Have the tomatoes from your garden taken over? My tomatoes seem to have taken over the garden, the fridge, the counters, the sink, and my table. Let’s try to can tomato sauce this year! It is a simple way to get the tomatoes processed and out of the way.
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A Fresh Tomato Here and 100 Over There
My mom always had a garden. I remember our cat, Stanley, riding around on her back as she weeded around the vegetable plants. The house smelled like herbs all summer because there was always something drying on the dehydrator. Then tomato season came and it looked like a murder scene in her kitchen. Blanching, cutting, freezing, canning. Tomatoes took over every basket, bowl, and counter in the kitchen. Little did I know that my kitchen would one day look the same.
I love to garden. Something about planting seeds, caring for the seedlings, and harvesting the produce brings me joy. But I’ve got a confession to make before we go on. Although I love growing tomatoes, I hate eating them. I always have. Nothing ruins a dish like tomatoes, especially fresh ones. Despite my distaste for tomatoes, I do enjoy small amounts of fresh tomato sauce. It is delicious on a pizza or on spaghetti. A little goes a long way, but I do enjoy those small amounts.
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Get Your Jars Ready to Can Tomato Sauce
When canning it is important to use sterilized jars and new lids. I’m going to walk you through how to prepare your jars to can tomato sauce. Remember to always put hot food into hot jars as well.
- Fill up a large pot or water bath canner about halfway with water. Put the empty jars in so that they are full of water too. Your water should come up about an inch over the jars. Placing a rack at the bottom will prevent the jars from breaking during the process. Cover the pot and let it boil for 10 minutes to sanitize the jars.
- Place the rings and lids in a separate pot of boiling water for 10 minutes to sanitize them as well.
- We always want to put hot food into hot jars. So once your tomato sauce is finished cooking, it’s time to can it. Lift a jar from the boiling water using a jar lifter. Pour the water back into the pot. Use a canning funnel to help you get the food into the jar. Remember to leave half an inch of headspace. If needed use a rubber spatula or bubble remover to get out any bubbles. Wipe the rim of the jar with a clean, damp cloth or paper towel.
- Now use a lid magnet to get a lid and ring out of the other pot. Center the lid on the jar. Screw on the ring until it is fingertip tight. Then place the jar back into the canner. Repeat until all of the jars are full.
Recipe to Can Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
Tomatoes
Lemon Juice (bottled from the store not freshly squeezed)
Salt
Cooking Instructions
- First we need to blanch the tomatoes. Cut an X on the bottom of the tomato. It doesn’t need to be very deep. This will allow the skin to peel off later. Place the tomato in boiling water for about 30 seconds or until the skin starts to come loose. Remove immediately and place in an ice water bath.
- Next we need to core them to remove most of the seeds. When the tomato is cooled, peel the skin back and cut it off at the top. Cut the tomato in half. Then use your thumbs to push out the seeds.
- Then put the tomatoes in a large stock pot. Allow the tomatoes to simmer on a low heat for several hours. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching.When everything seems to liquify or becomes very mushy you are ready for the next step.
- Using a ladle and food mill, push all the tomatoes through. This gives you the pulp and juice without any clumps or seeds. Rinse the stock pot out to remove any stray seeds before returning the tomatoes to the pot to continue simmering. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching.
Canning Instructions
- Once you reach the desired consistency, you can ladle the sauce into the jars. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to each pint or 2 tablespoons to each quart. Add ½ a teaspoon of salt to each pint jar or 1 teaspoon to each quart. Make sure to leave a ½ inch of headspace.
- Then wipe the rim, place the lid, screw on the ring and place them back in the pot of water or canner to boil. The water should be at least an inch deeper than the jars. Pints will need to boil for 35 minutes. Quarts will take 45 minutes.
- When the time is up, turn off the heat and remove the lid from the pot. Let the jars sit in the water for another 5 minutes to cool down some. This will help prevent breakage. Remove them using a jar lifter and place them upright on a towel. They will need to remain undisturbed for 12 hours. Undisturbed means that you should NOT tighten the rings.
- Finally it’s time to check your work. Push down on the middle of the lid. It should not flex or bend. Remove the ring and try to lift off the lid. If the lid stays in place then you’ve done a good job. Make sure to add a label so you don’t forget what’s inside! Store them in a cool, dark, place for up to 18 months.
You will need about 3 pounds of tomatoes to make a quart of sauce. This is a rough estimate because it can depend on the type of tomato that you use.
Using a Can of Tomato Sauce
Our favorite way to use tomato sauce is to make pizza sauce. Spread it over a sourdough crust and sprinkle on some cheese. It’s the perfect Friday night meal.
I’ve started to experiment with using it in my chicken enchilada recipe as well. Of course spaghetti is always an easy option. We like to put some on a bagel with a bit of cheese to make bagel pizzas. They are the perfect, freezer-friendly lunch.
Can Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- Tomatoes
- Lemon Juice (bottled from the store not freshly squeezed)
- Salt
Instructions
- First we need to blanch the tomatoes. Cut an X on the bottom of the tomato. It doesn’t need to be very deep. This will allow the skin to peel off later. Place the tomato in boiling water for about 30 seconds or until the skin starts to come loose. Remove immediately and place in an ice water bath.
- Next we need to core them to remove most of the seeds. When the tomato is cooled, peel the skin back and cut it off at the top. Cut the tomato in half. Then use your thumbs to push out the seeds.
- Then put the tomatoes in a large stock pot. Allow the tomatoes to simmer on a low heat for several hours. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching.When everything seems to liquify or becomes very mushy you are ready for the next step.
- Using a ladle and food mill, push all the tomatoes through. This gives you the pulp and juice without any clumps or seeds. Rinse the stock pot out to remove any stray seeds before returning the tomatoes to the pot to continue simmering. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching.
- Once you reach the desired consistency, you can ladle the sauce into the jars. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to each pint or 2 tablespoons to each quart. Add ½ a teaspoon of salt to each pint jar or 1 teaspoon to each quart. Make sure to leave a ½ inch of headspace.
Then wipe the rim, place the lid, screw on the ring and place them back in the pot of water or canner to boil. Pints will need to boil for 35 minutes. Quarts will take 45 minutes. - When the time is up, turn off the heat and remove the lid from the pot. Let the jars sit in the water for another 5 minutes to cool down some. This will help prevent breakage. Remove them using a jar lifter and place them upright on a towel. They will need to remain undisturbed for 12 hours. Undisturbed means that you should NOT tighten the rings.
- Finally it’s time to check your work. Push down on the middle of the lid. It should not flex or bend. Remove the ring and try to lift off the lid. If the lid stays in place then you’ve done a good job. Make sure to add a label so you don’t forget what’s inside! Store them in a cool, dark, place for up to 18 months.
The site may contain links to affiliate websites, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As a Revive EO Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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