Sure! Canning pasta sauce is a great way to preserve the flavors of your homemade sauce for later use. Here’s a detailed recipe for a basic tomato-based pasta sauce, along with instructions for safe canning.
Homemade Pasta Sauce Recipe for Canning
Ingredients:
- 20 lbs ripe tomatoes (Roma or plum varieties work well)
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh oregano
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup bottled lemon juice (for acidity, necessary for safe canning)
Equipment:
- Large stockpot
- Canning jars with lids and bands (pint or quart size)
- Water bath canner or pressure canner
- Jar lifter
- Funnel
- Bubble remover tool or a non-metallic spatula
Instructions:
Preparing the Sauce:
- Blanch and Peel Tomatoes:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Score a small “X” on the bottom of each tomato.
- Place tomatoes in boiling water for 30-60 seconds until the skins start to peel back.
- Remove tomatoes and plunge them into ice water to stop cooking.
- Peel the skins off the tomatoes and remove the cores.
- Cook the Sauce:
- In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat.
- Add onions and garlic, and sautΓ© until translucent.
- Chop peeled tomatoes and add them to the pot.
- Stir in basil, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, and sugar (if using).
- Simmer the sauce on low heat for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally, until thickened to your liking.
Canning the Sauce:
- Sterilize Jars and Lids:
- Wash jars, lids, and bands in hot soapy water.
- Sterilize jars by placing them in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
- Keep jars hot until ready to fill.
- Add Lemon Juice:
- Add 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice to each quart jar (or 1 tablespoon to each pint jar) to ensure proper acidity.
- Fill Jars:
- Using a funnel, ladle the hot pasta sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
- Remove air bubbles by running a non-metallic spatula around the inside edge of the jar.
- Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp cloth to ensure a good seal.
- Place lids on jars and screw on bands until fingertip tight.
- Process the Jars:
- Place jars in a water bath canner or pressure canner, making sure they are fully submerged with at least 1 inch of water covering them.
- Process pint jars for 35 minutes and quart jars for 40 minutes in a boiling water bath canner. (Adjust time for altitude as necessary.)
- Cool and Store:
- Carefully remove jars using a jar lifter and place them on a towel to cool.
- Let jars sit undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
- Check seals; the lids should not flex up and down when pressed.
- Label and store jars in a cool, dark place.
Tips:
- Always use bottled lemon juice for consistent acidity.
- You can adjust herbs and seasoning to your taste, but do not alter the amount of lemon juice or tomatoes to ensure safe acidity levels.
- Ensure all equipment and surfaces are clean to avoid contamination.
Enjoy your homemade canned pasta sauce!
