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One opened jar of spaghetti sauce next to an unopened jar
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4.81 from 503 votes

Homemade Canned Spaghetti Sauce

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!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Processing40 minutes
Total Time5 hours 40 minutes
Course: Canning
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Canned Spaghetti Sauce
Servings: 60 servings
Calories: 54kcal
Author: Erica Walker

Ingredients

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). 
    Seven tomatoes in a pot of boiling water
  • Boil for 1-2 minutes. Remove tomatoes one at a time with slotted spoon and plunge in an icewater bath. Peel and quarter tomatoes.
    Seven tomatoes in an ice water bath
  • In a food processor, cover and process green 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 (do not discard excess juices from the tomatoes), onion/pepper mixture, tomato paste, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, salt, garlic, oregano, basil, pepper flakes, and bay leaves.
    Fresh tomatoes in a skillet
  • 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). 
    Spaghetti sauce simmering in a large pan
  • Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice to 9 or 10 hot 1-quart jars (depending on how much sauce you have). Ladle hot mixture into jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace at the top. Remove air bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids.
    Lemon juice is being added to glass jars prepared for canning

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.
    Pepper jelly jars in a water bath

For Pressure Canning:

  • Using a weighted-gauge pressure canner, process 20 minutes for pint jars and 25 minutes for quart jars. Process at 10 lb for altitudes between 0-1,000 feet. Process at 15 lb for altitudes above 1,000 feet.
    Jar of spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes and basil

Video

Notes

  • This recipe makes 9-10 quart-sized jars
  • 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

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