are welcome any time of year!
Peaches.. in January.. heaven!!!
I’m hoping to make this this weekend! LOVE Tomato Soup!
I love Tomato soup
Chunky applesauce
Thanks for the recipe. Love canning.
Keeping tomato products on the shelf in my house is a problem. Not because they go bad but because they get eaten faster than I anticipate. I make more every year but never seem to make enough. Seldom does it make it to January.
I have a hard time with Tomato Soup… most all of them taste like a bowl of sauce to me!
We (meaning my son) love to have Raspberry Jam!!!
Wow I am not really sure. I do love having pears ready to go. Maybe pear butter.
Grape, strawberry, and blackberry jams are the favorites in our house. I have several quarts worth of berries frozen to deal with when it’s not so hot out.
Oh gosh, probably chicken stock for soups, or some kind of berry jam for toast!
I love the roasted tomatoes for freezing recipe/link I found on this site awhile back.
Blackberry jam is my favorite! But last year I made tomatoe powder, and it was so useful!
I would love some tomato soup that has been canned in my pantry but since I have no tomatoes, I do not see that happening this year
I picked a bunch of raspberries this summer that I have in the freezer, I want to make preserves with them.
I love this recipe for tomato soup!
I love having salsa from my garden in January!
marmalade and strawberry jam is a favorite to have on hand
I love canning tomatoes!!! Love to try your recipe!
I love making watermelon jam & watermelon rind preserves! They are both delicious & you get 2 different canned products out of 1 fruit. YUMMY!
Oh wow I cannot WAIT to make this!! I love tomato soup and am determined to convert my boyfriend to loving it too. These jars really do spiff up the whole look!
I can’t wait to try this!
Brilliant!
I love to put up my own Italian tomato sauce.
Anything with the fresh flavours of summer is great to have in winter – tomato sauce, canned peaches etc. Yum.
I have a ton of nice tomatoes this year, in particular San Marzanos. I made this soup
recipe, but roasted the tomatoes and onions in the oven, pulled off the skins, pureed and simmered for about three hours as directed. Followed the recipe to the letter. About halfway through, I thought “hey, this is a lot of work for tomato soup, when I could probably go to the store, buy a can and be done!”. After getting it all canned there was a little left over in the pot and I added some light cream and had a taste. It was so good, so fresh and creamy and delicious. It was a lot of work, but I’m looking forward to the snowy winter night when we will have this along with grilled cheese sandwiches.
We love plum preserves! Yum This soup sounds awesome with a grilled cheese sandwich!
mango pineapple marmalade and lots and lots of salsa
This is actually my first year intentionally canning, but I look forward to having my garden salsa come January.
It’s got to be the canned tomatoes and tomato juice. I love having my own tomato products for winter soups and sauces.
Strawberry jam & apple butter. But this soup sounds amazing, hope there are some late season tomatoes at the farmers market this weekend.
I most love having whole or quartered tomatoes. The make the best chili and January is a great month for chili.
This recipe sounds so good. I will have to make it very soon. Thank you for the chance to win your wonderful jars.
I LOVE canned peaches in the middle of a U.P. winter!
I absolutely enjoy preserving our garden and orchard bounty. Harvest time is busy but the rewards are amazing!!! Love canning preserves and relishes … ?
Meat is my favorite thing to have in the canning pantry.
Strawberry jam, hands down!
Love going to the pantry and using my fig preserves with a fresh, hot from the oven scratch biscuit!
Just canned dilly beans and tons of pickles, Pickled veggies over the weekend.
This tomato soup concentrate sounds amazing!!!
Tomato sauce and pickles would be my go to mid-winter cravings!
I love having peach preserves made from fresh Colorado peaches when peach season seems impossibly far away!
Love canning summer freshness in the teeth of January
Thx for posting this recipe! I’m working on a taco sauce and will probably give this one a try, too!
Apricot is my most dear jam.
My favorite preserves are fig preserves on a hot buttered biscuit. Our canning usually consist of vegetable soup.
I’m confused – when you say this is “tomato soup concentrate”, does that mean you add water to this when you heat it to serve it?
You add some milk when you reheat it. If you read the narrative of the post, you’ll see that.
Pickled green tomatoes!
Plum jam! Or peach, they both remind me of the lovely late summer days 🙂
I never get tired of having jam in the pantry.
This recipe couldn’t come at a better time. My daughter who has never been a veggie fan is now obsessed with tomato soup and there are plenty of tomatoes to pick!
We are not really jam people. But love making apple butter.