Easy Canned Pizza Sauce Recipe With Frozen or Fresh Tomatoes
This simple canned pizza sauce recipe includes detailed steps to teach you how to make the perfect pizza sauce, right in your own kitchen to water bath can (or freeze) using either frozen or fresh tomatoes.
Servings: 7 -8 pints or 14-16 half-pints
Calories: 46kcal
Equipment
- Sauce maker/food sieve
- 12-quart or large stock pot
- water bath canner and supplies if canning
- canning jars and lids if canning (freezer containers if freezing)
Ingredients
- 22 pounds tomatoes fresh or whole frozen
- 3 cups chopped onions
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1/2-1 tablespoon black pepper, or to taste if you're not as much a pepper fan as we are
- 1 tablespoon sugar or honey or to taste
- 2 tablespoons salt, canning salt or pure sea salt
- 1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, to taste - use less if you're unsure or omit
- Bottled lemon juice or citric acid: 1 tablespoon lemon juice OR 1/4 teaspoon citric acid for EACH pint and 12-oz jars; 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice OR 1/8 teaspoon citric acid for EACH half-pint jars I usually use citric acid, as it doesn't add more liquid to our sauce
Instructions
Prepare tomato puree from frozen tomatoes:
- (Assuming they were cleaned and cored before freezing) leave to thaw 24 hours; drain accumulated juices.
- Put the thawed tomatoes through a strainer to remove seeds and peels.
Prepare tomato puree from fresh tomatoes:
- Wash, core and halve tomatoes. Heat to boiling and then remove from heat (TIP: I use a 12-quart stockpot and a 6-quart soup pot for 22 pounds).
- Put through a strainer while warm to remove seeds and peels.
Make the pizza sauce:
- In a 12-quart or larger stockpot cook onions and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until the onion softens, 5-10 minutes. Add tomato puree and all the seasonings (basil through pepper flakes). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for about 30 minutes, uncovered. Process with an immersion blender to make a smoother sauce (or carefully blend in batches).
- Bring back to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until sauce reaches desired consistency (reduced by 1/4 to 1/3), usually an hour or two, depending on if you started with fresh or frozen tomatoes (it may take longer - cook until desired consistency). Make sure to stir occasionally to prevent sticking (TIP: if you have a thin-bottomed stock-pot, stir more often to prevent scorching).
Water-Bath Can:
- Add the lemon juice or citric acid to each clean, warm jar, fill jar with sauce leaving 1/2-inch headspace and attach lids and rings until fingertip-tight. Place in canner rack and repeat with remaining jars to fill canner (keep sauce and jars warm, as you will need to do a couple canner loads when using half-pints-see how to water bath can here).
- Process both pints and half-pints for 35 minutes in a boiling-water canner.
- Remove to a towel-lined surface and let sit undisturbed for 24 hours before checking seals, labeling and storing in a cool, dark place.
Notes
Storage: Jars will keep safely for up to one and a half years.
Adapted from Ball Blue Book's Seasoned Tomato Sauce, 37 edition - the adaptations do not involve ratios of fresh ingredients, only the cooking/straining method and the addition of dry spices, keeping it safe to can.
High Altitude Adjustment: If processing at an altitude of higher than 1000 feet above sea level you'll need to adjust the processing time according to this chart.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/4 cup | Calories: 46kcal | Carbohydrates: 8.2g | Protein: 1.7g | Fat: 1.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 262mg | Fiber: 2.4g | Sugar: 5.3g
