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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.
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
- 5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Why I Love This Canned Spaghetti Sauce
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
- How to Make Canned Spaghetti Sauce
- Altitude Adjustments
- Recipe Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Make Ahead and Storage
- Our Family History with Tomatoes
- Acidity Testing for Canned Spaghetti Sauce
- Water Bath Canning vs Pressure Canning
- Where to Find Canning Jars and Cookers
- Pairing Ideas
- More Canning Recipes
- Canned Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
We weigh our tomatoes before peeling.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
- Canning Homemade Tomato Juice
- How to Can Peaches
- How to Can Pears
- Pickled Beets
- Virginia Chunk Sweet Pickles
- Jalapeño Jelly
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
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 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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 minutes3,001 to 6,000 feet: add 10 minutes6,001 to 8,000 feet: add 15 minutes8,001 to 10,000 feet: add 20 minutes
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Hi…
I have made this recipe a number of times over the past couple of years. I love it!! I have nearly ran out, but thankfully, I have enough tomatoes in my freezer for about a half batch that I plan to prepare tomorrow! I have found many uses for this… especially after heating and adding a little tomato paste, creating a marina sauce that works well for mozzarella sticks, pizza, and many pasta dishes. I highly recommend this!! Thank you, ladies!! ; )
I’m so happy you like this recipe as much as we do! It is my Mom’s “famous” recipe and it is truly the best spaghetti sauce ever – in my humble opinion. 😉
love this recipe and so does everyone else!!
Do you always keep the seeds in the sauce? If I wanted to remove the seeds do you have an easy method you would suggest?
We have always kept the seeds in the sauce! Let us know if you find a method to remove them!
If using pint jars instead of quart jars should I still use 2 tablespoons of lemon juce per jar?
If using pint jars, you can just use 1 tablespoon!
This is our new favorite spaghetti sauce recipe to can. My granddaughter won’t eat any other spaghetti sauce now. This was our second year of making it and we just love it. Thank you so much for sharing it with everyone.
Thank you so much!! We love when our family favorites become your family favorites!
Just finished making this and let me tell you it taste amazing. It takes all day to make it but so worth it. Definitely adding this to my recipe box and will be making it every year. Thank you for sharing this recipe
So glad you liked it! Canning always takes forever but always worth it! Thank you so much for your nice comment!
Hi
I’m getting ready to make this after we are on our last big batch of tomatoes. However one recommendation I would have your recipe at the end talks about putting the jars in a boiling water canner.
This will automatically make most first time canners think they need something special versus an accurate water bath in a great pot.
If you prefer canning in a large pot, you definitely can, it’s just not what we have tried so we can’t fully recommend it. A water bath or steam canner is what we have used with success and it is what we can comfortably recommend. Thanks for your comment though, I am sure many of our readers will find it helpful!
OH MY DELICIOUSNESS!!!! This recipe is a keeper! So many will make changes without first trying it the way it’s written. I like to make a recipe as is and then if I want to change it a bit to suite my tastes, I’m ok with it. BUT, don’t change it until you try it the original way! This recipe is perfect. The only problem I had was it didn’t cook down. It might be that I didn’t have the heat high enough. I’ve tried different recipes and this will be my go-to from now on! SOOOO GOOD! Thank you!!!
Thank you!! I am so glad you liked it and I totally agree. You’ve got to just try it before making adjustments!
I would like to add ground beef to this canning recipe. I’ve use beef before in the recipies and would like to do the same with this one. I only pressure can when using ground beef. However, you never mentioned how much ground beef would go into this recipe. I add citric acid to my quart jars as well to make sure there’s enough acid. Thank you
I have never used ground beef in the recipe before because I don’t have a pressure canner. It really depends on how meaty you want it. You could probably use at least 7 pounds. Sorry if this isn’t every helpful– if you try it, please come back and let us know how it turns out!
I was thinking of adding some zucchini and shredded carrots. Dont have preasure canner just reg canning. Will adding such items make sauce un eatable with regular canning process?
If you plan to pressure can it, you could probably add zucchini and carrots. For regular canning, I’m not sure how those ingredients will work with the acidity levels. If I were to guess, I would say you may want to leave them out. When it comes to canning it is better to take the more cautionary route. Just my opinion though. Sorry if this isn’t much help!
Step 7 calls for adding lemon juice to hot 1-quart jars. Does that mean I’d have to boil the jars prior to putting in the sauce. I have never tried canning before so I just want to be sure that I’m following all the steps to ensure safety. Also, rather than simmering for 4-5 hours uncovered on the stove, would it be possible to do this step in a slow cooker?
No, you don’t need to boil them. I either just run them through the dishwasher or you can rinse and dry them. This is just so the jars are clean and sanitized before putting food in them.
You can do it in a slow cooker but the purpose of doing is to get the sauce to reduce down and thicken. When it is covered in a slow cooker, condensation will form on the lid and drip back down into the sauce. If you did it in a slow cooker I would leave the lid off so it has a chance to simmer down a bit. Hope this helps!
I have read through all these comments and I can’t believe no one else had any problems with the sauce sticking to the bottom and eventually burning. I used a large stock pot, stirred the sauce a LOT, actually more like every 5 or 10 minutes, the element was on medium low so that it was barely simmering. The sauce turned quite dark as it was simmering but as comments indicate above, I thought it was the worchestershire sauce or maybe the soy sauce, but when I was putting it in jars and got to the bottom of the pot it was quite burned. The sauce doesn’t taste burned though… is this burned bottom normal or do I just have a cheap pot? Also, I would like to see the superchef who can do the prep in 20 minutes… it took me over an hour just to peel all those tomatoes!
Hi Lynn– We have a heavy canning stock pot so we have never had issues with burning. If you consistently have a burning problem I am guessing it has something to do with your pot. Also, we will double check that prep time to make sure it is more accurate. Thanks for catching that!
Best ever been canning this recipe ever since I found it best around
Thanks
Thank you so much! Have you gotten lots of batches this year?
Mine turned out better than a jar from the super market. My first batch didn’t, (to thin, to much water perhaps from the blanching and not properly straining) BUT it took a considerable amount of time. I ended up with almost 8 jars and I had 6 hours into it. And to be clear i want to say the flavor was better then a jar from the store. Cost was almost the same and I provide my own tomatoes. But for 6 hours and almost 8 jars, I personally would of needed it to be more then “better then a jar from the store” to invest 6 hours of my time again. I have only been canning for a couple years. I can spend less money and not even half the time on a salsa recipe that’s amazing. My point is, it’s time consuming so plan on that. I’m not complaining, and the recipe tells you this from the start. I just wanted to reiterate that to anyone considering giving this a go
What happens if you have sauce that comes out of the jars during the water bath. They are sealed but have sauce on the sides and in the water
I think as long as they sealed you should be fine. The jars were probably just a little too full. If you are worried about it, you can always clean them up and re-process or keep them in the fridge and use them within the next couple weeks. Hope this helps!
Can you please tell me what the lemon juice does and why you use it? It’s my first time making this recipe and I don’t want sour…we are more of a sweet sauce family.
It won’t be sour. It is to make the sauce more acidic to make it safe for canning. You won’t even taste the lemon juice, promise 🙂
Is that 2 tbsp of lemon juice in each jar?
Yep!
Hi. Just trying this receipt today, if processing would be 40min/quart, what would a pint be? Thanks.
If you are doing pints, you only reduce the processing time by 5 minutes. Hope this helps!
This recipe is so great! I just finished my canning tonight and I’m super happy with how everything turned out! I used liquid aminos in place of soy sauce so my sauce would be gluten free but otherwise followed the recipe. Thanks for posting it!
I’m so glad you are happy with this recipe. I love your gluten-free revision and with your permission will add that as a note on the recipe. The work of canning will be so worth it when you enjoy this spaghetti sauce throughout the year. It is delicious!
Depending on your whorchestershire sauce Heinz is gluten free but Lea Perins is not so read your label. Just a little info for you all
I am in the process of making this sauce as I type.
Could you omit the tomato paste by removing excess juice from the tomatoes?
You could do that but the yield will be quite a bit less. I can’t tell you how much less for sure because we haven’t done that before, so if you try it, let us know how much you yield!
My sauce is really runny! What could I do to thicken it?
You can let it cook down more or add tomato paste. Hope this helps!
This sauce is delicious. Made exactly as is. Will definitely make again
Can you make the sauce, refrigerate it overnight, then reheat the next day and then can?
Any time you heat and cool and reheat and cool, you are increasing the risk of food bourne illness. I would suggest canning right after heating. Hope this helps!
I have done it many times with no ill effects. In fact, I’ve refrigerated the tomato sauce for a couple of days and then canned it. I think as long as you reheat it up to boiling and then can it that you would be okay. This is my experience and I’m no expert but it has worked for me and I’ve been canning tomatoes for at least 15 years. I generally use an acidic tomato for canning, like early girls. It may be different with tomatoes that aren’t as acidic.
My tomatoes are non existent this year because of the weather. Can a person buy tomato sauce and substitute that for the fresh ones?
A great substitution is the canned crushed San Marzano tomatoes. You can also try our spaghetti sauce if you don’t have the amount you need for canning. You can either use fresh tomatoes or crushed tomatoes. Hope this helps!
What is the shelf life for this? Excited to try it!!:)
We try to eat everything we can within a year. Hope this helps!
Do you have to use the sugar?
You don’t HAVE to use the sugar but it will make the sauce taste better. It gives it a tasty dimension. Hope this helps!
What kind of tomatoes should I use? I’m planning my garden for spring and want to include the right variety for making recipes like this one to can.
We use Jack’s whopper tomatoes, some early girl, some celebrity… Roma works great. It really depends on what grows best in your area. Climates and elevations can totally make a difference. The best thing to do is call a local greenhouse, nursery, or garden supply store and just ask them what typically grows best in your area. Hope this helps!
I have a food strainer that I use for peaches and apple sauce that separates the peels and seeds for me. Can I use this in the first steps? I really don’t want the seeds in my sauce.
Absolutely!
This spaghetti sauce is everything and more you talked about! I am a 1st time sauce canner and although the cooking process of 4-5 hours was long, it was worth it. My sauce turned out amazing! I will not try any other receipt. Thank you so much for sharing. I just need more tomatoes to ripen. Thinking I need to stock pile this sauce. It is going to go fast!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻❤️💕🍅🍅🍅
Thank you so much for your kind review, so glad you love the Spaghetti Sauce and your first time canning it was a success! It goes pretty fast at our house too, haha!
I made this recipe this week and it is fantastic. I had some canned tomatoes from last summer I wanted to use up and thought I would give it a try. Five quarts of canned tomatoes worked out great. I am picky about my spaghetti sauce and I adore this recipe! Next time I will use a tiny bit less brown sugar but that is just my taste preference. Excellent and easy recipe. Thank you!!!
Hi Kathryn- thank you so much for your kind comment! Thanks for sharing how you made this a success with your pre-canned tomatoes. Great tip!