Canning Tomato Sauce

Canning tomato sauce. Fresh tomato sauce canning instructions. Home canning tomatoes. How to can tomato sauce. Basic tomato sauce recipe.

Tomato Sauce

Art Print
Buy at AllPosters.com
Framed

Choose vine ripened tomatoes that are not cracked or too soft.

Never can tomatoes from dead or frost killed vines. Harmful tomato disease organisms may be present in the fruit.

Set a pot of water on the stove to boil while you wash the fruit and core it.

Peel, seed and coarse chop the tomatoes.

How to Peel and Seed Tomatoes

Cut an X into each tomato's skin on the bottom of the fruit. Using a slotted spoon, gently immerse the fruit in the boiling water for a minute. (If you can tomatoes a lot, there are special wire baskets with handles you can get which make getting large quantities of fruit into and out of the hot water much easier.)

Transfer the tomatoes immediately into a sink of ice water. When the fruit is cool enough to handle, pull the skin off and discard it.

Basic Tomato Sauce Recipe

You may add chopped bell peppers and onions sauteed in olive oil along with fresh chopped or dried Italian herbs. I like to add a little bit of brown sugar to counteract the acidity of the tomatoes and the lemon juice.

All of these extra ingredients can be added now or you can make a plain tomato sauce and season it later when you prepare meals. I prefer to add the extra ingredients later as it makes my home made tomato sauce just as versatile as a store bought can albeit tastier.

Tomato Sauce Canning Instuctions

Sterilize the jars (in the dishwasher) and keep them hot. Hot tomato sauce added to a cool jar may crack it.

Because all tomatoes are not acidic enough for safe tomato canning, add 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid to each quart jar before adding the sauce.

You can add 1 teaspoon of salt to each quart jar prior to adding the sauce if you want to. This is optional. Leave it out if you want low sodium tomato sauce.

Fill the jars leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Use a funnel and wipe any spills off the rims with a clean paper towel. Screw the lids on and place the jars in your canner.

How long you need to process them depends on what size jars you are using, the type of canner and the altitude you live at.

This page of the National Center for Home Food Preservation's website has a table with the process times.

Using tongs, lift the jars out of the hot water at the end of the processing time and set them on towels to cool. Then remove the metal rings and wipe any food off the outside of the jars.

After canning tomato sauce, label and date the jars. Store the sauce at room temp for up to 1 year.

See the USDA's Home Canning Guide for more information about home canning tomatoes and other vegetables safely.

Best Value Canners

This Granite Ware Canning Kit is a great value for the money. You get a 21 quart water bath canner and all the tools a beginner needs.

It will work with both gas and electric ranges but cannot be used on smooth top stoves.

The Ball Jar Collection Elite 21 quart Canner is perfect for people who have ceramic stove tops. The bottom is flat and it fits the large burner well.

If you are worried about canning on one of these stove tops, don't be. I have a Kenmore on which I boil large, heavy pots of water on at least every other day. I've been doing this for years and I've never had a problem.

Of course, this stainless steel canner can be used on other types of gas or electric stoves as well. Much longer lasting than graniteware.

Canning Tomato Juice
Canning tomato juice. How to make homemade tomato juice. Tomato canning juicer. Juicy tomatoes.

Roma Tomato
Roma tomato growing tips. Paste, sauce and canning tomato. Plum tomatoes. Growing heritage tomatoes. Canning tomato sauce.

Go back to CanningTomatoes
Canning tomatoes whole. Home canning of tomato juice. Tomato sauce canning instructions. Tomato canning tips. Canning Roma tomatoes. How to can tomatoes.

Go from Canning Tomato Sauce to Freezing Tomatoes
Freezing tomatoes the easy way. How to freeze tomatoes. What to do with frozen tomatoes.

Go from Canning Tomato Sauce to Plant Guides Home Page