I would recommend posting this on the discussions section more people will see it.

Christine That's the way my family has done it for years, the only difference that we do is the lids. We cook the tomatoes the same way and put them in the jar hot. But the lids and rings are put in boiling water in a small sauce pan, taken out and put on the jars with tongs(not as hard as it sounds) Screw them down tightly using a towel to protect your hands. We put them on a table covered by a towel to hold the heat and check after they have cooled(a few hours later). Press the tops if they don't pop they have sealed correctly. Take the rings off an use on the next batch(money saver). These will be good for years to come. I am 40years old and my grandmother taught us and she is 87 this year. Easiest and quickest way to can and tomatoes you will be proud to give to anyone.

My guess would be tomatoes packed too tight in the jars and inadequate head-room. It shouldn't matter if they're raw pack. If there's leakage, it indicates a glitch in preparation somewhere. This was posted by Linda Lou regarding changes in wait times for canning: First, research done at the University of Georgia for the US Department of Agriculture has shown that to be safe, holding times at the end of the canning process need to be lengthened. More specifically, they used to recommend that after the food had been processed in a boiling water bath for the correct amount of time, the jars should be lifted out without waiting. Now they recommend, "When the jars have been processed in boiling water for the recommended time, turn off the heat and remove the canner lid. Wait 5 minutes before removing jars." For pressure canning, the recommended holding time was two minutes. Now the recommendation is to wait ten minutes. Here is the specific instruction: "After the canner is completely depressurized, remove the weight from the vent port or open the petcock. Wait 10 minutes; then unfasten the lid and remove it carefully. Lift the lid with the underside away from you so that the steam coming out of the canner does not burn your face." Carol

Barbra, I don't know where you can them, but put in a Google search and several sites come up including this one heat packs. And another one heat pack. You might want to call one of your local nurseries to get more information or a tropical fish store that ships live fish around. Good luck! Boy it is getting cold down here this morning. We have dropped about 10 degrees in the past hour or so.