I’ve shied away from posting a canned tomato sauce recipe forever.
Not because it’s hard…
Not because I don’t make tomato sauce…
Not because I don’t have tomatoes…
Mostly just because I’ve just been too lazy to write down my ingredients any time I make a batch.
So there you have it.
Now that’s off my chest, I feel better.
Anyway.
Of all the things I can (like peaches with honey and cinnamon, canned apple slices, home-canned poblano salsa), tomato sauce is the most important. We use our canned tomato sauce in so many recipes during the long winter months, from homemade pasta dishes, homemade pizzas, chili, and more.
If I play my cards right, I can grow enough paste tomatoes (I love Amish Paste and San Marzano the most) in my raised bed garden to keep us stocked in tomato sauce for the whole year.
Homemade tomato sauce can easily be frozen, BUT since freezer space is always at a premium on our homestead, this is absolutely a item I prefer to can.
Plus, this particular tomato sauce recipe for canning uses a waterbath canner, so it’s the perfect recipe for beginners. (And if you are a beginner to the canning world, check out my article on how to start canning with zero special equipment so you can start canning today).
The Resource I Wish I Had When I Started
If you are a canning newbie, I just revamped my Canning Made Easy course and it’s ready for YOU! I’ll walk you through each step of the process (safety is my #1 priority!), so you can finally learn to can confidently, without the stress. CLICK HERE to have a look at the course and ALL the bonuses that come with it.
This is the information I wish I had when I first started canning– all of the recipes and safety information are double and triple-checked against tested and proved canning recipes and recommendations.
It’s the next best thing to you coming over to my house and canning right along with me.
Best Tips for Canning Tomato Sauce
Whether you use my personal favorite tomato sauce recipe or a different one, there are a few things to keep in mind for your tomato canning adventures:
Tip #1: Always Follow a Safe Canning Recipe
I’ve talked countless times in the past about the importance of following a safe canning recipe, because here’s the deal folks– botulism is no joke. And yes, people do indeed still get stick from improperly canned foods.
Also, tomatoes can be deceiving as they *are* an acidic food, but there are many aspects that factor into their exact acidity. To save yourself the hassle of becoming a tomato acidity detective, the simplest course of action you can take is to add a bit of lemon juice to each of your jars.
You can get the exact measurements for different sizes of jars here. Adding lemon juice or vinegar ensures your home-canned tomato recipes are acidic enough to be canned in your water bath canner– easy peasy.
Another important reason to always use an approved recipe for your tomato canning adventures is the ratio of tomatoes to other vegetables. Tomatoes are an acidic food, but many common tomato sauce additions, (like green pepper, onion, mushroom, or garlic), are not. You can safely add *some* of these non-acidic ingredients to home-canned tomato sauce, you’ll just need to watch your ratios.
Or, if you want to ditch ratios entirely, you can do that, but you’ll just want to pressure can the sauce instead.
A good rule of thumb is to use no more than 3 cups of other vegetables per each 22 pounds of tomatoes.
My tomato sauce recipe is safe because it is based on the recipe in the Ball Blue Book (as is any other canning recipe you’ll find here on my blog– I always stick to approved recipes as a starting point.)
You can learn more about canning safety in my articles here:
- How to Safely Can Tomatoes at Home
- The Ultimate Guide to Canning Safety
- The Best Resources for Safe Canning
Tip #2: Use Optimal Tomato Varieties for Canning
I primarily grow either Amish Paste, Roma or San Marzano plum tomatoes in our garden, since tomato sauce is the #1 way my family consumes tomatoes. These paste-type varieties are meatier and contain less juice and seeds, so you’ll spend less time simmering and reducing the sauce.
However, even though certain tomato varieties are preferred for canning, you can still use any type you want, so don’t let your tomato type stop you from enjoying some home-canned tomato sauce!
Tips #3: Plan on Canning Tomato Sauce for an Entire Day
You probably all know by now (especially if you own my cookbook) that I am a huge fan of quick and easy recipes that don’t take a lot of time. That being said, there are a couple exceptions to my rule, and tomato sauce is one of them.
If you’re canning a sizable amount of sauce (i.e. more than just a jar or two), it will very likely take you the majority of the day to process, simmer, and then can the tomatoes. However, don’t despair– not all of this is hands-on time!
The kids and I recently processed several boxes of our homegrown tomatoes that had been ripening in the shop. Naturally, I didn’t weigh them (FAIL), but there were well over 50 pounds.
It took us about a 90 minutes to wash, trim, and process the tomatoes into puree with our Victorio Food Mill (p.s. the best investment EVER if you are planning on doing a lot of tomato or applesauce). Yes, I do employ child labor here (they actually think it’s fun– for real).
The simmering process took 4-5 hours (I was in and out of the house while this was happening), and then I finally canned it later in the day.
It wasn’t hard work, but it did stretch throughout the day.
However, if you’re looking for a ‘quick and easy’ tomato sauce recipe for supper tonight, don’t worry– I’ve got you covered! This FAST tomato sauce recipe can be ready in 20 minutes or less. It’s not a recipe you’d want to can, but if you need some quick sauce for supper, it’s golden.
Canned All-Purpose Tomato Sauce Recipe
Yield: About 7 Quarts
Ingredients:
- 45 pounds of tomatoes
- 6 cups chopped onions (I use a food processor for this)
- 12 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar (more to taste)
- ¼ cup coarse sea salt (more to taste)
- Bottled lemon juice (2 tablespoons per quart jar)
- A water bath canner
Instructions:
Wash the tomatoes and remove the ends and any damaged spots. Quarter them and deseed them by running your fingers down the middle and scraping out the bulk of the seeds and juice. Puree the tomatoes in a food processor or blender.
(OR, you can run the tomatoes through a food mill and save yourself a lot of time! When I’m using my food mill, I wash them, remove any bad spots, and that’s it– the machine does the rest.)
Sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil in a large pot. Add the tomatoes, pepper, sugar, and salt. Bring to a simmer and allow to reduce by about one-half. If you are using very juicy tomatoes, this can take 3-5 hours.
The most important part of homemade tomato sauce is the tasting! Tomatoes greatly differ from variety to variety, so you must taste as you go.
In order to keep the ratios of high acid to low acid foods at a safe level in this recipe, you cannot increase the amount of onions or garlic you use, but you CAN increase the herbs, sugar, or salt.
Once the sauce has reduced by half and the flavor is where you want it to be, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to each pint jar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to each quart jar.
Ladle the sauce into the jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
Process pints for 35 minutes and quarts for 40 minutes in a hot water bath canner. (Keep in mind that you may have to adjust your processing time according to your altitude.)
REMEMBER: Don’t start timing until the water has returned to a boil with the filled jars inside.
Store your sealed jars in a cool, dark place. I use this all-purpose sauce in all sorts of recipes- add basil and oregano to give it an Italian twist, or add chili powder and cumin for Mexican food.
Homemade Tomato Sauce Notes:
- Most recipes will suggest that you peel the tomatoes before you puree them. Since I despise peeling tomatoes (it’s ok for a handful, but when you’re dealing with 60 pounds of small tomatoes, it’s an utter nightmare), I always just run mine through my food mill instead. In the past when I didn’t have a food mill, I would deseed and then puree them (with the skin on). Sometimes you’ll find a bit of peel in your finished sauce, but I absolutely do not think it’s offensive at all. It’s a small price to pay to avoid the monotony of peeling a million tomatoes.
- To make this more of an Italian-style sauce, add 3 tablespoons dried oregano and 3 tablespoons dried basil (or to taste)
- If you prefer, you can completely omit and onion and garlic from this recipe. Technically, you can can straight tomato puree, if you wish. However, I prefer to give mine a bit more flavor to start out.
- Sugar is important in tomato sauce recipes to help cut the acidity. However, you can leave it out if you wish.
- DRIED herbs and spices won’t effect the ratios of this recipe at all, so you can safely remove or add them, according to your own taste.
- My favorite tomatoes to grow for making canned tomato sauce are Roma or San Marzanos.
Jill’s Favorite Canned Tomato Sauce Recipe
My tried-and-true canning tomato sauce recipe, perfect for pasta dishes, homemade pizza, and more.
- Prep Time: 1-2 hours
- Cook Time: 3-5 hours
- Total Time: 29 minute
- Yield: 7 quarts 1x
Ingredients
- 45 pounds of tomatoes
- 6 cups chopped onions (I use a food processor for this)
- 12 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar (more to taste)
- ¼ cup coarse sea salt (more to taste)
- Bottled lemon juice (2 tablespoons per quart jar)
- A water bath canner
Instructions
Wash the tomatoes and remove the ends and any damaged spots. Quarter them and deseed them by running your fingers down the middle and scraping out the bulk of the seeds and juice. Puree the tomatoes in a food processor or blender.
(OR, you can run the tomatoes through a food mill and save yourself a lot of time! When I’m using my food mill, I wash them, remove any bad spots, and that’s it– the machine does the rest.)
Sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil in a large pot. Add the tomatoes, pepper, sugar, and salt. Bring to a simmer and allow to reduce by about one-half. If you are using very juicy tomatoes, this can take 3-5 hours.
The most important part of homemade tomato sauce is the tasting! Tomatoes greatly differ from variety to variety, so you must taste as you go.
In order to keep the ratios of high acid to low acid foods at a safe level in this recipe, you cannot increase the amount of onions or garlic you use, but you CAN increase the herbs, sugar, or salt.
Once the sauce has reduced by half and the flavor is where you want it to be, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to each pint jar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to each quart jar.
Ladle the sauce into the jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
Process pints for 35 minutes and quarts for 40 minutes in a hot water bath canner. (Keep in mind that you may have to adjust your processing time according to your altitude.)
REMEMBER: Don’t start timing until the water has returned to a boil with the filled jars inside.
Store your sealed jars in a cool, dark place. I use this all-purpose sauce in all sorts of recipes- add basil and oregano to give it an Italian twist, or add chili powder and cumin for Mexican food.
Notes
- Most recipes will suggest that you peel the tomatoes before you puree them. Since I despise peeling tomatoes (it’s ok for a handful, but when you’re dealing with 60 pounds of small tomatoes, it’s an utter nightmare), I always just run mine through my food mill instead. In the past when I didn’t have a food mill, I would deseed and then puree them (with the skin on). Sometimes you’ll find a bit of peel in your finished sauce, but I absolutely do not think it’s offensive at all. It’s a small price to pay to avoid the monotony of peeling a million tomatoes.
- To make this more of an Italian-style sauce, add 3 tablespoons dried oregano and 3 tablespoons dried basil (or to taste)
- Sugar is important in tomato sauce recipes to help cut the acidity. However, you can leave it out if you wish.
- DRIED herbs and spices won’t effect the ratios of this recipe at all, so you can safely remove or add them, according to your own taste.
- My favorite tomatoes to grow for making canned tomato sauce are Roma or San Marzanos.
Something I do now that I sort of stumbled upon in my quest of making an amazing tomato juice, I juice the tomatoes with my juicer. I place the juice in a big tea jar (mine is 2 gal) with a spigot on the bottom. In a very short amount of time the juice separates and you can just run out the water instead of simmering it off. Keep the “thick juice,” run the pulp you’ve created through a food mill and add it back to the thick juice and continue with your normal recipe. If I’m making just juice, I use the pulp for a thicker style salsa. Happy canning!
Brilliant!
★★★★★
Thank you for such detailed recipe! My tomatoes were a big old flop last year so I only canned few jars of salsa but I’m planning ahead this year and hoping for a nice harvest. I cant wait to try this recipe.
★★★★★
No fresh tomatoes this year so I bought some gallon cans of crushed tomatoes can I use them
I read through the “tomato sauce” recipe to see what you did compared to what we do.
Our recipe is handed down from Italy in our family. We use the Romas and San Marzanos
but also add cilieginos(small sweet tomatoes). We cook them down for 6-8 hours having only added
the fresh stalks of basil from the garden. We squeeze and then can the result. We refer to this as “puree”. We cold pack can other varieties that are used together with the puree to make our sauce.
Nothing is added until the sauce is actually cooked. Garlic, oregano, more basil……never sugar. The tomatoes we use create a very low acid result.
Love it!
★★★★★
I only use honey, maple syrup and coconut sugar as sweeteners. Can I use these in place of ‘sugar’ in your canning recipes?
Yes– that’s totally fine!
So I’ve tried this recipe both ways now. The first time I used a food mill and this time I tried your other method. I have way more sauce this year with keeping the skins on. I puréed them in my pampered chef blender so you can’t even tell there were ever any skins.
But I have 12 quarts this year compared to 6 last year, same recipe, same amounts, only difference is I left the skins on. I even reduced it for 6 hours and still got that much. Have you ever noticed this big of a difference?
I have to say though, I didn’t find it any more or less work with either method. I preferred getting the seeds out with my fingers then throwing the tomatoes in my blender.
Could I leave the tomatoes more whole/ chunky?
★★★★★
Thx for sharing! Would it be ok to cook the tomatoes on the stove and then run them through a sieve to remove seeds and skin?
I have always used everything in my canned tomatoes and sauces. When I say everything I mean even the seeds and skins. I’ve done this for years and the seeds are not an issue when using the canned tomato products later. My thoughts were when you eat fresh tomatoes do you peel them and seed them? NO. Then why do I have to for cooking purposes?
Great thanks!
This what I have always done!
It is always a mess to blanch and peel tomatoes, even using a grinder. I just core the cleaned tomatoes, cut them into quarters and blend the snot out of the whole thing in the Vitamix until the skins can no longer be seen. Then proceed to cook down with a little salt and then can in a boiler canner with a little lemon juice. Makes tomato sauce a breeze. So sweet and yummy.
Isn’t it counter productive to add brown sugar to “reduce the acidity,” and then add lemon juice to insure the acidity is high enough?
In your great “NEVER Run Out of Canning Lids Again” video, I noticed your pot-filler faucet flow was a bit wonky. Happened to me as well. Mineral build-up on the screen creates random clogs and blockages. Try attaching a baggie of white vinegar rubber-banded around the faucet end and leave it overnight. Worked for me!
★★★★★
If I were to add carrots for sweetner instead of sugar, would I need to decrease the amount of onion for the ratios to stay correct?
Could you pressure can this recipe instead of water bath?
We have that exact food mill, but it constantly got clogged up by the raw tomatoes we put in there. We even quartered them to make them smaller. We learned it was the plastic spiral piece that wasn’t breaking it down well. We ended up buying a Squeezo brand that is all metal and it works much better. We do find that cooking the quartered or half tomatoes in a pot for a few minutes before processing it does add insurance that it will not clog. It is a total mess if it gets clogged. I know it’s one more step, but its worth it. We feel it doesn’t add too much time. But then again, maybe we don’t get as many tomatoes as you do. 🙂
My easy (and lazy) way to make sauce – the night before canning, I rinse the tomatoes and trim out the stems and blossom ends. Then quarter and shake the seeds out and over-load my 7 quart crockpot. I pile them up, pressing down as I go, until they touch the lid. Set it for Low and let them cook down overnight. They will settle as they break down.
The next morning, I get 7 quart jars and the water bath going. Run the tomatoes in batches through a blender until smooth (I leave the skins on for their nutritional value) and pour right into the jars. I can them plain so that they can go into any recipe. A quart can be thickened later if needed. I cook my pasta right in the sauce which absorbs a lot of water and thickens the sauce naturally while flavoring the pasta at the same time.
★★★★★
Whoops, i forgot to mention that I add 1 cup of red wine vinegar to the crockpot for proper acidity.