# Canning green tomatoes - HWB processing time?



## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

Thought I'd can a couple of pints of green tomatoes and see if we like them, but I'm getting conflicting info about HWB processing times. Some say 10 minutes, others say 40 minutes.

I'm in AL, less than 1000ft above sea level...should I do 10 minutes or 40?

Thanks!


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

The different times are for different recipes ie: pickled ones would only need 15 mins. but just plain green tomatoes would be whole or halves in water 40-45 mins. depending on jar size, or 85 mins. with no added liquid, etc. 

So do you want just plain green tomatoes, not pickled or with anything else added like onions or peppers? How do you plan to use them?

Pickled Green Tomatoes: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_06/spiced_green_tomatoes.html


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## Karen (Apr 17, 2002)

You might ask Melissa in her forum, she does them to make fried green tomatoes during the winter.


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## Lucy (May 15, 2006)

Judylou gave you the right times. I would process the 85 min. for sure, if you are doing them plain without adding water to the jars.
Wow, 10 min. is not long enough for anything, really, other than jams and a few pickled things. 
Also, you still need to add bottled lemon juice to each jar of tomatoes.
How old is the information you are using ?


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

Thanks for the replies and sorry I wasn't more specific...it was for sliced green tomatoes in pint jars.

I did four pints...sliced about 3/8" thick, put 1TBSP bottled lemon juice in jar, packed with tomatoes, filled with boiling water leaving 1/2" HS, removed air pockets, and HWB'd for 40 minutes.

They shrunk BIG TIME, too! Gonna fry some up tonight and see how we like them.


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

Well, I opened a pint...

They were mush...couldn't handle them at all without them disintegrating. I did manage to get them in the frying pan, though, and they TASTED great!

I sliced two more and froze the slices...gonna fry them up tonight and see how they taste.

I'm going to can another couple of pints, but slice them 1/2" thick and cut the processing time in half.

I'm determined to have fried green tomatoes this winter!


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

double post


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## Lucy (May 15, 2006)

If you cut the processing time you will risk getting botulism. That is why you need the full processing time. You are better off freezing for fried green tomatoes, not canning them for that purpose. 
Just bread, and freeze on cookie sheets, then bag and store in the freezer.


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

If fried green tomatoes is the goal for these then freezing is a much better result than canning. Even when canned as whole tomatoes they make very mushy fried green tomatoes so any slices no matter how thick will be mush.

I just bread and freeze 1/2" thick slices individually (on a cookie sheet as Lucy mentioned_ then pack them with a layer of waxed paper in between each slice. Remove the number of slices you want and fry them frozen.

But don't rule out fried green tomatoes based on the taste of either canned or frozen. Fresh sliced and fried is 10x better than either. 

And with freezing you don't have to worry about using unsafe canned processing times.


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

Thanks for the replies...

I sliced up a couple and froze individually on a cookie sheet...they fried up OK. DH, aka "He Who Could Live On Fried Green Tomatoes", says they were fine. 

I don't need to blanch, do I? My concern with freezing is that they'll take on a funny taste/texture after being frozen for an extended period because I didn't blanch.

If they keep well frozen, then freezing it is.

Thanks for the help!


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## Lucy (May 15, 2006)

No, don't blanch the green tomatoes. Again, they would be really mushy. They will be fine. Just wrap really well once frozen. I would probably stack just a few together, then wrap in plastic wrap, and into ziploc bags.


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

Thanks Lucy...will do!


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