Canning Homemade Spaghetti Sauce.
This is a must can here at our place. Having quarts of homegrown, homemade spaghetti sauce in the pantry is a sure way to pull off a quick, delicious dinner when I have no time for cooking.
This is a basic sauce that is very versatile. With jars of this Spaghetti Sauce I can make:
- baked spaghetti
- lasagna
- marsetti
- pizza sauce
- spaghetti & meatballs
- marinara for dipping
- Or any other dish that involves a seasoned tomato sauce
Must have this in the pantry!
Canning Note: Hot water baths and pressure canning can be used to process this spaghetti sauce. I have always used a Hot Water Bath here in Kentucky for canning this recipe. Other sources and certain elevations require pressure canning for spaghetti sauce. Please check requirements for your area before canning.
RECIPE NOTE: This is a variation of the Seasoned Tomato Sauce Recipe from the Ball Blue Book. It is canned using a boiling hot water bath. Be sure to use red tomatoes, since other colors can be low acid. High acid is needed for water bath canning.
Before we get started on the sauce we need to peel the tomatoes. For a detailed lesson in blanching go here. It’s so easy and fast.
Here’s the net-net on blanching:
- Cut out core
- Cut an “X” on the bottom
- Dunk in boiling water
- Transfer to cold water
- Slip off peels
You can make spaghetti sauce with the whole tomato (flesh, seeds, juice & all). I do not recommend it.
Why?
If you use the entire tomato your sauce will include seeds & juice.
I like my spaghetti sauce without seeds. I also like a thicker sauce, so I’m going to bi-pass the juice.
You could use all the juice and just cook the sauce down to desired thickness. This takes time. This is also a pain in the neck.
If I separate the juice now instead of leaving it in & cooking it “down” I accomplish two things:
- My Spaghetti Sauce is done faster
- I get quarts of fresh tomato juice in my pantry.
Less cooking time & quarts of tomato juice – “Yes, Pick me!”
I’ll show you how I do it………
You could use a food mill. If you are like me and do not have a food mill you can just shove all the seeds out with your thumbs and toss the tomato “meat/flesh” into your giant sauce pot for the sauce. No need to get EVERY seed out. It’s OK if some seeds make it into your sauce.
Notice how I am using a strainer to catch all the seeds? What is draining into the pitcher underneath the strainer is pure, beautiful, tomato juice that I will be putting in cans later. Go here to see how I can the juice. Yea!
Spaghetti sauce and tomato juice all canned the same day. Bonus!
Once the seeds are out, get in there with your hands and start squishing. You could use a potato masher, but this is more fun.
Just keep squishing, Just keep squishing, Just keep squishing, squishing, squishing……… I am Dory, by the way.
Keep squishing until the tomatoes are no longer tomatoes. You want a pot of gloop.
Next chop some fresh garlic (you can also use dried). Throw these in the giant pot with the tomatoes.
Now, run out to your barn and get some onions and go to the garden for some fresh basil and oregano.
Chop up the onions & toss them into the pot with the tomatoes.
Chop the basil & oregano to smithereens & throw it in the pot too.
Add salt.
Add oil.
Bring this to a simmer and let it thicken. If you left out all the tomato juice you will be done thickening your sauce in under an hour. If you threw in the entire tomato (juice & all) into your pot you may will be simmering this concoction for…. all day.
Did you know that every spaghetti sauce recipe in the world says, “Cook sauce in a large pot over medium-high heat until volume is reduced by one-half.”
Reduced by one-half!
It might as well say, “Why don’t you just die?”
Who has time for “cook until volume is reduced by one-half?” Not me. Which is why I got the juice out earlier during the de-seeding stage of the spaghetti sauce escapades.
So, now we don’t have to babysit spaghetti sauce all day.
You’re welcome. 
Add 2 Tablespoons lemon juice to each quart jar. (1 tbsp for pints)
Do not forget the lemon juice or you could poison yourself – must put in the lemon juice. 2 Tablespoons to each quart.
Fill hot jars with simmering, spaghetti sauce. Wipe rims with a damp, clean cloth. Adjust lids finger-tip tight (tight, but not so tight that Hulk couldn’t open them). 
Process in boiling, hot-water bath* for 45 minutes (35 for pints). Be sure to start a timer after water begins boiling.
This winter you will be glad you did!
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
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Happy Canning!
Candi
*Hot Water Bath (45 minutes for quarts) is the processing method used for “Seasoned Tomato Sauce” in the Ball Blue Book. It is what I have always used here in Kentucky for my spaghetti sauce. Other sources and certain elevations require pressure canning for spaghetti sauce. Please check requirements for your area before canning.
Peel tomatoes (blanch if you hate peeling). Use a food mill (or your hands) to remove seeds and separate juice. Removing seeds improves flavor & texture. Removing some juice will shorten cooking time.
Put tomatoes (will be mostly flesh) into a heavy saucepan (it's OK if a few seeds sneak in). Add onions, garlic, oregano, basil, salt, and oil. Bring to a simmer. Cook until desired thickness.
Add 2 Tbsp lemon juice (or vinegar) to each quart jar (1 tbsp for pints). Fill hot jars with spaghetti sauce. Leave 1/2 inch head space. Wipe rims. Adjust lids. Process 45 minutes in boiling, hot-water bath* (35 minutes for pints).
Disclaimer: Always follow directions specific to your equipment and elevation for canning. Dispose of any home-canned goods that show signs of spoilage which can include: bulging lids, leaking, corrosion, cloudy, mushy, moldy foods or disagreeable odors.
Kristi
09/27/2017This looks DELISH and I like that it’s fast with fresh tomatoes. Unfortunately, I moved across country this summer so I missed the growing season b/c of it. Now that I’m in a home, I want to put up some food for winter. Could I use #10 cans of crushed tomatoes? If so, how many would you recommend? Should I add tomato paste? Love your site! I have learned a LOT!
Candi
09/27/2017I am sorry you missed the growing season – but hopefully the move was a good one! I honestly don’t know about using canned tomatoes. Sorry. 🙁 I would recommend finding a good farmers market or roadside type grower/ seller. Many of them will make you a deal on a bushel of ‘maters. About 100 tomatoes will make a nice batch of spaghetti sauce. Mmmm
Good luck!
-Candi
Crystal
08/20/2018How many jars of sauce did you get for this recipe? Can not wait to try this recipe.
Thank you!
CJ
08/20/2018This is the best spaghetti sauce – It is from the Ball Blue Book (Page 22). It yields about 7 quarts (14 pints). Of course, this will vary depending on how long you cook ‘down’ the sauce.
🙂
Candi
Crystal
08/29/2018Thank you!
Diane
07/17/2020Great recipe but, being in Kentucky doesn’t mean you can waterbath can this – low acid ingredients dictate pressure canning this – you have taken Ball’s tested safe recipe and added more cloves of garlic and the green peppers – that relegates this to needing to be pressure canned… you could omit the green peppers and use the 12 cloves written in Ball’s recipe and then add garlic flake (dried) to enhance the flavor profile safely – just thought I’d let you know…
CJ
07/17/2020Thanks Diane!
Rebecca Palmer
08/13/2020I don’t have fresh herbs this year – so can I substitute dried?
CJ
08/19/2020SURE! Use 1 tablespoon dried herbs for 3 tablespoons fresh. Dried herbs are more concentrated so you need less.
Rebecca Palmer
08/13/2020I see from the comments above that you may have had peppers in this recipe originally? Here in Ireland (and most of Europe) we don’t adhere to Ball Blue Book rules, and I want my sauce to look full of veggies, like your picture, did you change the recipe to omit them? Thanks – looking forward to trying this!
CJ
08/19/2020Great question – YES! I add peppers to my sauce and I agree with you.
BUT, Because I don’t want to be responsible for poisoning anyone, I kept the recipe on my website the same as the recipe in the Ball Blue Book.
😉
-Candi
Melanie
08/20/2020I’ve been looking for a recipe like this!
I saw the comments about peppers, so I’ll skip those, but would adding some diced or shredded carrot be okay? I’d really like a chunky sauce, and using as much of my garden as possible.
CJ
08/20/2020Changing the recipe can change the acidity, so technically – you want to follow the recipe in the Ball Blue Book.
You do have options!
You can add shredded carrot at the time you are reheating the sauce for supper or you can add the carrots to the sauce before canning and drop the jars into a pressure canner. Pressure canning takes away the need for acid.
Best of luck!!
– Candi