Since you stated that there is no dumb question, I’ll ask this. Is it safe to can tomatoes when the skin is split? We’ve had an odd summer here in MN so I have tons of green tomatoes but not many red. The past few days got hot and some ripened and I didn’t get to them quickly enough. Thanks for any info. I am new to growing enough to preserve any of the harvest other than freezing beans and I feel a bit over my head.
I would can less than perfect tomatoes, if I had enough to do so. Any part that is not going to taste well or have the right texture, I would simply cut off.
The main thing with tomatoes is to add some lemon juice to them, if you are water bath canning, because some of the newer varieties are not acidic enough.
If you are new to canning and preserving, I suggest that you purchase the Ball Blue Book of Canning and Preserving. It’s a good resource to have on hand.