Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: National Center for Home Food Preservation
Safety reviewed: 09/21/2026
Processing details
Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: National Center for Home Food Preservation
Safety reviewed: 09/21/2026
Processing details
Tested source
This page follows NCHFP: Tomatillos Packed in Water. Keep every tested proportion, preparation step, jar limit, headspace, time, pressure, and altitude adjustment.
Preparation timeline
- Prepare the correct canner and permitted jars.
- Acidify every pint with 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid; every quart with 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid. Choose one complete tested process row.
- Complete the tested hot-pack cooking sequence.
- Fill jars to 1/2 inch headspace.
- Process using one complete schedule below.
- Cool 12–24 hours and check seals.
Equipment
- Correct boiling-water or pressure canner for the selected tested process
- Pint or quart jars, lids, and bands
- Nonreactive cookware
- Measuring tools,
canning funnel, jar lifter, headspace tool, and timer - Gloves for hot-pepper recipes
Visual method guide
- Prepare equipment and jars.
- Measure ingredients exactly.
- Cook for the full tested sequence.
- Fill to 1/2 inch.
- Process with the correct complete row.
- Cool and verify seals.
Safety essentials
Acidify every pint with 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid; every quart with 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid. Choose one complete tested process row.
Never omit acidification, mix a time from one pressure row with pressure from another, or use jars larger than quarts.
Refrigerate any jar that does not seal or follow current NCHFP corrective guidance within 24 hours.
About this recipe
Tomatillos Packed in Water is a tested NCHFP hot-pack recipe yielding about 7 quarts or 9 pints.
Before you begin
Read the complete source procedure and choose the exact tested process before filling jars. Prepare all equipment so filled jars can be processed promptly.
Tested source
This page follows NCHFP: Tomatillos Packed in Water. Keep every tested proportion, preparation step, jar limit, headspace, time, pressure, and altitude adjustment.
Tomatillos Packed in Water — NCHFP
Ingredients
- 14 lb tomatillos for 7 quarts; use 9 lb for 9 pints
- bottled lemon juice or citric acid For each pint, add 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice OR 1/4 teaspoon citric acid. For each quart, add 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice OR 1/2 teaspoon citric acid. Add directly to each jar before filling. Acidification is required for every processing option.
- boiling water to cover
Equipment
- 1 Boiling-water canner Pressure-canner options are also tested
- 7 quarts or 9 pints Pint or quart canning jars
- As needed Two-piece canning lids
Directions
- Remove husks and wash tomatillos; leave whole. For each pint, add 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice OR 1/4 teaspoon citric acid. For each quart, add 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice OR 1/2 teaspoon citric acid. Add directly to each jar before filling. Acidification is required for every processing option. See the linked NCHFP acidification table.
- Cover tomatillos with water and boil gently until tender, 5–10 minutes. Drain.
- Pack hot tomatillos into hot jars, cover with boiling water, and leave 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, adjust headspace, wipe rims, and apply lids.
- Boiling-water process pints for 40/45/50/55 minutes and quarts for 45/50/55/60 minutes at 0–1,000/1,001–3,000/3,001–6,000/above 6,000 ft.
- Pressure option: choose one complete tested row. Dial gauge, pints or quarts: 15 minutes at 6/7/8/9 psi or 10 minutes at 11/12/13/14 psi at 0–2,000/2,001–4,000/4,001–6,000/6,001–8,000 ft. Weighted gauge: 15 minutes at 5 psi through 1,000 ft or 10 psi above; alternatively 10 minutes at 10 psi through 1,000 ft or 15 psi above. The 1-minute option is only 15 psi through 1,000 ft and is not recommended above 1,000 ft.
Recipe Notes
Private Notes
Questions or results?
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Tried this recipe?
Share your results how it turned out.Serving suggestions
Drain and use in salsa verde, soups, stews, braises, or sauces.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the acid or vegetable proportions?
No, except only where the cited source explicitly permits a named substitution.
Can I use larger jars?
No. Use only pint or quart jars.
What if a jar does not seal?
Refrigerate promptly or follow current NCHFP corrective guidance within 24 hours.
Recipe context
Do not combine this record with another preservation formula.
Troubleshooting
Verify the exact acid, ingredient proportions, jar size, headspace, complete processing row, and seal. If processing is interrupted, do not treat the jar as shelf stable.
Source & provenance
Typical canning season
Season: Summer, Fall
Months: July, August, September
How much of the main ingredient should I grow?
10–20 lb of Tomatillos per person per year
The source-cited calculator below can convert your pantry goal into plant estimates where compatible yield data exists.
Garden yields vary by cultivar, climate, soil, pests, and care. Always measure the exact prepared ingredient amount required by the tested canning recipe.