canning tomato sauce

No store bought tomato sauce compares with the flavor of homemade. Capture summer in a jar with this seasoned tomato sauce recipe for home canning.

Seasoned Tomato Sauce Recipe

paste tomatoes

onions

garlic (minced)

extra virgin olive oil

oregano

bay leaf

black pepper

cane sugar

red pepper flakes (optional)

lemon juice)

kosher salt (or more to taste)

Prepare your tomatoes by washing in plain water. Cut them in half or quarters and add to your saucepots.

In a large frying pan, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the onion mixture to the tomatoes, and bring the pot to a simmer over low heat. As the tomatoes cook, they will release their juices. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and continue simmering until the tomatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.

After the tomatoes and the vegetables are soft, turn off the heat and allow the sauce to cool.

Run the cooled tomato sauce through Food Strainer or Food Mill to remove skins, seeds, and to smooth out the sauce.

Return the strained tomato sauce to the saucepan(s) to cook down further to thicken the sauce. Add oregano, bay leaves, pepper, sugar, and crushed red pepper. If you are using multiple pots, roughly divide the ingredients for each pot. All the ingredients will be combined into one pot as the sauce cooks down. Simmer over low heat with the cover vented so the excess moisture evaporates. As the sauce reduces, combine it into one pot. Use your ladle to avoid splashing.

Once the volume is reduced by half, your tomato sauce should be nice and thick. Use a clean spoon and taste the sauce. Add salt and stir in. Taste again. Add more salt if needed. Keep the sauce warm over low heat.

Prepare your jars and lids by washing in warm, soapy water and rinsing thoroughly. Place jar rack into water bath canner, set jars in the canner, add water, and boil jars for 10 minutes to sterilize. Warm your lids in a small pot over low heat. Keep jars and lids warm until ready to use.

Spread a kitchen towel on the counter. Use your jar lifter to remove warm jars from canner, drain, and line up on the towel. Add citric acid or bottled lemon juice to each jar. For pints, add 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid or 1 Tablespoon of bottled lemon juice to each jar. For quarts, add 1/2 teaspoon citric acid or 2 Tablespoons of bottled lemon juice to each jar.

Use your canning ladle and funnel and add tomato sauce to warm jars leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe the rims. Use your magnetic lid lifter to lift lids out of the warm water, center lid on the jar, and screw on band until it is fingertip tight.

Using a jar lifter, place jars carefully into canner leaving space in between them. Once jars are all in canner, adjust the water level so it is at least one inch above the jar tops. Add more boiling water if needed so the water level is at least one inch above the jar tops. When adding water, use the hot water from the small pot your lids were in. Pour the water around the jars and not directly onto them.

Cover the canner and bring to boil over high heat. Once water boils vigorously, process pints for 35 minutes and quarts for 40 minutes at altitudes of less than 1,000 ft. (adjust processing time for your altitude if necessary - see notes below).

When processing time is complete, turn off heat and allow the canner to cool down and settle for about 10 minutes. Spread a kitchen towel on the counter; remove the cover by tilting lid away from you so that steam does not burn your face. Use a jar lifter to lift jars carefully from canner and place on the towel. Allow the jars to cool for 12 to 24-hours. You should hear the satisfactory “ping” of the jar lids sealing.

After 12 to 24-hours, check to be sure jar lids have sealed by pushing on the center of the lid. The lid should not pop up. If the lid flexes up and down, it did not seal. Refrigerate jar and use up within a few days.

Remove the screw on bands and wash the jars. Label and date the jars. Store your jars in a cool, dark place and use within 12 months. Yields about 6-7 pint jars or 3-4 quarts depending on how much the sauce reduces.

Making & Canning Tomato Sauce

Tomatoes

lemon juice

Canning salt ((if desired))

Water

Canning jars, seals, and rings

Ladle and bubble tool

Blancher, food mill,

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Add tomatoes to large stockpot and bring to a boil. 

Step 5

Simmer (uncovered) until thickened, stirring frequently. 

Procedure for Blanching Tomatoes (Removes Skins)  

Remove stems and bruises, slicing tomatoes in half. 

Simmer tomatoes to soften. Use a potato masher to crush the tomatoes to start juices flowing. 

Cool slightly and run tomatoes through a food mill to remove all skins and seeds. 

Now your sauce is ready for use. If you want to can the sauce just as it is, proceed using the directions below. You can also stop here and use the sauce in specific recipes, like spaghetti sauce. 

Procedure for Food Mill (Removes Skins &amp; Seeds) 

Before you start.

Start by preparing jars and getting water in the canner heating. You want the canner hot, but not boiling, when the jars are ready to be processed.If you are new to using a pressure canner, see this article for full pressure canning instructions.   This includes more detailed information and step-by-step instructions on how a pressure canner works. See full water bath canning instructions here.  

Procedure for Canning Tomato Sauce

Add lemon juice to jar (1 Tbsp. per pint or 2 Tbsp. per quart).  

Add 1 tsp. salt per quart or 1/2 tsp. per pint (optional, but recommended). 

Remove air bubbles. Wipe the rim clean and place seal and ring.  Place jar in the warm canner. Proceed to fill all jars. Process according to directions below. 

Hot Pack only

Canning tomato sauce is a good way to preserve tomatoes for long-term storage. Learn how to safely can your tomatoes in this complete guide—from prepping the tomatoes to picking the right jars.

Canned Tomato Sauce Recipe

tomatoes (about 80 plum tomatoes)

Citric acid lemon juice

Wash tomatoes. Core and cut tomatoes into quarters.

Place a single layer of tomato quarters in the bottom...

Place a single layer of tomato quarters in the bottom of a large saucepan. Mash with a potato masher, and heat over medium-high heat until juicy.

Add in the remaining tomatoes in 3-4 batches, mashing after each...

Add in the remaining tomatoes in 3-4 batches, mashing after each addition. Once all tomatoes are added, simmer until tomatoes are tender and juicy.

Remove from heat. Run the tomatoes through a food mill to remove peels and...

Remove from heat. Run the tomatoes through a food mill to remove peels and seeds.

Return purée to saucepan. Cook purée, uncovered, over medium-high...

Return purée to saucepan. Cook purée, uncovered, over medium-high heat until purée thickens, stirring to prevent sticking. Cook until volume is reduced by one-third for a thin sauce, or one-half for a thick sauce.

Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready to...

Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready to use, but do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set aside with bands.

Add ¼ teaspoon citric acid or 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice to a hot pint...

Add ¼ teaspoon citric acid or 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice to a hot pint jar; ½ teaspoon citric acid or 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice to a hot quart jar. Ladle hot sauce into hot jar, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust for headspace. Clean jar rim. Center lid on jar and adjust band to fingertip-tight.

Place jar on a canning rack in the boiling-water canner. Repeat...

Place jar on a canning rack in the boiling-water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.

Cover the canner and bring water to a boil. Process pint jars 35...

Cover the canner and bring water to a boil. Process pint jars 35 minutes or quart jars 45 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Start timer once the water is at a full, rolling boil.

Turn off heat, remove canner lid, and let jars stand 5 minutes....

Turn off heat, remove canner lid, and let jars stand 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool for 12-24 hours on a folded towel. Check lids for seal—they should not flex when center is pressed. Label and store jars.

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Seasoned Tomato Sauce Recipe

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Top 3 canning tomato sauce recipes from across the web

The most viewed canning tomato sauce recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Seasoned Tomato Sauce Recipe

Making & Canning Tomato Sauce

Canned Tomato Sauce Recipe

The most viewed canning tomato sauce recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine