I’ve received several emails lately asking for my spaghetti sauce recipe that I can using the oven method. I thought the easiest way for everyone to enjoy it is post it here, it’s much easier that way. Here’s a few tips before you get started and I know not everyone has the same equipment so make due with what you have, you don’t need to run out and by anything fancy. I can a 1/2 bushel of tomatoes at a time so adjust the recipe accordingly. The yield will be about 16 pints depending on how dense the tomatoes are. I use whatever tomatoes are ripe at the time it doesn’t matter the variety. If you are purchasing your tomatoes you can buy “canning tomatoes” much cheaper. They are normally the tomatoes that aren’t perfect in shape so you get them at a reduced cost, also purchase some Roma Tomatoes they are specifically designed as a sauce tomato.
First wash your tomatoes and quarter them. Next step is to run them through your juicer, I use a Champion Commercial Juicer to get the job done but you can use any method that gets them into the juice state. If you’re thinking about purchasing a juicer I recommend the Champion, I’ve had mine for 25 years without doing anything to it, it’s a work horse for sure. While juicing I throw in a couple of green peppers, a head of garlic and an onion…..just for flavor. So at this point you should have everything juiced. I then place all the juice in the refrigerator over night (if you have those big ice cream pails they work great for storage). The next day you will notice all the thick tomato juice will be on top and a yellow liquid will have sunk to the bottom of the container. You will want to drain the liquid off. I use a turkey baster and run it along side the container and suck it off until it’s gone. Don’t be alarmed if you end up with 1/2 a container of tomatoes at this point, that’s about where it should be. By doing this it speeds up the cook time, you won’t have to wait for all the water to cook off and your sauce will thicken faster, which is what you want.
Next get out a big stainless pot, one big enough to hold all the tomatoes and put it on the stove to simmer. Make sure you are just simmering you don’t want to burn the sauce. You need to simmer the sauce for at least 2 hours. You don’t have to babysit it just give it a stir every now and then, this truly is a simple sauce that is fail proof. After the 2 hours is up add the remaining ingredients (listed in the printed recipe below) and simmer an additional 2 hours. Next step is the canning process, you can use my method or refer to you ball canning book for directions. If you use my method do not add meat to the sauce.
I just want to state this before I get hate mail……The method I use for canning works for me it you’re not comfortable with it pick the processing method that you do feel comfortable with. Sharing this recipe at Just A Girl and Her Blog and The Girl Creative today 🙂
- 1/2 Bushel Tomatoes
- 3 Cloves Garlic
- 1 - 6# Can Tomato Paste (this is the large can, institutional size 111oz)
- 1 1/2 C Sugar
- 1/2 C Canning Salt
- 1 C Olive Oil
- 2 TBSP Sweet Basil
- 2 TBSP Oregano
- Step 1. Add juiced tomatoes, garlic, sugar, and salt to pot. Simmer for 2 hours.
- Step 2. Add olive oil, basil, oregano, and tomato paste. Continue to stir until paste is incorporated and oil has been absorbed (no longer standing on top). Simmer an additional 2 hours. Once sauce has reached the desired thickness turn burner off and proceed to can.
- Simmer sauce as long as need be to achieve desired thickness, this may take longer than the 4 hours depending on how dense the tomatoes are.
Yum! This looks so good.
Kris
Thanks Kris, I’ve had it twice this week.
Oh this does look amazing! I think it would be wonderful to see jars of this lined up on a pantry shelf. Thanks for sharing your method…looks good to me!
Ann, I would have to clean my pantry before showing it off. LOL it’s been on my to do list for a while, but it’s just easier to close the door than clean it.
Your sauce looks amazing and I was happy to see another sauce canner that uses sugar to cut the acidity down….my kids are always laughing when they come visit because they always forget to add the sugar to their sauce when they’re trying to make mine!
Have a great day!
Christine, this is an old recipe of mine and I have used it for years. It’s so simple and tastes great.
I tried your oven canning method…I am a convert. I hate canning in general and i begrudgingly do it because of all the tomatoes we grow. I was doing a happy dance when I pulled out my 12 quarts of crushed tomatoes from the oven this morning and they were all perfectly sealed 🙂
Debbie so glad it worked for you. Don’t you just love how fast and easy it is?
I’m making this today. It is still simmering, but it taste amazing! I didn’t juice my tomatoes. I peeled last night and drained the water off this morning. I crushed them by hand and let them simmer until they pretty much fell apart. We like some chunks of tomato, so the few chunks left are fine with us.
Cari, brilliant way of doing it. I only juice because it’s fast and easy.
You have the easiest ways to do things Dawn..thanks for sharing them with us!
My recipe is similar to your but I add, balsamic vinegar, onions, red pepper flakes and thyme. I am going to try oven canning today. Do you put the jars directly on the racks or do you put them on cookie sheets?
Yvonne, I have done it both ways. The cookie sheets just make it easier to load the oven.
I am new to canning and I would like to try this recipe and method of canning. Do you have to let the tomato juice sit overnight or can you cook it right away? Once the sauce is cooked to desired thickness, do you let it cool down before putting into cold jars or do you heat the jars and fill with the cooked sauce?
Looking forward to trying this.
Thank you
Bre yes you need too so the water will come to the top for skimming off, if you don’t it will be very thinned down. No put the sauce in the jars while hot, and heat the jars.
Hi Dawn I Really want to reach the Simmer Pot, but link doesn’t seem to work nor the search button. Thanks – Jan
Jan, it’s working now I had the scheduled date wrong 🙁
I have never canned anything, but would love to start. Can you explain the oven method to me so I have all the direction. Thank you
I have never canned anything, but would love to start. Can you explain the oven method to me so I have all the direction. Thank you
I do not know much about canning. I don’t think I have any of the equipment either. Could I make this recipe and freeze in freezer bags.
Thanks. Nancy