I enjoy canning tomatoes for number of reasons, all good enough to merit the ritual and the process: to fulfill my desire to hold onto to the heirloom tomato flavors through the winter months and include them as the key ingredient in the foods we prepare; to enjoy the pleasure I get from sharing the canning process with my family. One of the greatest thrills is to having the opportunity to share some of this harvest bounty as gifts with friends. Not just the standard red, round and paste tomatoes are candidates for the canning jars but I go for different colors, sizes and shapes and flavors. Yes, heirloom tomatoes, for the most part, tend to carry more water in them that require more time to cook of than some of the meatier hybrids, but the flavors you get from canning heirloom tomatoes is superior.

Our favorite canning Tomatoes Collection offers some of the best flavors of heirloom tomatoes plus a thrilling display of colors and shapes.

• Clint Eastwood's Rowdy Red - 2", 8 oz., deep-red, round tomatoes with a subtle point on it's end. Fruit has robust, "not for sissies," bold, tomatoey flavors, with a firm, juicy flesh, that invites snacking in the garden, and canning. Its fruity sweetness is perfectly balanced with plenty of acidity, earthy nuances and complexity. Indeterminate. 78 days.
• All Meat - 1 x 2-inch, brilliant red, oval, very meaty, and juicy tomatoes with excellent flavor. I've found because of the slightly thicker skin and pronounced flavor this is a great tomato for kebabs and canning, as well as slicing for salads. A tomato with a BIG taste in a small package. Indeterminate. 78 days.
• Black Prince - Originally from Siberia, this is one of the most popular and favored black tomatoes. The Black Prince tomato is said to have considerable health benefits beyond the presence of lycopene. These deep garnet round, 2-inch (2-3 oz.) tomatoes are full of juice and incredibly rich fruity flavors. This is a tomato that chefs I deliver to rave about for it's rich flavors. Indeterminate. 70 days.
• Djena Lee's Golden Girl - Djena Lee's tomato won first prize at the Chicago Fair for many years in the 1920's. Djena Lee's Golden Girl produces 8-10 oz., richly flavored, meaty fruit with a vibrant golden-orange color. Its sweetness is nicely balanced with a wonderful pulse of acidity for a pleasant tangy feel in the mouth. . Indeterminate. 76 days.
• Bison - Huge amounts of 2-3", red, round tomatoes that have exceptional, rich, complex and slightly acidic flavors. This is a great canning and salad tomato. Produces well in cooler damp weather, greenhouse or containers. Determinate. 70 days.
• Backa - An abundance of 12-16 oz., deep-red, beefsteak tomatoes with delicious, big, tomatoey flavors. An excellent canning and sauce tomato and a wonderful slicer for sandwiches. Determinate. 80 days.
• Earl of Edgecombe - Smooth, 3-inch, round, uniformly ripening fruits are beautiful orange globes, typically borne in clusters of two or more. Flesh is firm, meaty and exceptionally flavorful with a perfect balance of sweetness and acidic. Indeterminate. 73 days.
• Santa Clara Canner - Originating in Italy, this tomato dates back to 1910. Became very popular in the US for use in the canning industry in California. In 1923, Morse and Co. produced a smoother and earlier Santa Clara Canner strain. because of it's uniformity in size (8-10 oz.) and it's very rich, complex flavor. Indeterminate, regular leaf plant produces a great amount of red-orange fruit that is juicy, meaty and flavorful. This variety is just as suitable for eating off the vine as it is for salads, cooking and canning. Indeterminate. 79 days.