![\"Quart](\"https:\/\/growagoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/spaghetti-sauce-square.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>This thick and hearty homemade spaghetti sauce is made from fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, and garlic, then preserved by pressure canning for shelf-stable jars.<\/p>
It is delicious spooned over grilled meats, layered in lasagna, or tossed with rigatoni, penne, or your pasta of choice.<\/p>
Tips for Making and Canning Garden Spaghetti Sauce<\/h2>
Here are tips for turning your summer vegetables into a delicious homemade spaghetti sauce and pressure canning it for your food storage shelves:<\/p>
Use a Pressure Canner<\/h3>
Since this recipe includes low acid ingredients, it needs to be pressure canned for safety. A pressure canner heats the jars at a high temperature required to kill bacteria that can cause food-borne illnesses. I use a Presto 16-quart pressure canner<\/a>. It fits under my stove hood and is light enough for me to lift off the stove without help. Other brands that make quality pressure canners are Mirro and All-American.<\/p> If you don’t want to pressure can this spaghetti sauce, or if you make changes to the ingredients, you can freeze it instead. Also, consider using a canning recipe that can be preserved using a boiling water bath canner. This Seasoned Tomato Sauce<\/a> recipe is my go-to favorite.<\/p> Paste tomatoes, also called plum tomatoes are oval-shaped fruit with thick, dense flesh, few seeds, and a concentrated tomato flavor. They are ideal for making sauce and salsa because they have very little moisture and produce a thicker sauce.<\/p> Most of the tomatoes I grow<\/a> in the garden are paste-type tomatoes for preserving. My favorites include:<\/p> Select good-quality tomatoes with no signs of rot, insect damage, or disease. Ripe tomatoes should have firm flesh that gives slightly when pressed with your thumb. Don’t use tomatoes from diseased or frost-killed vines<\/a> as these may harbor harmful pathogens that may not be killed during processing.<\/p> The most time-consuming preparation when canning tomatoes is removing the skins. According to the USDA, peeling is required to home can the tomatoes safely.<\/p> “It’s important to follow instructions in tested recipes to ensure safety. We do not have any tested recipes that include the skins. Skins change the density of the product, so the processing time we have available would be inaccurate.” ~ Ask Extension Knowledgebase<\/a><\/p> The easiest way to remove the skins and seeds is to cook the tomatoes briefly to soften and run them through a food strainer<\/a> or food mill<\/a> to remove the skins, seeds, and puree the tomatoes.<\/p> If you don’t have a food strainer, you can blanch and peel the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds before making your sauce: See How to Peel Tomatoes<\/a> for an illustrated, step-by-step tutorial.<\/p> While fresh tomatoes are the foundation, the mushrooms, onions, and peppers add loads of flavor and texture to this spaghetti sauce.<\/p> It may be helpful to review this article on pressure canning<\/a> at the National Center for Home Food Preservation<\/em> website and the instruction manual that came with your canner. Make sure everything is clean and working correctly. Double-check that the air vent and steam vent pipe are clear.<\/p> This canned spaghetti sauce recipe is the “Spaghetti Sauce Without Meat” recipe from the So Easy to Preserve<\/em> and USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning<\/em> books and the NCFHP<\/em> website.<\/p> The instructions specifically state, “Do not increase the proportion of onions, peppers, or mushrooms.” You can safely omit or reduce the amount of onions, peppers, mushrooms, and garlic, but you cannot reduce the tomatoes and keep the other vegetables the same.<\/p> Other safe adjustments include:<\/p> We have adjusted the seasonings, reduced the amount of salt, and used less oil to saut\u00e9 the vegetables.<\/p> You can find the complete and printable recipe at the bottom of this article, but these are the steps for canning spaghetti sauce:<\/p> You’ll need:<\/strong><\/p> Use your kitchen scale to weigh 30 pounds of tomatoes for this recipe. You will need two medium or one large onion to get 1 cup chopped and one large bell pepper for 1 cup of chopped peppers. Rinse the tomatoes, mushrooms, and peppers under running water, and spread out on clean towels.<\/p> Heating the tomatoes quickly after cutting will preserve the pectin in the fruit, which will help thicken your sauce. Place a large stainless steel saucepan on the stove, and set the heat to medium.<\/p> Cut each tomato in half, remove the core, and trim out any bad spots. Drop the tomatoes into the saucepan as you work. Crush the first few tomatoes with the back of your spoon as they heat to release the juice, and occasionally stir to prevent sticking.<\/p> Once all the tomatoes are in the pot, bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook for 20 minutes. Then, turn off the heat, and let the tomatoes cool slightly before straining out the seeds and skins.<\/p> Prepare the rest of the vegetables while the tomatoes are cooking:<\/p> Once the cooked tomatoes have cooled slightly, remove the skins and seeds with a food strainer, food mill, or sieve. Return the strained tomatoes to the saucepan.<\/p> Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, onions, peppers, garlic, and saut\u00e9 until tender.<\/p> Add the saut\u00e9ed vegetables to the pot of tomatoes along with the brown sugar, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat, and then reduce the heat to low.<\/p> Simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens and reduces by one-half, about 1 to 2 hours, depending on how juicy your tomatoes are. As the sauce simmers, frequently stir to prevent sticking.<\/p> Set up the canner, prepare the jars, and organize your work area when the sauce is almost ready.<\/p> Wash the canning jars, lids, bands, and canning tools in hot soapy water, and rinse well. Check the jars over carefully for nicks and cracks. Eliminate any that show damage as these will break in the canner. Set the lids and bands aside until you are ready to use them.<\/p> Place the pressure canner on the stove, and insert the canning rack. Place the jars in the canner on the rack. Add water per your pressure canner manufacturer’s instructions: Presto is 3 quarts, Mirro is 2 quarts, and All American is 2 to 3 inches.<\/p> Fill the jars halfway with hot water, and then place them on the rack in the canner. Bring the canner to a simmer for 10 minutes (180\u02daF). Keep the jars hot until you are ready to fill them.<\/p> Spread a dry kitchen towel on the counter. Use the jar lifter to remove a jar from the canner. Pour out the water (save it for washing dishes), and place the jar on the towel. Keep the remaining jars in the canner so they stay hot.<\/p> Place the canning funnel on the jar, use the canning ladle, and fill the jars with the hot spaghetti sauce leaving 1-inch headspace.<\/p> Run the bubble popper through the jar to remove air bubbles, check and adjust the headspace if needed, and wipe the rim with a damp towel.<\/p> Center a lid on the jar, place the band over the cover, and screw it on until fingertip tight. Immediately place the jar back on the rack in the canner, and repeat with the rest of the jars. If you have sauce left over, put it in the refrigerator and use it within a few days.<\/p> Place the lid on the canner and lock it. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Follow the directions for your pressure canner and process for the times indicated in the recipe below.<\/p> When the processing time is complete, turn off the heat and let the canner depressurize naturally, remove the jars, and let them cool completely. Date, label, and store the jars in a cool location for 12 to 18 months.<\/p> To use, empty the jar into a saucepan and heat on the stove. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve with you favorite pasta, such as zucchini rollups<\/a>, homemade pasta<\/a>, ricotta gnocchi<\/a>, and zucchini lasagna<\/a>.<\/p>Choosing Tomatoes for Sauce<\/h3>
Peeling and Seeding the Tomatoes<\/h3>
Other Ingredients<\/h3>
Steps to Canning Spaghetti Sauce<\/h2>
Step 1: Gather Your Kitchen and Canning Equipment<\/h3>
Step 2: Prepare the Ingredients<\/h3>
![\"A](\"https:\/\/growagoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/spaghetti-sauce-tomatoes-pot.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>Step 3: Simmer the Sauce<\/h3>
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<\/figure><\/div>Step 4: Prepare the Canning Equipment<\/h3>
Step 5: Can the Spaghetti Sauce<\/h3>
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