Safe Water Bath Canned Roasted Tomato Sauce
Yes, you can make a water bath canned roasted tomato sauce safely and the flavor is still amazing! Use this recipe based on one from the Ball Blue Book for delicious roasted tomato sauce that is safe to preserve in a boiling water canner to be shelf stable. Having jars of this sauce in your pantry gives you amazingly easy weeknight dinners that capture that great summer tomato taste!
✩ What readers are saying…
“This was delicious! I’ve canned quite a few tomato sauce recipes over the years, but this was the easiest and best I’ve tried.” – Laurie
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I’m super happy to be able to share this canned roasted tomato sauce that’s safe for boiling water bath canning with you!
I spent a lot of time searching for a recipe to safely can roasted tomato sauce in a boiling water canner. I was looking for flavor similar to our family’s favorite Roasted Tomato & Vegetable Sauce for Freezing, to have some for the convenience of having jars in the pantry ready to go without thawing.
Spoiler: I couldn’t find what I was looking for. But I came up with a work around that is a keeper recipe for sure – taking a tested recipe and then adding the roasting step for the vegetables. It’s SO good!
Before sharing the recipe, though, I want to share what I found while searching and how I came up with this safe method because being educated more about canning is worth a couple more paragraphs!
Be Safe With Canning Tomato Sauce
When I searched the internet for recipes for canned tomato sauce I found quite a few “recipes” that didn’t list any specific amounts (“fill a pan with tomatoes, throw in a good handful of ______,” etc.) but still gave instructions for water bath canning with the addition of citric acid.
Recipes like this are NOT considered safe by the USDA – adding citric acid to a concoction that is full of low-acid ingredients (olive oil, onions, garlic, fresh herbs and sometimes peppers), does not make it shelf-stable with boiling-water canning, especially when they’re not even measured amounts (see this article for more information).
I know that people have canned this way for years, but in my opinion, it’s just food and never worth even a possibility of sickness. (Note: there’s a little more flexibility with sauces canned using a pressure canner, but it’s still recommended that you use a tested recipe.)
Okay, off my soapbox! After all that searching, are you wondering how I came up with this boiling water safe canned roasted sauce?
Is This Canned Tomato Sauce Safe?
Good for you for questioning – we should definitely understand what we feeding ourselves and our families.
Here’s the deal: I searched and searched and couldn’t find any roasted tomato sauce recipe that was safe for canning tomato sauce in a water bath canner.
But then I wondered why I couldn’t just take the tomato sauce recipe from the Ball Blue Book that I’ve canned many times and instead of boiling the tomatoes, roasted them instead? All the measured ingredients would be the same, only the cooking method would change.
When in doubt – or questioning – use your extension service!
To make sure my solution would work I called the preservation hotline from our extension agency (Oregon State where I live) and asked them if they thought it would be okay to roast the vegetables instead of boiling. I told them I’d be sharing it with my site’s readers – and they okayed the new cooking method!
They just cautioned me to keep all the other low-acid ingredients the same and to be sure to include the addition of citric acid or lemon juice. Which I did, of course.
And guess what?
Roasting the tomatoes worked wonderfully and gave this sauce that lovely flavor that our favorite freezer sauce has. This is the sauce I’d been looking for!
How to Make Water Bath Canned Roasted Tomato Sauce
Gather your ingredients:
- Tomatoes: use any you have. TIP: paste tomatoes have less juice so you won’t need to cook the sauce as long to thicken and I find adding some heirloom tomatoes give a great depth of flavor so I use a combo.
- Olive oil: use only the amount listed – it’s important in canning to not increase this.
- Balsamic vinegar: this is optional, but give that amazing flavor we love about this freezer roasted sauce.
- Onions & garlic: use only the amount specified, do not increase. If you’d like more of these flavors, you can add garlic or onion powder to taste.
- Seasonings: this is where you can adapt the recipe – choose more or less as you’d like of the dried herbs. You cannot use fresh herbs, though. You do not have to use canning salt – you do need to choose a salt that has no additives, like a pure sea salt.
- Citric acid or bottled lemon juice: I prefer using citric acid because bottled lemon (which you have to use in canning) contains preservatives. Either work, though.
Step 1: Prep tomatoes for roasting. Halve all ingredients to work in two batches and divide all except tomatoes and citric acid between 2 or 3 roasting pans ( or what will fit in your oven). Wash and cut tomatoes in half, removing the cores and blossom ends – place cut side down in pans.
Step 2: Roast and remove peels. Roast the first batch about 40 minutes. Use tongs to remove the peels easily. Besides enhancing the flavor, the other reason I like to roast tomatoes for sauces is because I can skip the boiling-water-peeling step since it’s easy to just pluck the darkened skins off after roasting.
Even though it takes 2 batches of roasting for this amount of sauce (since I can only fit the three pans shown above in my oven at one time), it still takes less time and work than blanching and peeling tomatoes before cooking!
NOTE ON SKINS IN CANNING: Removing the skins is specified in the original recipe from Ball Blue Book, so that’s what I do, but I leave skins on my favorite salsa and addictive tomato chutney, so you might choose to leave them on here. I haven’t found research to say it will affect the acid ratio. Just be sure your tomatoes are really clean and we’re removing both the core and blossom end where any bacteria might live. As of 2024, I still haven’t found any studies about this – no matter what you hear from online influencers! I stick by my own research into this and the answer I got from an OSU Extension Agent I detailed in this salsa recipe.
Steps 1 and 2 basically replace the peeling and initial cooking part of the original boiled recipe with pans of roasted ingredients. After your ingredients are roasted, though, you do still need to bring it to a boil so it’s nice and hot for canning.
Step 3: Transfer to a pot and blend ingredients. After roasting, transfer everything into a large stockpot (this actually makes it easy to roast more pans to finish the full recipe – the first batch can wait in the pot for the second batch to roast). When ALL the batches are in the pot, use an immersion blender (the best!) or blender or food processor to make a smooth sauce.
Step 4: Cook down and can. Bring the sauce to a boil after blending and then cook until thickened, about an hour. While it’s cooking, prepare a water bath canner and jars. TIP: I like to have everything set up next to the stove (pictured above)- the tray contains the mess for easy cleaning. When time to can, add citric acid or lemon juice into each jar before adding the sauce. Process the jars according to the size – see the recipe card below.
NOTE on tomato seeds: we don’t mind seeds in the sauce and I do squeeze out quite a few when I’m prepping the tomatoes for roasting, but if you’d prefer a seedless sauce, you can strain the sauce after you’ve whirred it up – it’s up to you.
NOTE #2: I took the in-process photos above before I realized that we should add the other ingredients to the roasting pans first and then place the tomatoes on top of them. This makes it easier to pluck the skins off without losing any of the spices or other ingredients – live and learn!
Tools I use For this Recipe
- Food Scale
- Immersion Blender
- Stainless Steel Boiling Water Canner with this flat canning rack
- Stainless Steel Canning Funnel
- Stainless Steel Ladle
- Pint Mason Jars and Lids
Water Bath Canning Tutorial Video
Need review of how to can? Here’s a video on the simple steps for boiling water canning if you need:
Or you can go to this article and read the steps with photos.
Storage
Like any properly canned products, these will keep on a cool, dark pantry shelf up to 18 months. Always check the seal to make sure it is still firm and check for any visible signs of spoilage (very rare!).
I hope you enjoy this yummy sauce as much as we do!
Reader Raves
“It was all I could do from pouring bunch in a soup bowl and diving in. Fabulous flavor.” -Diane
“This is SO delicious! We use the resulting sauce to make a sort of instant tomato soup – add broth, maybe some cream, simmer a few minutes and have a bowl of summer to enjoy.” -Cathleen
“Great recipe, I have been canning for years, and found this to be an excellent and flavorful recipe. Major upside, it kept my kitchen much cleaner than when blanching to remove peels, and seem to waste a lot less “juice”. It will also make your kitchen smell a bit like heaven!” -Dawn
I hope you enjoy this canned roasted tomato sauce! If you make it, be sure to leave a recipe rating and review so I know how you liked it!
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Safe Water Bath Canned Roasted Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 23 pounds tomatoes a variety of paste, heirloom and cutting provides the best flavor & consistency
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar optional, but adds amazing flavor
- 3 cups chopped onions
- 6 medium cloves garlic chopped**
- 2 tablespoons canning salt or pure sea salt (use a salt with no additives)
- 1 tablespoons dried oregano*** to taste
- 1 tablespoons dried basil*** to taste
- 2 teaspoons black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes optional, but we love it
- Citric acid or bottled lemon juice see amounts needed for different size jars below
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425 degrees. Halving all ingredients to work in two batches, divide olive oil, balsamic vinegar (if using), onions, garlic, and dry seasonings between 2 or 3 roasting pans (what you have that will fit in your oven).
- Wash tomatoes, remove cores and blossom ends, cut in half and squeeze gently to remove some of the seeds. Place tomatoes, cut side down, on top of ingredients in prepared pans.
- Roast for about 40 minutes until most of the tomato skins are puffed and browned. Remove from oven and pluck skins off with tongs (it's okay not to get every bit).
- Scrape roasted vegetables into a large stockpot, set aside and repeat the prep and roasting with remaining half of ingredients (unless you are making just a half batch – then just proceed to next step).
- Using an immersion blender, whir roasted ingredients until smooth (alternately, you can scrape from the roasting pans into a blender in batches and then add to the stockpot). If you’d like to strain to remove seeds, now is the time for that, too, using a wire mesh sieve.
- Bring the smooth sauce to a boil over med-high heat, lower heat and then simmer sauce until it reaches desired consistency, stirring often, about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or more depending on your tomato varieties. You can adjust salt or dry seasonings to taste at this point if you wish.
- Prepare a water bath canner, jars, and lids.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon citric acid to pint jars (1/2 teaspoon to quarts) OR 1 tablespoon lemon bottled juice to pint jars (2 tablespoons for quarts) and then ladle the hot tomato sauce into hot jars, one at a time with 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe rims, attach lids and place in canner rack.
- Process 35 minutes for pints and 40 minutes for quarts (if processing both pints and quarts together, use the longer processing time). Note: start the processing time after canner comes to a full boil and then adjust heat to keep a low boil for the timed amount.
- Turn off burner, remove lid and set timer for 5 minutes to let jars rest in canner. Transfer jars from canner to a towel-lined surface and let cool 24 hours. Check seals, label & store for up to a year.
Notes
Nutrition
Your Questions Answered
I have gotten quite a few questions over the years after publishing this recipe in 2015 which I’m listing here in case you have some of the same questions.
Yes! I’ve done this and it’s perfectly fine since you’ll heat the tomato sauce before adding to the jars.
No, unfortunately peppers are a low acid vegetable so it would mess with the ratios that make this safe for canning.
You can add dried chili flakes, but no fresh chilis (or other fresh ingredients).
Adding fresh low-acid ingredients like this would make this sauce no longer considered safe for canning ( it alters the acid ratio from the tested recipe). You can always add them when you’re going to use it.
Yes.
Even though they seem less acidic and more sweet, according to what I’ve read you can use yellow tomatoes the same as red, following all the same guidelines (adding lemon juice or citric acid).
Yes! It’s best to have the weight of the tomatoes before freezing (weigh and write on outside of freezer bag), though you can weigh when frozen, too. (I used to think they weighed more frozen, but have read that they actually don’t.)
Unfortunately, it’s not safe to add tomato paste unless the recipe has been tested for it since it thickens the sauce which may affect the amount of time needed for processing.
When I’ve had sauce that wouldn’t thicken (well, in the amount of time I had, lol), I will note on the lid to add tomato paste when heating it.
Yes, you can add as much as you want as sugar is just for taste and wouldn’t affect the acid ratio.
Yes, you can use canned tomatoes! There might be a slight reduction of quality (every time produce is canned, the quality goes down some), but it’s perfectly safe.
No, it’s not safe to use fresh lemon juice and boiling wouldn’t help. It’s because fresh lemons vary in acidity and bottled is uniform. That’s why I choose to use citric acid – I don’t like the preservatives in bottled lemon juice (though you can use the frozen variety if you can find it to avoid that).
Fresh herbs are low acid and affect the tested ratio. If a recipe isn’t tested for pressure canning then I can’t recommend it. I’d probably find a pressure canned recipe to make with correct pressure needed for the jar size and sauce.
They also don’t really hold their flavor after being boiled and canned (and some even get bitter) – dried are much better for that. There aren’t too many recipes tested with fresh herbs for these reasons.
The salt is for flavor only so you can lessen or leave it out without affecting the product safety.
Yes! Though your yield may be affected – I’d think you’d get more since pureeing concentrates sauces more.
More Canned Tomato Recipes To Try
- The Best Thick and Flavorful Salsa for Canning
- Canned Green Chilies & Tomatoes (aka, Rotel)
- Canned Pizza Sauce (from frozen tomatoes)
- Addictive Tomato Chutney
This recipe has been updated with larger photos and clearer instructions – it was originally published in 2015.
Disclosure: affiliate links in this article will earn commission based on sales, but it doesn’t change your price. Click here to read my full disclaimer and advertising disclosure.
Hi! I’ve made your salsa and tomato chutney so far. Today I want to make the Roasted Tomato Sauce. I only have 12 pounds of tomatoes…can I half this recipe?
Yes!
Forgot to add: processing time depends on altitude above sea level, so be sure to check times needed for your location. Where I live I have to add 10 minutes for pints so please be care do your hard work is shelf stable and safe to eat!
Thanks for that reminder!
I made this sauce and it’s delicious. I intend to use as a base for soup. When I open a pint, I will add a tablespoon of butter and a little cream, with any garnishes I have. Garlic croutons, fresh basil, would be good along with grilled cheese! Summer in a bowl… so good! Thanks for the great research for safe canning.
Sounds delicious, Carrie!
I just made this, and it tastes amazing. I drained some of the liquid off, so I didn’t have to cook it as long to get a thicker sauce. I was wondering if there is anything I can make with this left over liquid. Great if it can get canned, or otherwise I will freeze it.
Definitely you can freeze it and use it in any soups or stews in place of some of the liquid.
I’d check the National Center for Home Preservation website for canning juice times if you want to can.
I made the entire recipe, canned it and then realized I forgot the garlic. Does the garlic matter? The bottles sealed properly, but should I freeze them? Also, I used the exact amount of ingredients (except for garlic) and ended with a lot more sauce. I did not use any heirloom or plum tomatoes in my sauce.
Nope, garlic is only for flavor, so you’re good to leave them on a shelf. You may want to add garlic when you use the sauce if you miss the flavor.
As for the amounts, it always vary depending on the tomatoes, even paste. If you were happy with the consistency, more is a good thing! If it was thin, cooking longer is an option.
Thanks for getting back to me. When I open a bottle, I plan on adding garlic and tomato paste. The tastes I had of the sauce, before it was bottled tasted wonderful.
Good plan!
Hi! So glad to have found your blog; am a dedicated follower now! Going to try this recipe tonight/tomorrow, but have question. I’ve been so busy with other garden and property chores I’ve just been washing, coring, halving/quartering and chunking my tomatoes in the freezer, therefore I’ve already removed some “weight”. Will it make any difference to measure 23 pounds of what I have or should I use less to offset what is lost in coring/removing spots?
Sorry! Two questions. My tomatoes are Big Beef and heirloom Brandywine (stupidly didn’t think to do paste this year), do you think their acidity levels are ok? Doesn’t that make a difference? Am pretty new to canning tomatoes, usually just freeze. Thanks for ur time!
Hmmm, when freezing I usually weigh the tomatoes before freezing and put that weight on the outside of the bag so I know.
The measurements for this are with whole tomatoes before coring, etc. So yes, I’d think you’d need to add more tomatoes, but probably only a pound or two. Adding more tomatoes will only help your acidity levels, though the flavor might be a bit less which is easy to adjust when you cook with it!
Those slicing tomatoes are fine! You may have to cook the sauce longer to get the consistency you want.
Hi! Thanks for this recipe! If I’m making a big batch, can I roast one day and put all the tomatoes in an air tight container and then can the following day?
Yes! I’ve done this and it’s perfectly fine since you’ll heat the tomato sauce before adding to the jars.
Just made this recipe for the first time, pints are in the hot water bath now.After roasting, my pan had quite a bit of liquid in it. Should I have discarded that or was it okay to add it back to the peeled tomatoes?
I add that in, so yes!
Great recipe, I have been canning for years, and found this to be an excellent and flavorful recipe. Major upside, it kept my kitchen much cleaner than when blanching to remove peels, and seem to waste a lot less “juice”. It will also make your kitchen smell a bit like heaven! Make sure the pan you are using for roasting the tomatoes has a little height to the sides, as I used a cookie sheet and the juice almost ran over!
I did substitute the lemon juice for two Tbsp apple cider vinegar and and a tsp of sugar after researching safe alternatives to lemon juice and citric acid (which I didn’t have on hand…I always have apple cider vinegar!) The flavor of the cider vinegar makes the sauce even richer, and we loved it.
While cooking it down, I discovered if you leave it a little looser, it makes a delicious tomato basil soup, which would be lovely come cooler weather. This is how I will be doing all of my tomatoes from now on, and will be doing some with thyme and rosemary for some great Minnesota hotdishes:)
Thanks for sharing your tips, Dawn, and I’m so glad you like this recipe!
Hi there! Why can fresh herbs not be used? Is it because of the moisture? I would love to make this with fresh basil–if the ph checks out and I use citric acid, would that still be safe? Thanks!
Fresh herbs are low-acid and would affect the ph. They also don’t really hold their flavor after being boiled and canned – dried are much better for that. There aren’t too many recipes tested with fresh herbs for these reasons.
I’ve added my frozen basil when I use this in the winter and fresh in summer- adding it right before serving gives a nice basil boost safely.
The taste of several herbs also change after being changed and in storage. For example, Sage will get super strong and not tasty at all in canning so the amounts need to be much smaller or added in when heating the contents of the jar 🙂
I have always made roasted tomato sauce but always froze it. Trying yours tonight and wanted to know what stage you put in the balsamic vinegar? I am planning on adding it when I am simmering the sauce. Thanks for the recipe!
Well, that was an oversight – I guess since it was an optional ingredient, no one has asked why it wasn’t in the directions, lol.
I’ve added it in the printable recipe now – it’s easiest to add it with the olive oil and other ingredients before the tomatoes, though you can do it when simmering – either way is fine!
Hope you enjoy this!
Thank you so much for doing your research and making sure your recipes are safe! I’ve always wanted to learn how to preserve food from my garden, but I’ve been so hesitant and afraid of making people sick. I’ll be following your blog closely, for sure!
I have a question: Am I able to use other kinds of tomatoes in this recipe? I saw from the pictures that you use Romas, but my cherry tomato bush is going crazy this year and I need somewhere to keep all of them! I’m also hoping for a little more clarification on the tomato section of the ingredients list, since I’m a complete novice. What do you mean when you say “a variety of paste, heirloom and cutting”? Does this mean I should also be adding tomato paste into the sauce?
Thanks!
Hi Jenna – I’m glad if I’ve helped you get over that hump to making your own food!
As far as using cherry tomatoes in this recipe, I wondered about the acidity in them so I looked it up. According to this article, they are even higher in acidity than larger tomatoes! Based on this, I’d say it would be okay to use them. 🙂
No, you don’t need to add tomato paste (I should clarify that a bit more!) – I was trying to say that you can use any kind of tomato – paste/roma tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, or regular hybrid slicing tomatoes. 🙂
Sounds like just the recipe that I’ve been looking for. I just have a couple of (probably stupid) questions: Can I skip the immersion blender step and just put the roasted vegetables through my Victorio Strainer? Do you have to stir the citric acid together with the sauce in the jars or do you just ladle the sauce in on top and leave it?
Thanks!
I’m glad this is something you’re interested in, Renee! Yes, you can use the Victorio – use whatever you’d like to get the sauce you your desired end product. And no, just add the citric acid and add the sauce – it all boils together during canning so it gets mixed. 🙂
Thanks!
Thanks! Looking forward to making this. Would it work to roughly chop your tomatoes after roasting instead of doing a full purée? I love chunky sauces!
Yes! Though your yield may be affected – I’d think you’d get more since pureeing concentrates sauces more.
Hi there, curious if the sauce gets fairly thick? I prefer a little thicker consistency. This recipe sounds great.
I may try roasting for longer at a lower temp.
Thanks!
You can simmer your sauce after boiling for longer to get the consistency you like – that’s the time to thicken the sauce. Just be aware your yield will decreased.
Hi there, your recipe sounds yummy and I love your water bath instructions. I really appeciate your diligence in researching the safety of the ingredients and canning method. Here’s the thing, and please know that I have only the best intentions writing this…. Please research tomatoes themselves. I believe you will find that in Italy they NEVER eat the seeds and ALWAYS peel their tomatoes before ever eating one. Why? because they KNOW they are poisonous to the human body. They reek havoc with the intestines. SOMEHOW, somehow, those of us in the Western world lost that very important piece of information. I didn’t know how to rate this, I think the article is very helpful and yet the seeds and skins left on if you choose to do so, was a show stopper. I am going to try your recipe and method, I’m just going to make certain I peel and de-seed my tomatoes first. I hope you will please research what I am suggesting for your own and your family’s health. You seem quite committed to healthy, safe food. I didn’t know about this for YEARS, love tomatoes but they never loved me. I finally stopped eating them, and then, I learned about the toxicity of tomato skins and seeds. I discovered that I can once again enjoy the delicious flavor of tomatoes if I de-seed and skin them first. (As an aside, I also found out that you MUST skin and de-seed peppers for the same reason. Apparently the native people KNOW this because they have always, and still do, roast peppers first to remove the skins and de-seed them. Who knew, right?) Thank you, and all the best!
Thanks for this info, Margaret – I haven’t heard this before and will check it out.
How critical is the tomatoes to onion, garlic, etc. Ratio? I don’t have scales to weigh the tomatoes. If there are more tomatoes than the other items, except the citrus juice, is it safe to can? I’m guessing it will only affect the taste, but I wanted to be sure.
Thanks, Kat
The ratios have been tested to be safe for water-bath canning, so they’re pretty important. I would find some way to weigh the tomatoes – even if it’s on a body scale. Just err on the side of more than less of the required amount because it’s the tomatoes that are more acid than the onion and garlic.
Hope that makes sense!
Thank you! It was 26 pounds of tomatoes, so I did it by number. I gotta get a scale. We don’t even have a body scale.
That’s what I was guessing. I did more tomatoes than other ratio. I remembered that oil wasn’t a good thing, so I limited that more.
Tastes amazing! Thank you for a perfect recipe. Thumbs up from everyone here.
Oh, good – glad that worked, Kathy!
Amazing! This is exactly how I make my roasted tomato sauce (minus the precise measurements) and its the most awesome sauce ever. I have a batch on the stove as we speak, getting ready to can. I decided to check real quick and make sure I was being “safe” and yours is the first recipe that came up. Like I said, I make mine pretty much exactly the same as you do!
I usually don’t add the lemon juice – I will this time just to make doubly sure I’m safe – because I use litmus strips to check the Ph before I can any kind of tomato sauce. My tomatoes must be pretty acid because it always tests at or below Ph 4.
Thank you for publishing this.
I’m so glad this was helpful to you, Sandy! And using the strips is great – the citric acid/lemon juice is just a precaution and if you know your Ph, you wouldn’t need to add it.
I made your Roasted Tomato Sauce the other day. It turned out so good and it even looks beautiful in the canning jars.I made 7 quarts and 1 pint.
Your recipe is a keeper for sure. I love the roasting of the tomatoes and so easy to remove their skins.
Yay! Agree that the roasting adds another layer of flavor. 🙂
I’m confused. Where is the recipe — I guess I go to another site. But, more importantly, what is the roasting time that you used? Unless, I missed it…. Thanks.
Click the arrows on the top or bottom to go to the full, printable recipe!
Rgarding the skins: remove them. Even well-washed tomatoes have microscopic textures and crevices which can harbor botulism spores. Botulism spores are NOT killed by boiling, only by the higher temperatures found in pressure canners.
Hmm, I tried to look up that and couldn’t find anything about that. Botulism from canning is VERY rare (like a handful of cases a year) and then it’s usually always improperly canned foods that should be pressure canned like vegetables and meats. Tomatoes canned with added acid are too high in acid to allow botulism to grow. But definitely skin your tomatoes if you’d like!