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Canning cherry tomatoes is the perfect way to put up your summer bumper crop of Sun Golds, grape tomatoes, or any bite-sized variety you have climbing up your garden trellises. While most tomato canning recipes call for slicing or crushing your tomatoes into sauce, canning them whole preserves their shape, sweetness, and that characteristic pop when you bite into one.
The result is a versatile pantry staple that tastes like pure summer, ready to toss into pasta, pile onto toast, or warm gently in a Thai curry.
This recipe has been reviewed for safety and accuracy by a Master Food Preserver certified through the University of Cornell Cooperative Extension.
This recipe follows the NCHFP guidelines for whole tomatoes packed in water, with the only difference being the blanching time. Cherry tomatoes have thinner skins than slicing tomatoes, so they only need 5 to 10 seconds in simmering water before their skins start to split. That brief blanch also gently pre-cooks them, which drives off some of the air trapped in their tissues and helps them hold their shape during processing.
If you have more cherry tomatoes than you know what to do with, you might also want to try pickled cherry tomatoes for a tangy twist, or cook them down into a batch of cherry tomato sauce to freeze or can using the roasted marinara sauce method. For straight-up tomato juice, cherry tomatoes work wonderfully there too.
Whatever variety you choose, the final flavor depends entirely on what you grow. Yellow pear tomatoes will give you a milder, almost citrusy sweetness, while Sun Golds pack that tropical, intensely fruity punch. Red grape tomatoes fall somewhere in between, with a more traditional tomato flavor. They all can the same way.
Notes from My Kitchen
I picked a 5-gallon bucket of Sun Gold cherry tomatoes from the garden this summer, and I sorted through them before canning. The soft or already split ones went into the pot for cherry tomato sauce, but the firm ripe ones got canned whole. I was honestly surprised how well they held together during processing, even though Sun Golds have a reputation for being soft. The quick blanch during peeling pre-cooks them just enough to help them survive the canner without turning to mush.
My husband has claimed most of these jars for adding to Thai curries. Normally you’d drop fresh cherry tomatoes into a curry at the last minute so they just warm through and split without turning into sauce, and you can do the same thing with a jar of canned cherry tomatoes. We’ve also been piling them onto toast with a little olive oil and salt, which is about as simple and satisfying as dinner gets.
Quick Look at the Recipe
- Recipe Name: Canned Cherry Tomatoes
- Recipe Type: Tomato Canning Recipes
- Canning Method: Water Bath Canning
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Canning Time: 40-45 minutes (pints/quarts)
- Yield: 7 quarts or 9 pints
- Jar Sizes: Pints or quarts
- Headspace: 1/2 inch
- Ingredients Overview: Cherry tomatoes, bottled lemon juice or citric acid, salt (optional)
- Safe Canning Recipe Source: NCHFP Whole Tomatoes
- Difficulty: Moderate. Peeling the tomatoes can be a chore.
- Similar Recipes: Canning whole cherry tomatoes uses the same method as canning any whole tomatoes, so you can use the same technique with regular slicing tomatoes. For a different take on cherry tomatoes, try pickled cherry tomatoes, or cook your extras down into roasted marinara sauce.
Ingredients
Canning cherry tomatoes requires very few ingredients, and most of what you need is already in your pantry. The tomatoes themselves do most of the work.
- Cherry Tomatoes: Any variety works, including Sun Golds, grape tomatoes, yellow pear, or red cherry tomatoes. Choose firm ripe tomatoes without cracks, splits, or soft spots. Overripe or already-split tomatoes will fall apart during processing, so sort those out for sauce instead. Plan on about 3 pounds of cherry tomatoes per quart jar, or roughly 21 pounds for a full canner load of 7 quarts.
- Bottled Lemon Juice or Citric Acid: All tomato canning recipes require acidification to ensure safe pH levels for water bath canning. Use 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice OR 1/2 teaspoon citric acid per quart (1 tablespoon lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid per pint). Do not substitute fresh lemon juice, as its acidity can vary.
- Salt (optional): Salt is for flavor only and can be omitted entirely. If using, add 1 teaspoon per quart or 1/2 teaspoon per pint. Canning salt dissolves cleanly without clouding your jars, but table salt works fine if that’s what you have.
- Water: You’ll need water for blanching, for filling the jars (hot pack) or covering the raw tomatoes (raw pack), and for your water bath canner.
Step by Step Instructions
Once the tomatoes are peeled, this recipe comes together quickly. Peeling isn’t optional when canning tomatoes, and that applies to cherry tomatoes too.
Prepare Your Equipment
Before you start working with the tomatoes, get your canning equipment ready. Fill your water bath canner and start heating it so the water will be at a full boil when you’re ready to process.
Blanch and Peel the Tomatoes
Set up a blanching station with a large pot of simmering water and a bowl of ice water (or cold well water) beside it. Working in small batches, drop the cherry tomatoes into the simmering water for just 5 to 10 seconds, until you see the skins start to split. Immediately transfer them to the ice water to stop the cooking. The skins will slip off easily with a gentle pinch once they’ve cooled. Cherry tomatoes peel much more easily than regular slicing tomatoes because of their thin skins.
Peeling is not optional for canned tomatoes per the NCHFP, so don’t skip this step. As you work, discard any cores or damaged portions that become visible after blanching.
Choose Your Pack Method
You can pack cherry tomatoes using either the raw pack or hot pack method. For raw pack, simply pack the peeled raw tomatoes into hot jars and cover with boiling water. For hot pack, place the peeled tomatoes in a large pot, add enough water to cover them, and boil gently for 5 minutes before packing into jars with the hot cooking liquid.
Hot pack generally results in better quality because it drives out more air from the tomatoes, helping them hold their shape and reducing the chance of floating fruit. The brief blanch during peeling already accomplishes some of this, which is why cherry tomatoes tend to hold up well with either method.
I recommend raw pack for cherry tomatoes.
Fill the Jars
Add the acidifier to each hot jar first: 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid per quart (halve these amounts for pints). Add salt if using. Pack the tomatoes into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Cover with hot cooking liquid (for hot pack) or boiling water (for raw pack), maintaining that 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with a bubble remover or chopstick, and adjust the headspace if needed by adding more liquid. Wipe the jar rims with a clean, damp cloth, then center the lids and apply the bands fingertip-tight.
Canning Cherry Tomatoes
Once your jars are filled and lidded, it’s time to process them in the water bath canner. If you prefer not to can them, you can store the prepared tomatoes in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze them for up to 6 months (though the texture will be softer after thawing).
For water bath canning, place the filled jars in the canner, making sure they’re covered by at least 1 to 2 inches of water. Bring to a rolling boil and process for the pints for 40 minutes and quarts for 45 minutes (see altitude adjustments below).
When processing time is complete, turn off the heat and let the jars sit in the canner for 5 minutes before removing them to a towel-lined counter. Let them cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours, then check the seals, remove the bands, and store in a cool, dark place.
Altitude Adjustments
For water bath canning, processing times increase at higher elevations. Times shown are for water-packed whole tomatoes (hot or raw pack):
Pints:
- 0 to 1,000 feet: 40 minutes
- 1,001 to 3,000 feet: 45 minutes
- 3,001 to 6,000 feet: 50 minutes
- Above 6,000 feet: 55 minutes
Quarts:
- 0 to 1,000 feet: 45 minutes
- 1,001 to 3,000 feet: 50 minutes
- 3,001 to 6,000 feet: 55 minutes
- Above 6,000 feet: 60 minutes
Yield Notes
Plan on approximately 3 pounds of cherry tomatoes per quart jar, or about 21 pounds for a full canner load of 7 quarts. For 9 pints, you’ll need around 13 pounds. Cherry tomatoes yield slightly less than slicing tomatoes because of their higher skin-to-flesh ratio (and all those little stem scars to trim), so budget a bit extra if you’re working with smaller varieties like currant tomatoes.
A 5-gallon bucket of cherry tomatoes typically weighs around 15 to 20 pounds, depending on how full it is and the density of your particular variety.
Serving Ideas
Canned cherry tomatoes are endlessly versatile in the kitchen. Their sweet, concentrated flavor and whole shape make them work anywhere you’d use fresh cherry tomatoes, with the added convenience of being ready to go straight from the jar.
- Quick pasta topper: Warm a jar of cherry tomatoes with some garlic, olive oil, and fresh basil, then toss with pasta and a handful of parmesan.
- Toast or bruschetta: Pile warmed cherry tomatoes onto crusty bread with a drizzle of good olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky salt.
- Thai curries: Add a drained jar of cherry tomatoes to your curry at the last minute, just long enough to warm through without breaking down into sauce.
- Shakshuka or baked eggs: Use cherry tomatoes as the base for a simpler, sweeter version of this breakfast classic.
- Grain bowls and salads: Add drained tomatoes to warm grain bowls or toss into salads for a burst of summer flavor any time of year.
Canning Cherry Tomatoes FAQs
Yes, peeling is required for all tomato canning recipes per the NCHFP guidelines. The good news is that cherry tomatoes peel much more easily than regular tomatoes. A quick 5 to 10 second dip in simmering water is all it takes for the skins to split, and they slip right off with a gentle pinch.
Soft or overripe tomatoes will fall apart during processing and turn to mush in the jar. Use only firm ripe tomatoes for canning whole. Sort out any soft, cracked, or already-split tomatoes and use them for sauce, salsa, or tomato juice instead.
All tomato canning recipes require added acid to ensure the pH is low enough for safe water bath canning. Tomatoes hover right at the borderline of safe acidity, and different varieties (especially sweeter ones like Sun Golds) can vary. Adding bottled lemon juice or citric acid guarantees your canned tomatoes are safely acidified regardless of the variety you use.
For raw pack, you place uncooked peeled tomatoes directly into jars and cover with boiling water. For hot pack, you boil the tomatoes gently for 5 minutes before packing them into jars with the hot cooking liquid. Hot pack generally produces better quality because it drives out more air from the tomatoes, but both methods are safe and approved by the NCHFP. I recommend raw pack for cherry tomatoes, since the quick peeling blanch pre-cooks them enough already.
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Canned Cherry Tomatoes
Equipment
- Canning Jars, Lids and Bands
- Large Pot for Blanching
Ingredients
- 13 pounds cherry tomatoes, firm ripe, any variety (Sun Gold, grape, yellow pear, etc.)
- 9 Tbsp bottled lemon juice, 1 tablespoons per pint, OR use 1/4 tsp citric acid per pint
- 4 1/2 tsp canning salt, optional, 1/2 teaspoon per pint
Instructions
- Fill your water bath canner and bring to a boil. Wash jars in hot soapy water and keep warm. Prepare lids according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- Bring a large pot of water to a simmer. Prepare a bowl of ice water (or cold well water) beside it.
- Working in small batches, drop cherry tomatoes into simmering water for 5 to 10 seconds, just until the skins start to split. Transfer immediately to ice water. Slip off skins with a gentle pinch and discard any cores or damaged portions.
- For hot pack: Place peeled tomatoes in a large pot, add enough water to cover, and boil gently for 5 minutes. For raw pack: Keep peeled tomatoes aside and bring a separate pot of water to a boil.
- Add 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice OR 1/2 teaspoon citric acid to each hot quart jar (1 tablespoon lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid per pint). Add 1 teaspoon salt per quart if desired.
- Pack tomatoes into jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Cover with hot cooking liquid (hot pack) or boiling water (raw pack), maintaining 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed.
- Wipe jar rims with a clean, damp cloth. Center lids on jars and apply bands fingertip-tight.
- Place jars in water bath canner, ensuring they’re covered by 1 to 2 inches of water. Bring to a rolling boil and process for the time appropriate to your altitude (see notes). When done, turn off heat and let jars sit 5 minutes before removing.
- Place jars on a towel-lined counter and let cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Check seals, remove bands, and store in a cool, dark place for up to 18 months.
Notes
Choosing Tomatoes
Use only firm ripe cherry tomatoes. Soft, cracked, or overripe tomatoes will fall apart during processing. Sort those out for sauce, salsa, or tomato juice instead.Acidification
Acidification is required for all tomato canning. Use bottled lemon juice (not fresh) or citric acid. Per quart: 2 tablespoons lemon juice OR 1/2 teaspoon citric acid. Per pint: 1 tablespoon lemon juice OR 1/4 teaspoon citric acid.Altitude Adjustments (Pints)
- 0 to 1,000 feet: 40 minutes
- 1,001 to 3,000 feet: 45 minutes
- 3,001 to 6,000 feet: 50 minutes
- Above 6,000 feet: 55 minutes
Altitude Adjustments (Quarts)
- 0 to 1,000 feet: 45 minutes
- 1,001 to 3,000 feet: 50 minutes
- 3,001 to 6,000 feet: 55 minutes
- Above 6,000 feet: 60 minutes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I was amazed at how well these held up in the canner! They’re on my list for every year now.