Why it works: Tomato and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 33% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,667 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
Canning Tomatoes
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the tomatoes
Cook whole and sliced tomatoes in a saucepan for 20 minutes without scorching.
Strain the cooked tomatoes and return the liquid to the fire.
While the sliced tomatoes cook, pare the whole tomatoes and place them in sterilized jars.
Fill and process
Fill the jars with the strained tomatoes to fill all gaps.
Place the uncovered jars in a 350°F (175°C) oven on pads or in shallow pans of hot water for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and fill to overflowing with boiling hot strained tomato, then seal.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Tomato + sugartop 33% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,667 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Tomatoes
- Provide the bulk of the product and its flavor, and release juice that fills the jar.
- Salt
- Seasons the tomatoes and sharpens their flavor.
- Sugar
- Balances the natural acidity of the tomatoes and rounds out their taste.
The step that matters
Fill to overflowing with boiling hot strained tomato, then seal. Tomatoes are acidic enough for water-bath or oven canning only when handled hot and sealed promptly. Filling with boiling tomato drives out air and keeps the headspace hot, which helps create a vacuum seal and reduces the risk of spoilage.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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