Canned Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

Erica Walker

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5 from 700 votes
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This Canned Spaghetti Sauce Recipe is one of my favorite ways to use up a big batch of fresh garden tomatoes. It is rich, savory, thick enough to cling to pasta, and so much better than anything I can buy at the store. I love having jars of homemade spaghetti sauce on the pantry shelf because it makes dinner feel half done before I even start.

Two glass jars of canned spaghetti sauce next to dry spaghetti.

5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Best sauce ever. I use it in my rigatoni bake for potlucks, and I received tons of compliments and requests for the recipe. My children do not want spaghetti unless I use this sauce.” – Jennifer

“I tried this recipe for the first time last summer using all ingredients from my garden. This recipe was to die for! The worst part was I only made 9 quarts and should have made more.” – Kristina

“I have been using this recipe for several batches. It is so good everyone loves it. Thank you for sharing.” – Jole

Why I Love This Canned Spaghetti Sauce

We are a little tomato-crazy in our family, and this recipe is one of the big reasons why. Every year when the garden starts producing more tomatoes than we can eat fresh, I start thinking about canned spaghetti sauce. There is just something so satisfying about lining up those jars and knowing I have homemade sauce ready for busy nights, lasagna, soups, casseroles, and quick pasta dinners.

This recipe has also become a family favorite because it has passed the Dad test. My dad loves Italian food and is very picky about spaghetti sauce. It has to have the right balance of tomato flavor, seasoning, sweetness, and richness. When we served this sauce at family dinner, he loved it so much that he used a spoon to get every last bit off his plate. That is about the best review I could ask for.

🩷 Erica

Table of Contents

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Tomatoes: Fresh garden tomatoes are best. I have used Roma, Celebrity, Early Girl, Park’s Whopper, San Marzano, Beefsteak, and even a few cherry tomatoes mixed in.
  • Onions and bell peppers: These add body and flavor to the sauce. Red bell peppers add a little sweetness, and green bell pepper gives it a classic savory flavor.
  • Tomato paste: This helps thicken the sauce and gives it a deeper tomato flavor.
  • Soy sauce: It sounds a little strange in spaghetti sauce, but it deepens the savory tomato flavor. Use gluten-free soy sauce if needed.
  • Worcestershire sauce: This adds richness and a little meaty flavor without adding meat.
  • Brown sugar: A little sweetness balances the acidity of the tomatoes.
  • Garlic: Fresh garlic gives the sauce the best flavor.
  • Spices: Dried oregano, dried basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and bay leaves give the sauce that classic homemade spaghetti sauce taste.
  • Bottled lemon juice: This is added directly to the jars for water bath or steam canning. Bottled lemon juice is recommended because the acidity is consistent. The National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice or ½ teaspoon citric acid per quart of tomatoes, and 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or ¼ teaspoon citric acid per pint.

Ingredient Additions and Substitutions

Canning spaghetti sauce is different from making a regular pot of sauce for dinner. With a fresh sauce, you can add a handful of this and a little more of that. With canning, you need to be much more careful because changing ingredients can affect acidity, thickness, and processing safety.

  • Sugar and salt: These can be adjusted to taste. Start with the recipe amount, taste as the sauce simmers, and adjust a little at a time.
  • Soy sauce: Use gluten-free soy sauce if you need this canned spaghetti sauce recipe to be gluten-free.
  • Citric acid: You can use citric acid instead of bottled lemon juice. Use ½ teaspoon citric acid per quart jar or ¼ teaspoon per pint jar.
  • Tomato varieties: A mix of paste tomatoes and juicy garden tomatoes works really well. Roma and San Marzano tomatoes make a thicker sauce, while larger garden tomatoes add fresh flavor.
  • Frozen tomatoes: Frozen tomatoes can be used. Thaw them first and drain off extra liquid so the sauce does not take as long to thicken.
  • Fresh herbs: For water bath canning, stick with the dried herbs in the recipe because that is how the recipe has been tested. If you want fresh basil, parsley, mushrooms, extra garlic, or meat, add those after opening the jar.
  • Meat: Do not add ground beef, sausage, or meat if you are water bath canning this recipe. If you want a meat sauce, add cooked meat when you open the jar, or use a tested pressure-canning recipe for spaghetti sauce with meat.

How to Make Canned Spaghetti Sauce

Seven tomatoes in a pot of boiling water
  1. Peel the tomatoes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water. Add the tomatoes to the boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the skins begin to split. Move them to the ice water, then peel and quarter the tomatoes over a large bowl so you save all the juices.
Sauteed onions for Canned Spaghetti Sauce
  1. Prepare the vegetables. Pulse the onions and bell peppers in a food processor until finely chopped. You can sauté them first in a little oil with a pinch of salt for extra flavor, or add them straight to the sauce.
Spaghetti sauce simmering in a large pan
  1. Simmer the sauce. Add the tomatoes, chopped vegetables, tomato paste, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, garlic, salt, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves to a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 4 to 5 hours, stirring often so the sauce does not scorch.
Pouring lemon juice from a tablespoon in a canning jar.
  1. Blend and prepare the jars. Remove the bay leaves. Use an immersion blender if you want a smoother sauce, or leave it chunkier if that is how you like it. Add bottled lemon juice or citric acid to each hot jar before filling.
Spaghetti Sauce in glass canning jars next to tomatoes and basil
  1. Fill the jars. Ladle the hot sauce into hot jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe the rims clean, and add the lids and rings.
Canning jars with tomatoes in a canning pot of steamy water.
  1. Process and cool. Process the jars using the water bath canning or pressure canning. When processing is finished, let the jars cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours, then check the seals, label the jars, and store them in a cool, dark place.

Altitude Adjustments

Water Bath Canning – process for 40 minutes in a boiling-water canner for altitudes of 1,000 feet or less. For altitudes up to 3,000 feet, add 5 minutes; 6,000 feet, add 10 minutes; 8,000 feet, add 15 minutes; 10,000 feet, add 20 minutes.

Pressure Canning – process at 11 pounds pressure up to 2,000 feet elevation, increasing by 1 pound for every 2,000 feet (12 lbs for 2,001–4,000 ft, 13 lbs for 4,001–6,000 ft, and 14 lbs for 6,001–8,000 ft).

Recipe Tips

  • Weigh the tomatoes before peeling. That is how we measure them for this recipe.
  • Use hot sauce and hot jars. Hot sauce going into hot jars helps prevent cracking.
  • Do not skip the bottled lemon juice for water bath canning. Add it directly to each jar, not to the whole pot of sauce.
  • Include the pepper juice. If liquid comes out when you pulse the bell peppers, add it to the sauce.
  • Stir often while simmering. Tomatoes can scorch on the bottom of the pot, especially once the sauce starts to thicken.
  • Use an electric roaster carefully. It can work for cooking down a large batch, but I would not leave it unattended overnight. Stir it often and watch for burning.
  • Thicken by simmering longer. The final yield can change depending on how juicy your tomatoes are and how long the sauce reduces.
  • Use an immersion blender for smooth sauce. For chunkier sauce, pulse the vegetables less and skip the blending.
  • Do not over-tighten the rings. Fingertip tight is enough.
  • Check every seal. Any jar that does not seal should be refrigerated and used soon or reprocessed with a new lid.
Jars held up by canning rack on a canning pot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Help! I forgot to add lemon juice to the jars before canning, is my spaghetti sauce still good?

Do not, I repeat, do NOT skip this step if you are water bath or steam canning. Stick a reminder note on your jars or tie a ribbon on your finger so you don’t forget. You absolutely can not safely water bath or steam can tomatoes without bringing up the acidity first. If you forget to add the lemon juice you will need to open the jars, add the juice, replace with new lids, and reprocess.

What tomatoes work best?

Fresh garden tomatoes are always the best choice. I’ve had great results with Roma, Celebrity, Early Girl, Park’s Whopper, San Marzano, and Beefsteak varieties. And when I have extras, I even toss in a handful of cherry tomatoes!

How many tomatoes is 25 pounds?

The number of tomatoes in 25 pounds really depends on the variety and size of the tomatoes. If you’re using smaller varieties like Roma or plum tomatoes, you’ll get about 70–80 tomatoes in 25 pounds. For medium-sized tomatoes, it’s closer to 55–65, and for large beefsteak tomatoes, you can expect around 35–40. So in general, 25 pounds of tomatoes will give you somewhere between 35 and 80 tomatoes, depending on the size.

Can I Add Ground Beef to the Canned Spaghetti Sauce?

Do not add ground beef or sausage to this recipe if you are canning it. If you want meat sauce, add cooked meat after opening the jar, freeze the sauce instead of canning it, or follow a tested pressure-canning recipe specifically written for spaghetti sauce with meat.

Can I add other ingredients to this recipe?

Be really careful when adding or omitting ingredients to a canning recipe. You are usually fine adding spices but when it comes to adding fresh mushrooms, celery, parsley, thyme or meat it could throw off the acidity levels, thus making unsafe for canning. When it comes to canning it’s best to stick with a tried and tested recipe and don’t deviate.

How long does Canned Spaghetti Sauce last on the shelf?

For best quality, use home-canned spaghetti sauce within 1 year. Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place. If a jar loses its seal, leaks, bulges, smells off, or looks moldy, throw it away.

Can I freeze the sauce instead of canning it?

Absolutely! This spaghetti sauce recipe freezes beautifully and lasts for several months in freezer bags or freezer-safe containers. Just make sure to thaw the sauce completely in the refrigerator before re-heating. If you DO want to add more random ingredients like ground beef or extra veggies, freezing is a good way to go if you are worried about acidity levels.

Is this sauce gluten free?

It can be. The ingredient to watch is soy sauce, so use a gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos if needed. Also check your Worcestershire sauce label.

Do I have to peel the tomatoes and do they need to be seeded?

I always peel the tomatoes and remove the rough stem area but they don’t need to be seeded. If you prefer to remove the seeds you certainly can. If you decide to leave the skins on, it won’t change the acidity but it will change the texture.

Can the sauce be simmered in a Crock Pot?

If you can get it to all fit, sure! Just simmer in the Crock Pot with the lid off until it reaches your desired thickness.

Can I adjust the sugar and/or salt quantities?

Yes, please adjust the sugar and salt to your personal liking. It will not affect the acidity so taste as you go and adjust in small amounts.

Why did I get more/less of a yield than in the recipe?

The amount of jars this recipe yields really depends on the water content of the tomatoes and how long you reduce the sauce. You can get more or less than what the recipe says depending on how thick you make it.

How can I make my spaghetti sauce thicker?

The easiest way is to just let it simmer until it thickens. You can also add tomato paste to thicken if needed.

What if I like a chunkier sauce?

If you like it more chunky, you can just roughly chop the tomatoes and veggies instead of blending.

Can I use citric acid instead of lemon juice to can spaghetti sauce safely?

YES. You can use ½ teaspoon of citric acid instead of lemon juice. Citric acid is more concentrated so you will need less. I like using lemon juice because it’s cheaper and more accessible but either one works.

Can I use fresh herbs instead of dried?

I do not recommend swapping dried herbs for fresh herbs if you are water bath canning this recipe, unless the recipe has been tested that way. Add fresh basil, parsley, or other herbs after opening the jar.

Should I weigh my tomatoes before or after peeling?

We weigh our tomatoes before peeling.

Can I use frozen tomatoes?

Yes, frozen tomatoes work. Thaw them first and drain off extra water before making the sauce. This helps the sauce thicken faster and keeps it from tasting watery.

Can I halve this recipe?

Yes, you can halve the recipe. Keep the same amount of bottled lemon juice or citric acid per jar. For quarts, use 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice or ½ teaspoon citric acid per jar. For pints, use 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or ¼ teaspoon citric acid per jar.

Large jars of homemade spaghetti sauce that have been canned

Make Ahead and Storage

  • Make ahead: You can wash and sort the tomatoes the day before. You can also chop the onions and peppers ahead of time and refrigerate them until you are ready to make the sauce.
  • Using frozen tomatoes: If you freeze tomatoes as they ripen, thaw them in a strainer over a large bowl or pot so extra water can drain away before cooking.
  • Shelf storage: Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place. I like to use home-canned sauce within a year for best quality.
  • After opening: Refrigerate opened jars and use them within a few days.
  • Freezing instead of canning: This sauce freezes well. Let it cool, portion it into freezer-safe containers or bags, and freeze for several months. Freezing is also the best option if you want to add extra vegetables or meat without worrying about canning safety.

Our Family History with Tomatoes

Growing tomatoes has always been a family thing for us. Our Uncle Larry is one of the best gardeners I know. He has studied gardening, taught gardening, and somehow seems to know every trick for getting plants to grow. We joke that he has ten green thumbs. He shared so many of his garden tips with our mom, and she has always grown a beautiful garden too. See our full guide for growing tomatoes.

Tomatoes are one of those things that connect our family year after year. We compare what varieties we planted, how the crop is doing, what we have canned, and what we still need to make. Some of my favorite memories are from the kitchen with baskets of tomatoes on the counter and a huge pot of sauce simmering on the stove.

This canned spaghetti sauce recipe came from that tradition. We have tweaked it over the years, tested it, made it for family dinners, and served it to my very picky Italian-food-loving dad. When he approved it, we knew we had a keeper.

Uncle Larry is in his garden holding fresh garden tomatoes.

Acidity Testing for Canned Spaghetti Sauce

Tomatoes can be tricky for canning because their acidity can vary by variety, ripeness, and growing conditions. The CDC classifies low-acid foods as foods with a pH higher than 4.6, and low-acid foods need special care because they are the foods most often linked with botulism in home canning.

We have tested this recipe for safe water bath canning nine times, exactly as written, and it has consistently tested in the safe range, between 3.7 and 4.2 pH. A pH of 4.6 or lower is considered the key cutoff for high-acid foods. We have used Roma tomatoes, Celebrity, Park’s Whopper, and other red garden varieties with success. Even with that testing, it is still important to follow the recipe as written, use bottled lemon juice or citric acid in each jar for water bath canning, and follow trusted Home Food Preservation Guidelines.

A close-up top-view of spaghetti sauce

Water Bath Canning vs Pressure Canning

Water Bath Canning is the method I use when I make this canned spaghetti sauce recipe as written with bottled lemon juice added to each jar. It works for high-acid foods or properly acidified foods. A boiling-water canner needs enough water to cover the tops of the jars, and the water needs to stay boiling for the full processing time.

Pressure Canning uses higher temperatures than water bath canning and is required for low-acid foods like meat, vegetables, and sauces with meat. Some tested tomato recipes also include pressure-canning instructions, but that does not mean you can freely change the recipe. For tomato products, you still need to follow the tested recipe, use the correct jar size, process for the full time, adjust for altitude, and add bottled lemon juice or citric acid when the recipe calls for it. The National Center for Home Food Preservation lists spaghetti sauce without meat as a pressure-canning recipe with processing times of 20 minutes for pints and 25 minutes for quarts, with pressure adjusted for altitude.

For this recipe, follow the processing instructions in the recipe card and do not guess on processing time. If you are new to canning, read through our Canning 101 post or your canner manual before starting and double-check your altitude.

Canning pot, citric acid, lemon juice, canning jars, canning funnel, lid lifter and jar lifter tongs.

Where to Find Canning Jars and Cookers

You can usually find canning jars at grocery stores, Walmart, Target, farm supply stores, hardware stores, and online. I like 1-quart canning jars from Ball for spaghetti sauce because one jar is a great amount for pasta night, lasagna, or a casserole. Pint jars are nice for smaller meals, pizza sauce, or recipes that only need a little sauce.

A few things to remember:

  • Use jars made for home canning.
  • Check jars for chips or cracks before filling.
  • Use new lids each time for canning.
  • Rings can be reused as long as they are not rusty or bent.
  • If you find jars secondhand, inspect them carefully and buy new lids.
  • You can use these jars for other recipes like canning fresh tomatoes, canning peaches, or canning pears.

For a weighted-gauge pressure canner, I like to use the Presto 16-Quart Pressure Canner, which is great for canning spaghetti sauce. I found mine at Walmart and it has worked great for me. You can also find good ones on Amazon.

Pairing Ideas

This canned spaghetti sauce is perfect over spaghetti, but I use it for so much more than pasta night. It is great in Lasagna with Cottage Cheese, Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells, Easy Chicken Cacciatore, Baked Ziti, Pasta e Fagioli Soup, Minestrone, and any recipe that calls for jarred marinara or spaghetti sauce. You can also simmer it a little longer after opening a jar and use it as pizza sauce. Any of these Italian dishes are amazing with our Homemade Breadsticks or Garlic Bread.

More Canning Recipes

This Canned Spaghetti Sauce Recipe is one of the best ways to turn fresh garden tomatoes into something you will use all year long. It is rich, savory, family-tested, and so convenient to have on the pantry shelf. Be sure to read through the tips and FAQs before you start, especially if you are new to canning spaghetti sauce.

Still have a question? Check the comments because we have answered lots of canning questions there over the years. If you do not see what you need, leave a comment and I will do my best to help. And if you make this recipe, please leave a rating and let me know how it turned out! 💛🍅🍝

Canned Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

5 from 700 votes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Processing: 40 minutes
Total Time: 5 hours
Servings: 60 servings
This homemade canned spaghetti sauce is rich, savory, and perfect for using fresh garden tomatoes. It is so much better than store-bought sauce and makes pasta night easy all year long.
By Erica Walker
Two glass jars of canned spaghetti sauce next to dry spaghetti
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Ingredients 

  • 25 pounds tomatoes, (Any garden variety. I have used Roma, Celebrity, Whopper, Early Girl, Beefsteak, San Marzano, and even handfuls of cherry tomatoes)
  • 5 medium onions, (about 7-8 cups chopped)
  • 4 red bell peppers
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 4 (6oz) cans tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce, Sounds weird, but trust us, it deepens the tomato flavor like you won’t believe!
  • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup canning salt, also called pickling salt
  • 10 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
  • 3 tablespoons oregano, dried
  • 3 tablespoons basil, dried
  • 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 1/4 cups lemon juice, for adding small amounts to each jar

Instructions 

  • Fill a large pot or Dutch oven halfway with water and bring it to a boil. Working in batches, add tomatoes and boil for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the skins begin to split.
    Seven tomatoes in a pot of boiling water for Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
  • Remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon and place them in an ice water bath. Peel and quarter the tomatoes over a large bowl so you save the juices. Remove the tough stem area. The tomatoes do not need to be seeded.
    Seven tomatoes in an ice water bath for Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
  • In a food processor, pulse the onions and bell peppers in batches until finely chopped. For extra flavor, you can sauté the peppers and onions in a little oil with a pinch of salt before adding them to the sauce.
    sauteed onions and garlic in a skillet
  • In a large stockpot, combine the tomatoes, onion and pepper mixture, tomato paste, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, salt, garlic, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves.
    Fresh tomatoes in a skillet for Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
  • Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 4 to 5 hours, stirring every 15 minutes or so to prevent scorching. Remove and discard the bay leaves. For a smoother sauce, use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.
    Spaghetti sauce simmering in a large pan for Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
  • Add 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice to each hot quart jar, or 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice to each hot pint jar. Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe rims clean, and add lids and rings.
    Do not forget the lemon juice! If you forget to add the lemon juice you will need to open the jars, add the juice, replace with new lids, and reprocess.
    Pouring lemon juice from a tablespoon in a canning jar.

For Water Bath Canning:

  • Process quart jars for 40 minutes in a boiling-water canner for altitudes of 1,000 feet or less. Adjust processing time for higher altitudes:
    1,001 to 3,000 feet: add 5 minutes
    3,001 to 6,000 feet: add 10 minutes
    6,001 to 8,000 feet: add 15 minutes
    8,001 to 10,000 feet: add 20 minutes
    Canning jars with tomatoes in a canning pot of steamy water.

Notes

  • This recipe usually makes 9 to 10 quart jars, but yield can vary depending on the water content of your tomatoes and how long you simmer the sauce.
  • Weigh tomatoes before peeling.
  • Add bottled lemon juice or citric acid directly to each jar, not to the pot of sauce.
  • If using citric acid instead of bottled lemon juice, use ½ teaspoon per quart jar or ¼ teaspoon per pint jar.
  • Do not skip the acid for water bath or steam canning.
  • Do not add meat if you are water bath canning this recipe.
  • Do not increase the onions, peppers, garlic, or other low-acid ingredients for canning.
  • Frozen tomatoes can be used. Thaw and drain them first for a thicker sauce.
  • Stir the sauce often while simmering so it does not burn on the bottom.
  • Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place and use within a year for best quality.
  • Refrigerate any jar that does not seal and use it soon.
  • To learn more about our tips and tricks for growing tomatoes, see our full guide.
  • This spaghetti sauce recipe freezes beautifully and lasts for several months in freezer bags or freezer-safe containers.

Nutrition

Calories: 54kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 547mg, Potassium: 511mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 1858IU, Vitamin C: 41mg, Calcium: 35mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Course: Canning

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About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Meridian, Idaho, with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and their three daughters. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and has a passion for travel and adventure. Whether kayaking, hiking, or scuba diving, she loves exploring the world—and bringing her family along for the ride.

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Comments

  1. I am not sure what I did wrong but I only got 12 pints spaghetti sauce. Do you cook the sauce in with the lid on or off. I cooked it at a very low heat and in very heavy pot. 2.4 temperature on my stove.

    Reply

  3. 5 stars
    This sauce is wonderful. In fact excellent. It so good that we canned 50 qts. If I ever run out its what I will make fresh too. Its good on regular noodles. Its good on spaghetti squash.
    Its good on whole wheat noodles. And zoodles! Yum

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    I absolutely LOVE this sauce recipe! It’s such a perfectly fresh tasting tomato sauce. I canned 4 large batches of it last year thinking we would have way too much left over. Well, we only have 3 pints left! Planning to make another 4 recipes of it again this year – batch one happening tomorrow!

    Reply

  5. 5 stars
    This tastes SOOOOO GOOOD!! I don’t want to can it—I want to EAT IT! 🙂 Question though— If I want to thicken it up, what’s the best method? It turned out pretty runny (though, I’m only 3 hrs into the simmering, so maybe it’ll thicken more in the next hour or two?!) Thank you for sharing a great recipe!!

    Reply

  6. 5 stars
    This is my second year using your recipe and my garden tomatoes. It’s very delicious and versatile. I freeze the tomatoes, I don’t remove the skin because after the processor and the hours of simmering… they disappear. I use this for pizza sauce (a little tweaking), chicken Parmigian, spaghetti, marinara dipping sauce. This is just the base so when I cook with it I add lots of goodies depending the purpose.

    Reply

  7. 5 stars
    Love this sauce, first time using this recipe, definitely a keeper!!

    Sorry it wouldn’t let me click on the stars so I am giving you 10 stars!

    Thank you!

    *************

    Reply

  8. 5 stars
    So, funny story….. my family owns tomato canneries and has for over 100 years. Our products are the best!

    Much to my mom’s dismay, I still love going to the trouble of canning my own spaghetti sauce and salsa every year because it makes me feel happy. I guess it’s in the blood!

    This is the best recipe I’ve tried and my husband and I just canned it for the second year in a row. Great job!

    Reply

    1. Wow, what a compliment!! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave this comment. You made my day! Especially coming from someone whose family has been in the tomato canning business for over a century! You aren’t kidding that it’s in your blood haha I love this so much. Thanks again for the nice comment and I hope you continue coming back year after year for the recipe!

      Reply

    1. No, it must be lemon juice to bring up the acidity, or you can also use citric acid. Salt won’t raise the acidity and it will also alter the taste. That would be a lot of salt for a quart jar of spaghetti sauce.

      Reply

      1. If I am using citric acid instead of lemon juice, how much per qt and per pint? Can’t wait to try your recipe!

        Reply

  10. 5 stars
    Erica this recipe oh my God is the absolute best spaghetti recipe ever.Thank you so much, my friends and family now reconize me as a cook Lol..It’s amazing but next time I would like to add hamburger
    Browning it of course a little, but how much hamburger would you add to this recipe?
    Dale

    Reply

    1. Dale – This makes me so happy! I am so glad that you (and your family) have enjoyed this recipe. As far as adding ground beef, you will want to wait until preparing your meal before adding meat to the sauce. If you want to add ground beef while canning, it will need to be pressure canned and that’s a different process for safe canning. I don’t love pressure canning so for me, I will typicallyy brown 1-1.5 pounds of ground beef and then I will add the canned spaghetti sauce and let it simmer for a good 10-15 minutes before serving with spaghetti. I hope this helps!

      Reply

  11. If I run 25 lbs of tomatoes through a strainer to remove core and seeds and have 18 lbs of juice is that ok or should I have 25 lbs of juice? Thanks

    Reply

    1. You definitely want it to be more on the pulpy side, all juice won’t turn out quite right. You want to still have the meaty parts of the tomatoes. How fine of a strainer do you have?

      Reply

  12. 5 stars
    Erica, thanks so much for this wonderful tasting recipe and great instructions!
    I canned this sauce last September (2023), made a lasagna for our Christmas family gathering along with lasagna noodles, ground beef, uncased mild Italian sausage, cottage & mozzarella & Parmesan cheese.
    At our 4th of July gathering half a year later, relatives were still raving about “the best lasagna I ever tasted.” It will go with Turkey this Thanksgiving!
    Last year’s batch was great, but I seeded all the tomatoes – almost all my backyard garden, slicer tomatoes, and after about 2.5 hrs of simmering I canned it, but there was less sauce than expected and it worked out be too thick. I had to add 8 oz. tomato sauce to each pint to get the great tasting, chunky sauce to stick to pasta.
    This year, I made the recipe with 19 lbs of Roma Tomatoes, did not seed them after coring/scalding/peeling, cut them in half longways and and chopped them with a 1/2″ square, 3″ chopper blade insert – pouring all the pieces and liquid into the pot. I scaled everything else a little on the high side (4 cans of tomato paste, a huge green bell pepper, etc.) and it fit to within 1/4″ of the top of my 10 quart pot.
    I considered using your immersion blender note to smooth the tomatoes (onions and peppers food processed fine, garlic pressed fine) but I like chunky tomato salsa and the pot wasn’t so thick like last year – I can always immersion-blend it when I use it if necessary.
    After 90 minutes, the simmering had brought the pot to about 1″ from the top of the wide pot (almost 20% evaporated).
    I decided to can in a water bath at that point and (2 tbsp lemon juice/qt., 1 tbsp/pt) I was able to can 3 quarts and 8 pints. There were 2 heaping tbsp left over and I ate them and loved the taste like last year!
    Your 8-10 quarts (16-20 pints) for 25 lb should be 19/25 x (16 to 20) = 12 to 15 pints.
    My 3×2 + 8 = 14 pints so I’m in the right ballpark.
    Cant wait to see if I got the right thickness this time – It looked and felt like I did!

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    1. Oh wow, thank you so much for this comment! I am so glad you have enjoyed the spaghetti sauce so much. The lasagna sounds amazing! I am getting ready to can tomatoes and spaghetti sauce for this year as well so this adjustment is good to know. I will re-visit those amounts when I am canning my own tomatoes, just to double check. Thanks again for taking the time to leave such a great comment 🙂

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  13. 5 stars
    I made this spaghetti sauce for the first time last year and everyone loved it! I think it gave about 12-13 big jars! Sooo good! Fam fave

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    1. We can only endorse the safety of this canning recipe exactly as written. If you plan to make substitutions you can ensure safety by freezing the sauce instead of canning.

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    1. You don’t have to use the immersion blender to blend it up. You can just keep dice the tomatoes and continue with the recipe without blending. You can also reserve 1/3 of the tomatoes and add them after blending the rest, then you will get more of a chunky sauce. Hope this helps!

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  19. 5 stars
    Your recipe calls for 4 red peppers and one green pepper. You mention processing the green pepper in the food processor with the onions, are you also talking about processing the red peppers too, because they are never mentioned. Also, could I use just green peppers, or would that change the acidity?

    Reply

    1. Yes, you process the red and green peppers together. We can only endorse the safety of this recipe exactly as written.

      Reply