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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’t wait to give this a try. I wonder if anyone has tried… 1. Fixing the sauce in an Instant Pot and/or 2. Canning then in an Instant Pot?
Can you tell I got an Instant Pot for Christmas? 😉
You can do both.. but you would have to make a much smaller batch. This is for quite a large batch. Hope this helps!
I used a Victoria Strainer last year instead of removing skins using a water bath and then blending the tomatoes. It worked great and the kids loved to crank the handle for me.
Those are so cool! Our mom has one and it is awesome for making tomato juice. Great idea!
I’m going to try this recipe as it looks the best that I’ve seen but I am making it for my husband who is a bit picky about his spag sauce lol. He likes meat in it and likes cinnamon in his sauce. I’m not sure if I should add the cinnamon or not, do you think it will clash with the soya?
Cinnamon… now that is one I haven’t heard yet! If he likes it, then sure, why not? haha You can definitely add meat as well. We almost always add meat as well. Totally up to you!
I was looking for a new recipe to do the last of my tomatoes and came across this one. What an awesome discovery! We got 9 quarts from it. We will never make Mrs. Wages again! What a great way to end our canning season. I think next year I may juice half the tomatoes so we don’t have so many seeds. I could eat this sauce plain it has such good flavor. Thank you!
What a huge compliment! Thank you so much! Glad you were able to end off your canning season with such a successful batch. 😀
Hi! My tomatoes are finally getting a nice rich color and I am I credibly excited to dive into the world of homemade pasta sauce- but I was wondering if heirloom tomatoes would work with this recipe?
Yes, they should work great! Let us know how you like this recipe after you make it!
This turned out awesome! Very, very good! Only thing I changed was the tomato type, I used roma tomatoes and I sliced them in large slices, brushed them with garlic oil and roasted them in the oven for about 1.5hrs at 425. I then put everything in a blender and blended it all, then in to canning jars and processed for 40 min. Best ever!! Thank you for the great recipe!
Todd H
Thank you so much for your comment! I’m so happy you like the recipe. Using roasted Roma tomatoes with garlic oil is genius. It sounds so flavorful! Don’t you just love having all of those jars of delicious spaghetti sauce in the pantry?!
Every year I hot water can salsa with the tomatoes and hot peppers I grow and I got about 30 pints of it this year. I’ve always wanted to can a batch of “gravy” as some in my family call it (tomato/spaghetti sauce) and after a particularly bountiful haul of tomatoes this weekend I decided that the time for me to try to make it was now. I came across your recipe and went to it. I didn’t quarter the tomatoes, I chopped them with a knife and I didn’t use an immersion blender. I always remove the seeds when I make salsa, but I left them in for this sauce and I’m happy with it that way. The only variations I made was I went with 6 small cans of tomato paste instead of 4 because I like a thicker sauce and I went with a half teaspoon of ground cayenne because I discovered I was out of red pepper flakes. I tried it before I canned it and it is delicious! I can’t wait to have it on my pasta later this week! I ended up with 10 quarts which is perfect. I’m definitely saving this recipe, and the next time I make it I think I may roast the peppers beforehand.
Hi Michael – Thank you for your nice comment! I love the idea of roasting the vegetables beforehand. I have been wanting to try roasting them but every time I get in the canning mood, I always forget. Definitely going to try with my next batch! Hopefully I can squeeze in one more big batch this year. Thank you so much for the 5-stars!
This is my first time canning and I love the taste of this recipe. But I forgot to add the lemon juice! Am I doomed? Should I just toss the jars in the freezer or pop the lids and add it?
Oh nooooo! You may be able to get away with it but I would do what you suggested in your comment just to be safe. I would either freeze them or re-process them after adding the lemon juice. Those acidity levels are crucial when canning. Be sure to seal with new lids if re-processing. Hope this helps!
I am unsure how many tomatoes I started with, but I have the pulp ready to go. Wondering how many cups/quarts/etc. of pulp this recipe would require? Thank you!
I’m not sure I understand the question.. before simmering you should have close to 10-12 quarts of pulp. After adding the other ingredients and simmering it down you should be pretty close to 10 quart jars. Hope this helps!
Can you clarify if it really has to cook. For 4-5hours. The time outline at the beginning of the recipe doesn’t align with what’s in the recipe. 4-5 hours seems like a long time.
It is up to 4-5 hours. Technically it will taste fine after 10 minutes simmering or so.. but for the BEST taste, you will want to simmer longer. This really give the tomatoes a chance to simmer down and have a deeper flavor. It also allows all the flavors to really blend together nicely. Hope this helps!
This sauce is AMAMZING!!! We even had to make a second batch because we went through the first so quickly. Thank you for sharing!
You bet! So glad you liked this recipe! We always BLAZE through the spaghetti sauce. We have pretty much been canning every week.
This is the most amazing sauce! However, like some of the above posters, I do not feel comfortable preserving it with only a water bath. Some canning references go so far as to suggest a full mixed-vegetables long processing for a recipe like this. However, I found a very similar recipe on the National Center for Home Food Preservation. They recommended 11 pounds/20 minutes for pints, and 25 minutes for quarts, with the normal adjustments for altitude.
Here is the link to the NCHFP recipe I found: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_03/spaghetti_sauce.html
Your recipe is much better. Thank you for sharing it!!
Thanks for this info! It is always a good idea to be extra cautious with canning 🙂 You can always use a pressure cooker if you are unsure!
I am making this now and realize I will not have enough time to let it simmer before I have to run around with the kids. Do you think it will be okay to simmer for a while now and complete the process when I come back later tonight?
Yes, that should be fine but I wouldn’t leave it at room temperature. Could you put it in a slow cooker while you are running kids around?
I have a lot of green peppers to be used up. Would it change the taste much to switch out red for green?
Also, any suggestions for using frozen tomatoes…I’m assuming they will be extra runny…
Excited to try this!
Yes, frozen tomatoes will probably make it more runny. Also, you can totally use all green peppers if you want! You shouldn’t notice a big difference. Let us know how it turns out for you!
About how much juice is 25# of tomatoes? I have been making juice as my tomatoes ripen. I have about 3 gallons.
I’m not exactly sure how much of the 25# is juice. If you are making canned spaghetti sauce you are probably going to need the pulp as well, not just the juice. Is that what you are asking?
WOW! Made this sauce this past weekend and it is AMAZING. Better than Prego! Took quite a bit of time, but so worth it! I followed the recipe exactly and got 10 quarts. Will be making more as long as my tomato plants keep producing. I am so glad I found this recipe; thanks for posting it!
Thank you so much for sharing your success with this recipe! I am preparing to make another batch, too. My family doesn’t like the store-bought anymore so I have to can as much as I can each season to last us! 😀 Thanks so much for the 5-stars!
Does it turn out as good if you half the recipe? I know sometimes cutting the recipe in half doesn’t turn out as good.
Yes, it should turn out just fine halved 🙂
When quartering the tomatoes, do you remove the seeds before blending?
This is a must try recipe when my tomato harvest is in.
Thanks for your response.
We usually don’t remove the seeds (too much work) but you are welcome to if you would like! Hope this helps!
THIS IS THE BEST!!!!!!
I’m so glad I pushed on this choice when my choices for making sauce came up! Thank you for sharing this family secret, no longer buying bottled ????
Thanks so much for the 5-stars! So glad you enjoy the spaghetti sauce as much as we do. It’s my favorite thing to make with fresh garden tomatoes!
I forgot to add the lemon juice to the jars before canning. Can I empty and wash the jars and reheat the sauce and start over with the canning process? This is my second batch and we love it! First batch I added the lemon juice????
You can but that is a lot of work! You can also keep them in the fridge for a few months. Darn it, I have forgotten to add the lemon juice before too and oh man, it stinks to start again 🙁