Basic Tomato Sauce
This basic tomato sauce is designed so you can customize it to your tastes. You can add spices and seasoning to make it how you enjoy!
Equipment
- Water Bath Canner
- Canning Supplys
- Tomato Skin/Seed Remover
Ingredients
- 30 pounds Tomatoes
- 1 Onion Chopped (optional)
- 5 cloves Garlic (optional)
- 1 cup Celery or Green Peppers Chopped (optional)
- 1 lbs Fresh Mushrooms (optional)
- 1.5 tbs Salt (optional)
- 2 tbs Italian seasoning (optional)
- Sugar To Taste (optional)
- Bottled Lemon Juice or Citric Acid
Instructions
- Wash Tomatoes
- If using a Seed/Skin Remover (like the Kitchen Aid one), quarter tomatoes and run them through the processor. Skin and seeds will push out the front while pulp will go out of another spot. Have two bowls set up to catch the pulp and skins. Once all the tomatoes have been run through, run the skin/seeds through a second time to get all the juice out.
- If blanching, cut an x into the bottom of the tomatoes, and cook tomatoes in hot boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds. Immediately dump tomatoes into ice water and peel skin off. Rough chop tomatoes and put them in stock pot to cook.
- Optional: Sauté 1 onion, peppers, mushroom and garlic before adding to sauce. Add seasoning to taste.Note: Be bold with the seasoning, this makes a lot of sauce so use a lot of flavor.
- Cook tomatoes until desired sauce consistency is reached, about 60 to 90 minutes.
- When sauce is almost to the desired thickness, prepare water bath with jars and heat on medium heat until water is steaming.
- Spoon Bottled Lemon Juice/Citric Acid into the bottom of each jar. Fill jars and leave 1 inch head space (generally just before the threads of the lid). Clean the top rim with a clean damp rag to remove any spill over before placing lid and rings on jars. Tighten to just finger tight.
- Place in hot water bath for amount of time shown below, based on your altitude.
- Allow to cool fully before removing ring cap and placing in the pantry.
Notes
Note, you can freeze tomato sauce and it unfreezes perfect. Get yourself some good freezer bags, and fill them equally. Lay filled bags on a cookie sheet, stack, and freeze. Once fully frozen, you can remove the tray and stack in your freezer as room dictates. You can use containers as well.