Basil diced tomatoes combine fresh Roma tomatoes with sweet bell pepper, onion, garlic, and fresh basil to create a flavorful home-canned alternative to plain diced tomatoes. Once preserved, these seasoned tomatoes can be used in soups, stews, pasta dishes, casseroles, and other recipes that call for diced tomatoes, making them a versatile staple for the home-canned pantry.

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By Diane Devereaux | The Canning Diva® 
Last updated: Sept 28, 2026

Key Takeaways

• More flavor than plain diced tomatoes. Fresh basil, garlic, onion, and yellow bell pepper add flavor directly to each jar.
• Roma tomatoes work especially well. Their dense, meaty texture makes them an excellent choice for canning diced tomatoes.
• A versatile pantry ingredient. Use these tomatoes in soups, stews, pasta dishes, casseroles, sauces, and skillet meals.
• Built-in meal prep. The herbs and vegetables are already incorporated, saving preparation time when you open a jar.
• Another way to preserve the tomato harvest. Canning tomatoes in several forms gives you more variety and flexibility when cooking from your pantry.

Jump to Recipe

Canning Diced Tomatoes with Basil for a Flavorful Pantry Staple

Canning diced tomatoes is one of the most practical ways to preserve an abundant tomato harvest, but your jars do not have to contain plain tomatoes. Adding complementary herbs and vegetables can create a flavorful pantry ingredient that gives you a head start when preparing meals throughout the year.

I created my Basil Diced Tomatoes as a seasoned alternative to traditional home-canned diced tomatoes. Roma tomatoes provide the foundation, while fresh basil, garlic, onion, and yellow bell pepper add layers of flavor directly to the jar. The result is a versatile tomato canning recipe that I can reach for when making soups, stews, pasta dishes, casseroles, and many other meals.

Why I Use Roma Tomatoes for Canning Diced Tomatoes

Roma tomatoes work especially well when preserving tomatoes because their dense, meaty flesh contains less water than many slicing varieties. That characteristic makes them a natural choice for tomato sauce, paste, salsa, and diced tomato canning recipes.

If Roma tomatoes are not available, don't let that stop you from making this recipe. Other paste tomatoes, such as San Marzano, Amish Paste, or Plum Regal, make excellent alternatives. You can also use traditional slicing tomatoes from your garden or farmers market. Just keep in mind that juicier varieties contain more water, so the finished tomatoes may have a little more liquid in the jar.

You can also combine tomato varieties when that's what your harvest provides. The goal is to start with fresh, ripe, good-quality tomatoes and make the most of what is available during tomato season.

More Flavor Than Plain Canned Tomatoes

The difference between this recipe and a basic jar of diced tomatoes is the flavor already waiting inside.

Fresh basil brings its distinctive herbal flavor, while garlic, onion, and yellow bell pepper complement the tomatoes. When I open a jar, I already have several of the ingredients I might otherwise need to chop and add separately to a meal.

That makes these home-canned diced tomatoes especially useful on busy days. I can add a jar to soup or stew, incorporate the tomatoes into a casserole, spoon them over baked chicken, or toss them with freshly cooked pasta when I do not want a heavier tomato sauce.

DIANE’S SIGNATURE BASIL DICED TOMATOES Canning Recipe

Use my signature Basil Diced Tomatoes in soups, stews, pasta dishes, casseroles, or anywhere you would normally use diced tomatoes. Fresh basil, garlic, onion, and sweet bell pepper add delicious flavor right from the jar. Get creative in the kitchen and say “goodbye” to plain ol’ diced tomatoes forever!

Makes approx. 5 quarts or 10 pints

Ingredients

• 16 cups of cored, diced Roma tomatoes – I leave the skins on
• 1 large yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp of fresh garlic, minced
• ¼ cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped (I leave smaller leaves whole)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons salt, optional
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 10 tablespoons bottled lemon juice – to use during hot packing process

Instructions

1. In a large stainless steel stock pot, combine all ingredients, less the lemon juice, and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. While stirring, allow to gently boil for 5 minutes to thoroughly blend each flavor.
2. Jar Prep: Because we are hot packing the basil tomatoes, be sure your jars have been resting in hot water in the sink. Just prior to hot packing, add lemon juice to each empty hot jar: add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to each pint jar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to each quart.
3. Using a slotted spoon, add basil diced tomato mixture to each jar, leaving a generous 1 1/4-inch head space. Ladle in juice from the mixture to each jar, filling to 1-inch of head space.
4. Wipe each jar rim and screw band with a warm wash cloth dipped in vinegar, then apply lids and rings. Hand tighten. Place sealed jars in your pressure canner. Process jars at 10 pounds of pressure, or according to your elevation, 15 minutes for pints and 20 minutes for quarts.
5. After processing time has been reached, turn off the heat. Allow the pressure in the canner to reach zero on its own, which usually takes about 30 minutes. Remove canner lid and allow jars to set for 10 minutes inside canner. Remove jars to a draft free location in your kitchen to cool down completely before washing, labeling and storing.

Pressure Canner Lid Removal Tip: When removing the pressure canner lid, tilt the lid up and outward so that the lid is used as a shield to protect your face and hands from the steam. Hold the lid until all the steam has dissipated. Take a step backward and set the lid down in a designated area. DO NOT take the lid and your hands over the top of your pressure canner – especially while steam rises from the canner!!! I learned the lid removal process the hard way!! Steam burns!

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About the Author:
Diane Devereaux, The Canning Diva®, is an internationally recognized food preservation expert, author, and educator with over 30 years of home canning experience. She’s the author of multiple top-selling canning books and teaches workshops across the U.S. Learn more at TheCanningDiva.com.