Easily preserve fresh tomatoes with this easy Canned Spaghetti Sauce Recipe With Fresh Tomatoes! This homemade tomato sauce is a rich and hearty blend made with juicy tomatoes, fresh peppers, onions, the perfect amount of herbs and seasonings, and a touch of love. Bring fresh flavor to your favorite pasta dishes all year round!
Summer means a greenhouse full of tomatoes, peppers, and jalapenos, essential to make my Homemade Canned Salsa and Small Batch Canned Cowboy Candy.
Harvest season is busy with preserving veggies, but the reward comes in winter when I open a jar of homemade spaghetti sauce and add it to cooked ground beef to make my Lasagna with Ricotta Cheese.
Store-bought sauces can't compare to the taste of homemade canned tomato sauce. I've perfected this recipe over four years, and it's definitely worth putting in the effort.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Versatility: This marinara sauce will be your new kitchen companion. It pairs beautifully with various dishes, from pasta to casseroles to stews.
- Healthy: Making your own pasta sauce allows you to control what goes into your food. No preservatives, no additives, just pure tomato goodness. It's a healthy choice for your entire family.
- Economical: Save money by canning your own tomato sauce. If you have a lot of tomatoes, making your own sauce is a great way to use them up before they spoil.
- Bursting with Fresh Flavor: This homemade tomato sauce recipe uses fresh ingredients at the peak of their freshness. The result is a rich and vibrant sauce that truly captures the essence of summer.
- Long Shelf Life: Properly canned homemade tomato sauce can last up to a year if stored correctly, allowing you to enjoy the taste of summer long after tomato season has ended.
Ingredients
Just simple ingredients are needed to make this easy recipe.
- Tomatoes. I used fresh garden tomatoes. They were beefsteak and Roma tomatoes, but you can use any type of tomato. You can even use a combination of yellow tomatoes, Beefsteak tomatoes, plum tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes.
- Onion. I used red onion, but you can also use yellow onion or white onions.
- Bell peppers. I used fresh bell peppers. I used a variety of green peppers, orange, red, and yellow peppers.
- Garlic. I used fresh garlic for the best flavor. I like to run it through the food processor with the peppers or onions to chop it up quickly.
- Sugar. This is used to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. Just a touch is needed.
- Vinegar. White vinegar adds a slightly tangy flavor to the sauce.
- Seasoning: I used a combination of Italian seasoning, oregano, sea salt, garlic cloves, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. I do not recommend fresh herbs - they may discolor, so I use dried herbs.
*If you want a spicier sauce, add about 4 jalapeno peppers - or more if you want it really spicy!
See the printable recipe card below for exact measurements and a complete list of ingredients.
Equipment
To make this recipe, you will need:
- Large Pot: You'll need a large pot for cooking the sauce.
- Canning Jars: Use mason jars with snap lids and screw caps. Quart jars work well, but pint jars are great if you want smaller portions.
- Jar Lifter: These specially designed, long-handled tongs make it easy to handle hot jars.
- Canning Funnel: A funnel with a wide opening is key for transferring the sauce and helps keep the mess way down.
- Water Bath Canner: This sizable pot, equipped with a rack, is needed for the final canning step.
How To Make Homemade Canned Spaghetti Sauce Recipe With Fresh Tomatoes
This recipe makes about 7 quarts or 14 pints.
Wash and Prep the Vegetables
Thoroughly wash the ripe tomatoes, large onions, and bell peppers. Remove the skins if you don't want pieces of tomato skin in your sauce. As you may know, I like to do things the easy way, so I never remove the skins. But it is completely up to you.
Cut a small shallow "X" on the bottom of each tomato to remove the tomato skins. This helps the skin peel off easily during blanching.
Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Place the tomatoes into the boiling water for 30-60 seconds.
Quickly transfer the tomatoes from the boiling water into an ice bath using a slotted spoon. Leave them in the ice water for a few minutes until they are cool to the touch.
Take each tomato out of the ice bath, and starting at the "X" you cut earlier, gently peel the skin off. It should come off easily, but you can use a small knife if necessary.
Coarsely chop the tomatoes, peppers, and onions and pulse them in a food processor or blender until they are mostly blended with a little bit of chunkiness. If you like a chunkier sauce, pulse a few times; for a smoother sauce, blend longer.
Cook the Vegetables
Combine the tomatoes, onions, peppers, sugar, vinegar, Italian seasoning, oregano, sea salt, minced garlic cloves, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper in a large pot (Image 1).
Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 60 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally to ensure the flavors meld together (Image 2).
Prepare the Canning Jars
Sterilize the jars upside down in the rack of your canner in boiling water for 10 minutes. Use a jar lifter to remove them. Alternatively, you can wash them in your dishwasher just before using them; you just have to grab a hot jar from the dishwasher when you are ready to fill them.
Fill the Jars
Place a wide-opening canning funnel on the jars. Ladle the tomato sauce into the hot jars, leaving a ½-inch headspace at the top to allow for expansion. Use a non-metallic spatula to remove any air bubbles (Image 3).
Wipe rims of the jars with a clean, damp cloth to remove any residue. Place the sterilized lids on the jars, and screw on the screw bands until they are finger-tight, not overly tight.
Water Bath Canning
Place the jars into a water bath canner equipped with a rack, ensuring they are covered by at least 1-2 inches of water. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, cover with a lid and start a timer for the processing time of 40 minutes if processing quarts and 35 minutes if processing pints (Image 4).
Turn off the heat and carefully lift the rack up. Remove the jars using a jar lifter, placing them on a clean towel to cool at room temperature for 24 hours. You may hear a "pop" as the jars seal.
After 24 hours, check if each jar is sealed by pressing the center of each lid. If it doesn't flex, the jar is sealed. If a jar doesn't seal, refrigerate it and use it within a week.
Label the jars with the contents and date. Store the sealed jars in a cool, dark place. Properly canned tomato sauce can last up to a year.
And that's it! Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Roma or San Marzano tomatoes have a higher pulp content and lower water content, making for a thicker sauce.
- After adding all the ingredients to a large pot, simmer the sauce over low heat until the desired texture is reached. The slower cooking process helps to concentrate flavors and create a thick sauce.
- If halving the recipe, the cooking time will also need to be reduced.
- Aim for a thick consistency to ensure that your sauce clings well to pasta or other dishes when served. Cook the sauce down until it reaches your desired thickness before proceeding with canning.
- Follow proper canning techniques recommended by reputable sources. Use sterilized jars fitted with new lids and seal them according to instructions.
- Store jars in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight or heat sources. This will help maintain its quality and shelf life.
- Don't forget to label your jars with the date.
- Use the canned tomato sauce in pasta, lasagna, casseroles, or in soups and stews.
Variations
- Spicy: Add some heat to your sauce by adding chili flakes or fresh jalapenos. Adjust the amount to your preferred level of spiciness.
- Roasted: Instead of using fresh tomatoes, roast them in the oven beforehand for a deep and smoky flavor. Simply cut the tomatoes in half, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast at 400°F (200°C) until soft and slightly charred.
- Chunky Garden Vegetable Sauce: Add additional garden veggies such as zucchini, eggplant, or mushrooms. Cook them along with the tomatoes.
Storage
Sealed Jars: Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place like a pantry, basement, or cold room. The tomato sauce will keep for up to 1 year.
Opened Jars: Store any opened jars in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Inspect for Freshness: Always take a moment to check for any indications of spoilage like mold, strange smells, or unexpected color changes. Should you find any of these warning signs, discard them immediately.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use canned tomatoes as a substitute.
When stored in a cool, dark place, homemade tomato sauce can last up to 1 year when properly canned.
Yes, you can freeze the tomato sauce instead of canning it. Let the sauce cool completely before transferring it to freezer-safe containers or bags.
While removing the skin might result in a smoother consistency, it is not necessary. You can choose to either keep them on or peel them before chopping if desired.
More Easy Canning Recipes
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Homemade Canned Spaghetti Sauce Recipe With Fresh Tomatoes
Equipment
- Canning jars, lids, screw caps
- Large pot
- Water bath canner
- Jar lifter, bubble remover tool
Ingredients
- 15 pounds ripe tomatoes quartered (peeled if desired)
- 3 cups onion quartered
- 3 cups bell peppers quartered
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 6 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 4 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Prep the vegetables
- Tomatoes: Wash and remove the stems. Decide if you want to peel them or not; it's up to you.If Peeling: Prepare an ice bath. Score an "X" on the bottom of the tomatoes. Blanch for 45-60 seconds in boiling water. Transfer to an ice bath to cool and peel the skin away from the "X" upwards.Blending: Cut tomatoes into quarters or halves (peeled or unpeeled). Pulse in a food processor in small batches, and transfer to a large pot.15 pounds ripe tomatoes
- Other Vegetables: Slice or shred onions, bell peppers, and garlic cloves. Use a food processor to make this go quicker.3 cups onion, 3 cups bell peppers, 1 tablespoon garlic cloves
- Combine: Add sliced vegetables to the pot with tomatoes. Add the granulated sugar, white vinegar, Italian seasoning, dried oregano, sea salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper.1 cup white sugar, 1 cup white vinegar, 6 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 4 tablespoon dried oregano, 2 tablespoon sea salt, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, ¾ teaspoon black pepper
Simmer On Stove
- Bring the tomatoe mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat and simmer on a low boil for one hour, uncovered, stirring occasionally.
Prepare Canning Jars
- Wash and sterilize jars with hot, soapy water or in the dishwasher.
- Place jars upside down on a rack in a boiling water canner and heat the water to 180°F/82°C. Keep jars hot until ready to use. You can also sterilize them in the dishwasher and keep them in there to keep them hot.
Fill Jars
- Fill jars using a canning funnel, leaving ½ inch of headspace.
- Remove air bubbles with a bubble remover.
- Wipe the rims, place the lid and screw cap, and finger tighten. Place upright in the rack of the canner.
Process in Water Bath Canner
- Once the rack is full and lowered, ensure the jars have at least one inch of water over them and are not touching each other. Cover the canner with a lid and bring to a full boil.
- Once boiling, start the timer and process the jars for 40 minutes if using quarts and 35 minutes if using pints.
- When the processing time is up, carefully lift up the rack and remove jars with a jar lifter. Ensure the jars do not tilt. Cool the jars upright, undisturbed, for 24 hours.
- After 24 hours, check to ensure each jar has sealed. Remove the screw bands, wipe the jars with a damp cloth, and replace the screw band loosely or leave it off.
- Label and store jars in a cool, dark place for up to one year.
Notes
- Roma or San Marzano tomatoes have a higher pulp content and lower water content, making for a thicker sauce.
- After adding all the ingredients to a large pot, simmer the sauce over low heat until the desired texture is reached. The slower cooking process helps to concentrate flavors and create a thick sauce.
- Aim for a thick consistency to ensure that your sauce clings well to pasta or other dishes when served. Cook the sauce down until it reaches your desired thickness before proceeding with canning.
- If halving the recipe, the cooking time will also need to be reduced.
- Follow proper canning techniques recommended by reputable sources. Use sterilized jars fitted with new lids and seal them according to instructions.
- Store jars in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight or heat sources. This will help maintain its quality and shelf life.
- Don't forget to label your jars with the date.
- Use the canned tomato sauce in pasta, lasagna, casseroles, or in soups and stews.
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