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This homemade canned spaghetti sauce is FAR better than anything you can find in a store. You’ll love the rich, savory flavor. The best way to use fresh garden tomatoes! Canning spaghetti sauce is easy and rewarding and makes for the best pasta sauce ever!
Table of Contents
- Ingredients in Canned Spaghetti Sauce
- Why Can Spaghetti Sauce?
- Tomatoes: A Family Tradition
- Family Tested, Dad Approved
- How Can I Use Canned Spaghetti Sauce?
- Water Bath Canning Spaghetti Sauce
- How to Use a Pressure Canner
- Where to Buy Canning Jars
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Still Have a Question about Canning Spaghetti Sauce?
- More Delicious Pasta Recipes
- Homemade Canned Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
This canned spaghetti sauce is HANDS-DOWN, the very best with home-grown tomatoes. We are kind of crazy about our tomatoes over here. The taste of this savory tomato sauce stays fresh and turns any pasta dinner into something special.
Canning is the way to go when you want to preserve fresh produce. See our guides for canning fresh tomatoes, canning peaches and canning pears for more ways to enjoy homegrown fruits and vegetables all year long.
Ingredients in Canned Spaghetti Sauce
All you need for perfect spaghetti sauce are some herbs, spices and of course, fresh ripe tomatoes! This sauce couldn’t be simpler to make:
- Tomatoes – About 25 pounds. This recipe makes a huge batch of tomato puree. Garden tomatoes work best. I have used Roma, Celebrity, Early Girl, Park’s Whopper, San Marzano, and Beefsteak with success. I have even thrown in handfuls of cherry tomatoes when I have excess!
- Onions – I start with about five large yellow onions. You’ll end up with 7-8 cups chopped onions.
- Red bell peppers – four large peppers work great.
- Green bell pepper – dice one large pepper
- Tomato paste – four 6-ounce cans should do the trick.
- Soy sauce – Sounds weird, but trust us, it deepens the tomato flavor like you won’t believe!
- Worcestershire sauce – stir in a little sauce to enhance the flavor of the tomatoes and give the sauce a meaty flavor.
- Brown sugar – a little sweetness balances the acidity of the tomatoes and all the herbs.
- Seasonings – Salt, garlic, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves is all you need to season this delicious sauce.
- Lemon juice – for the jars. I just use the bottled lemon juice from the store.
Why Can Spaghetti Sauce?
Canning spaghetti sauce offers several great benefits. It may take a little time up front but I love the satisfaction of walking into my pantry and seeing rows of freshly canned spaghetti sauce jars! Here are some more great benefits to canning:
- Long-term preservation: Enjoy homemade sauce even when fresh tomatoes are out of season.
- Control over ingredients: Customize the flavors, spices, and level of heat to suit personal taste preferences.
- Convenience and time-saving: Have ready-to-use sauce on hand for quick and easy meal preparations.
- Cost-effective: Save money by utilizing homegrown or bulk-purchased ingredients.
Tomatoes: A Family Tradition
Growing tomatoes is a “family tradition” of sorts for us. Our Uncle Larry is arguably the best gardener ever. He always has an immaculate garden and has studied and taught about gardening. The man knows ALL the tricks to get plants to grow. Uncle Larry has 10 green thumbs! His techniques have been passed around the family, luckily for us. He shared his secrets with our mom, who also grows a bountiful garden every year. To learn more about our tips and tricks for growing tomatoes, see our full guide for growing tomatoes.
Tomato growing is our family’s way to connect year after year. We compare notes on everything, from how our crops are faring, to what varieties we planted, to what has been canned so far. And of course, we love talking about all the delicious ways we can eat them! Along with the abundance of tomatoes comes a million ways to prepare them. One of our fondest memories growing up with our mom was making her delicious Homemade Canned Spaghetti Sauce. We’ve tweaked the recipe over the years and now it’s darn near perfection!
Family Tested, Dad Approved
Part of the reason we worked so hard to perfect this canned spaghetti sauce recipe is because of our dad. To know him is to know his passionate love for Italian food. He is super picky about spaghetti sauce; it has to be just right. Well, we’re happy to report that we served this sauce at family dinner recently and our dad loved it! He couldn’t get enough. In fact, he used a spoon to get all the excess off his plate. He’s crazy about this savory sauce, and you will be too!
How Can I Use Canned Spaghetti Sauce?
The name may say spaghetti, but this marinara sauce is so versatile, it’s sure to become one of your favorite staples, and not just on pasta night. Try it as a thickener for Italian-style soups like Minestrone, or add tomato paste to a serving to make pizza sauce. Here are some more delicious recipes that use spaghetti sauce:
Water Bath Canning Spaghetti Sauce
Water bath canning tomatoes is the most common way to can tomatoes, but it must be done the right way. Tomatoes are in the “gray area” of having enough acidity, so you need to add a bit of lemon juice or citric acid to ensure it reaches the correct acidity for canning.
You can learn all about water bath canning in my water bath canning guide. If you want to learn about the basics of canning and other ways to can, check out my Canning 101 post as well. Between these two posts, you will learn how to be a water bath canning pro in no time!
A Quick Note About Acidity Levels in This Recipe
We’ve tested this recipe for safe water bath canning nine times, exactly as written, and it has always been in the safe range. A pH of 4.6 or lower is considered safe for canning, and this recipe consistently comes in between 3.7 and 4.2. We have used Roma tomatoes, Celebrity, Park’s Whopper, and other red garden varieties with success. Acidity can vary between tomato types and the soils they are grown in so you still should always can at your own discretion and follow the Home Food Preservation Guidelines.
How to Use a Pressure Canner
For a weighted-gauge pressure canner, you will want to process 20 minutes for pint jars and 25 minutes for quart jars. I like to use the Presto 16-Quart Pressure Canner, which is great for canning spaghetti sauce, homemade jams, and more. You can get it at Walmart to start canning your own sauces.
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). For more information on pressure canning spaghetti sauce, check out the National Center for Home Food Preservation website.
Where to Buy Canning Jars
We like to use 1-quart canning jars from Ball. They’re the BEST for canning spaghetti sauce. You can get 12 of them at Walmart for around $16, which makes it a little over $1 a jar and one of the more affordable ways to start canning. We also like to use them as drinking glasses, food storage, flower vases, and more, so you’ll get a ton of use out of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
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 (this isn’t necessary for pressure canning). If you forget to add the lemon juice you will need to open the jars, add the juice, replace with new lids, and reprocess.
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!
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.
You can add ground beef or ground Italian sausage ONLY if you are going to pressure can it OR if you freeze it instead of canning it (or you just want to eat it fresh or within a few days). Do not add ground beef if you are planning to water-bath can or steam can — it will not be safe to eat after sitting on the shelf.
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.
We usually try to eat anything that we have canned within a year. You can probably go a couple years but probably not much longer than that. Some canning sites even say you shouldn’t go more than 6 months, but I think you are fine going longer than that.
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.
The only ingredient that has any gluten in this recipe is the soy sauce. It sounds weird to even have soy sauce in a spaghetti sauce recipe, but trust us, it is divine! Instead of cutting the soy sauce, opt for a gluten free brand. The rich flavor will knock your socks off!
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.
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.
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.
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.
The easiest way is to just let it simmer until it thickens. You can also add tomato paste to thicken if needed.
If you like it more chunky, you can just roughly chop the tomatoes and veggies instead of blending.
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.
If pressure canning. Yes! 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs = 1 teaspoon dried herbs. However, this recipe has not been tested for water bath canning with fresh herbs so we can’t say how it will affect the pH levels and we can’t recommend it.
We weigh our tomatoes before peeling.
Still Have a Question about Canning Spaghetti Sauce?
This recipe has been tried and LOVED by tens of thousands of you! Be sure to check out the comments to see everyone’s reviews about this canned spaghetti sauce. We also answer a lot of canning questions that have been asked in the comment section so if you have any questions, read below and I am sure you will find the answer you are looking for! Still can’t find an answer? Leave a comment and we will try to answer it as quickly as possible. With the sheer volume of comments we get, it may take a few days for us to respond but we try to get to every question!
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More Delicious Pasta Recipes
Homemade Canned Spaghetti Sauce
Video
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 cups 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 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 jars (this is only needed for water bath and steam canning, if you are pressure canning this can be left out)
Instructions
- Fill a large pot or Dutch oven half-way with water, bring to a boil. Using a slotted spoon, add tomatoes one at a time until you can't fit any more (about 8-10 tomatoes).
- Boil for 1-2 minutes. Remove tomatoes one at a time with slotted spoon and plunge in an icewater bath. Peel and quarter tomatoes. Do this over a large bowl so it catches all the juices when you slice them, you want to keep all those juices for the sauce. Note: I get a LOT of questions about if the tomatoes need to be peeled and 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 though. If you decide to leave the skins on, it won’t change the acidity but it will change the texture and appearance.
- In a food processor, cover and process peppers and onions in batches until finely chopped (if you want to add extra flavor, saute the peppers and onions in a little oil and a pinch of salt before processing).In a large stockpot, combine the tomatoes, onion/pepper mixture, tomato paste, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, salt, garlic, oregano, basil, pepper flakes, and bay leaves.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4-5 hours, stirring every 15 minutes or so (tomatoes burn easily so keep an eye on it). Discard bay leaves.If you want to make your sauce thick and smooth, use an immersion blender to blend the tomatoes until smooth with no large chunks (you can also blend it in batches in a blender).
- Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice to each jar. This typically yields 8 to 10 hot 1-quart jars (depending on how much sauce you have and how much it is reduced when simmering). If using pint jars, use 1 tablespoon of lemon juice per jar.Ladle hot mixture into jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace at the top. Remove air bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids. 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.
For 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.
For Pressure Canning:
- Using a weighted-gauge pressure canner, process 20 minutes for pint jars and 25 minutes for quart jars. Use 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).
Notes
- This recipe makes 9-10 quart-sized jars. This can be more or less depending on how much the tomatoes simmer down and thicken.
- Our Uncle Larry is arguably the best gardener ever. He always has an immaculate garden and has studied and taught about gardening. The man knows ALL the tricks to get plants to grow. Uncle Larry has 10 green thumbs! His techniques have been passed around the family, luckily for us. He shared his secrets with our mom, who also grows a bountiful garden every year. 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. 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I can my own tomatoes so how many jars would I need to make this sauce?
I’m not sure I know what you are asking. You want to use pre-canned jars of tomatoes that have already been processed? I honestly haven’t done that before so I can’t say for sure. It depends on how much your tomatoes cooked down when you canned them before and if you added any water to your processed jars. Even then I don’t know what quantities you would need. It might be easier to weigh out and can your fresh tomatoes rather than use processed ones. Hope this helps!
Can I cut batch in half?
Absolutely! You can totally halve this recipe and still follow the same canning instructions. Hope this helps!
This is a very tasty spaghetti sauce.
I used it last year as well. I love to use this for pizzas as well.
😋
Ooh yum, I haven’t tried it as a pizza sauce yet! Great idea
Last year I made this in 2 batches!
It was amazing!
This year I’m currently simmering the Second batch. I pressure can this. It’s simply amazing!
Lucky! Getting 2 big batches should last you all year! I just canned a batch yesterday and it’s definitely not enough to last us. Definitely need to do another one!
I am going to try canning spaghetti sauce for the first time this year. I understand the need for the lemon juice for the acidity. However, I am not a fan of lemon so I’m a little afraid the sauce will have a hint of lemon flavor. Do you taste any lemon in the sauce flavor after re-heating from being canned?
I have never been able to taste the lemon at all however, if you are worried about it you can always add straight-up citric acid (it’s easy to find near the canning supplies). You can add 1/2 teaspoon per quart and it will be the same as adding lemon juice. Hope this helps!
Why do we not have to MIX the lemon juice into sauce? Does it work just as well even though it’s just sitting at the bottom of the jar?
That’s a great question because we have always just added the juice to the jars and haven’t questioned it.I had to do some research and found that lemon juice is added directly to each jar to ensure consistent acidity and safety. Tomatoes vary in natural acidity, so adding it jar by jar guarantees every batch reaches the safe pH for canning and prevents the risk of botulism. Mixing it into the pot doesn’t ensure even distribution.
Hello- Your recipe looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it! Can I use fresh basil instead of dried? I have a lot in my garden this year.
You technically can, but we have not tested fresh herbs for this recipe for safety. You may want to consult the USDA’s website for safe canning to get better guidance. Hope this helps!
My sauce seems to almost separate from the vegetables. It’s not creamy or saucy
What did I do wrong?
Is this before or after processing? Or was it while it was simmering? It is ok if it does that while it is simmering. It will thicken up as the water evaporates out. If you had really watery tomatoes this may take a long time or you can add more tomato paste to thicken. It usually takes at least 5 hours of simmering for me before it starts looking saucy. How long have you been simmering?
I have made this recipe four years in a row now. Most of the time I freeze it this year I am canning it. My brother-in-law, may he rest in peace, loved it so much that he had my sister make the same kind three years ago. It’s simply fantastic. It freezes perfectly cans perfectly.
First of all, I am so sorry for your loss. I’m happy to hear he found joy in this recipe.
Excited for you to can it this year, it’s not as hard as it seems and will free up so much freezer space!
Hello Erica. I’m making this for the first time cause it looks delish and the ratings confirm it. Do we blend the sauce/tomatoes after it’s cooked or do you blend the tomatoes raw for a smoother sauce? Do you run the the sauce through the colander after it’s cooked to remove the seeds or blend the raw tomatoes and then run through the colander before cooked?
You can actually blend it at any time. I use an immersion blender while it is cooking. It is easier to blend once the tomatoes soften up a bit after heating. If you are wanting to keep seeds out of the sauce it’s easier to do it earlier in the process, like when you are peeling the tomatoes.
I’m not sure what I did differently but I ended up with 14 qts. (not complaining) I even weighed my tomatoes out and simmered it for over 8 hours! I did weigh after they were cored and skinned, used a combo of fresh and frozen roma and beefsteaks, all from my garden. I made it yesterday and didn’t get to cann it until today. Either way it tastes wonderful and I thank you for sharing the recipe. This is going to be my annual sauce from now on.
Bonus! You got extra jars! It really depends on how much evaporates in that amount of time, your elevation, and humidity. There are so many contributing factors to the amounts so it’s so hard to get an exact number, but more is definitely better than less! Glad you liked it!
Planning on making this! I have never added lemon juice or acid when pressure canning because I thought you didn’t need acidity for pressure canning? I’ve always felt safer pressure canning sauce but now I’m side eyeing my jars from last year. lol. I’d live any education you have about that
This is correct, you don’t need to add lemon juice if you are pressure canning. Only if water bath canning. Hope this helps!
Thank you. Does the canning method change the taste or consistency?
No, it will taste the same whether it is pressure canned or water bath canned. 🙂
Could I sub the soy sauce for coconut aminos? And swap the brown sugar for honey or coconut sugar? Can’t have that stuff due to dietary restrictions.
If you do, I would definitely pressure can the sauce. I’m not sure how any of those will effect the acidity so it would be best to play it safe and pressure can.
I have made this recipe for the past three years and we absolutely love it!! One question. To save on time. May I blanch the tomatoes the night before?
Also, is it safe to use a Smart Mason Jar Vacuum Sealer vs the hot water bath?
I haven’t use a smart Mason jar sealer before but my guess is that it isn’t safe to use compared to water bath or pressure canning. I have never seen it as an approved method for long term shelf storage.
As far as blanching the tomatoes go. I don’t see why not. You would probably need to keep them in an airtight container in the fridge until you use them the next day for canning but I think they would be ok. My biggest issue would be fridge space!
Could this recipe be made with a combination of red and yellow tomatoes?
Yellow tomatoes have a lower acidity than red tomatoes so I can’t tell you for sure how it will affect the acidity of your sauce and if it is safe for canning. I would maybe err on the side of caution and only use red tomatoes if you can. Hope this helps!
Hey there! Ive been saving up our garden tomatoes to try this recipe. I cored them all before freezing. With that being said, if I have 25 lbs of tomatoes AFTER coring, will that affect anything concerning acidity? I’ve never pressure canned before so I’m nervous about doing something wrong.
Thank you!
Nope you should totally be fine, you may have some extra sauce but as long as you add the lemon juice to the jars you should be good! Also if you are pressure canning you will especially be fine.
Thank you so much! 😊👍🏼
I typically pressure can at 11 pounds for my altitude. Why jump to 15 lb of over 1000 feet?
You are right, this can be broken down more into specific elevations. I fixed it on the recipe but here’s the breakdown according to the National Center for Home Food Preservation: 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).
Can you add jalapeno to this recipe and it still be safe to can??
It depends. If you are adding raw jalapeños the answer is no. Adding raw jalapeño can effect the acidity of the sauce and has not been tested for this recipe. However, if you are adding canned or pickled jalapeños the acidity should be high enough because they have been pickled in vinegar which raises the acidity. Hope this helps!
Can you use electric puree machine for processing tomatoes instead of cooking them and peeling? Does it change any of the other ingredients or quantities in recipe. Also can you use citric acid instead of lemon juice?
First, yes you can process the tomatoes with the skins on but I have never done it before so I can’t tell you how it will affect the texture and thickness of the sauce. Yes, you can use citric acid instead of lemon juice. With citric acid, just follow the instructions that come with the citric acid so you get the correct amounts for safe canning (usually 1/2 teaspoon per jar but double check). Hope this helps!
Thank you!
I made this recipe and wow it’s delicious and my favorite now! I did add mushrooms so I had to decrease some of the other ingredients but it turned out great! I got another bushel of tomatoes and I’m stocking up on this one!
Yay! I’m so happy this recipe is a new favorite for you. I love adding mushrooms as well.
Do you add the lemon juice only if you’re doing the water bath canning or do you add it for both methods? Thanks. Can’t wait to try this.
Thanks for asking! Add the lemon juice regardless of which method you are using to can. You’re going to love this sauce!
I am looking forward to trying this sauce recipe. I was wondering if you have ever put meat in your sauce. If so how much and do you use hamburger and sausage combined. What about adding mushrooms.
We do not add meat or mushrooms to the sauce when canning. When we do add meat to the sauce, it is when we are using the already canned sauce to prepare a meal.
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.
Please note: You can add ground beef or ground Italian sausage ONLY if you are going to pressure can it OR if you freeze it instead of canning it (or you just want to eat it fresh or within a few days). Do not add ground beef if you are planning to water-bath can or steam can — it will not be safe to eat after sitting on the shelf.