I’ve been using this simple tomato sauce recipe from Simply in Season for a few years now and it’s a wonderful way to use your garden fresh tomatoes and enjoy them throughout the winter months when we are all yearning for something homemade. Just open a jar, pour over pasta and viola! Dinner is served. It doesn’t get any easier than that.
Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, shredded
1/2 sweet pepper, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
6 cups tomatoes, peeled and chopped
6 oz tomato paste
1 tablespoon honey
salt and pepper to taste
lemon juice or vinegar
Directions
Bring a boiling-water canner, 3/4 full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.
Saute onions and garlic until soft. Add carrots, peppers spices and stir well. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, honey and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
Simmer 15 minutes, remove bay leaves and ladle into hot, sterilized jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar per pint or 2 tablespoons lemon juice per quart to assure acidity.
Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. Boiling water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Cover and process pints for 35 minutes {quarts for 40 minutes} in a hot water bath. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely.
This recipe makes about 4 pints or 2 quarts.
Looking for a few more canning recipes? Search my Full List of Canning Recipes
Also, check out these tutorials if you’ve never used a canner before:
Tutorial: Hot Water Bath Canning
Tutorial: How to Use a Pressure Canner
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Beth Rankin says
This is very similar to a recipe I use to produce dozens and dozens and dozens and dozens of quarts of sauce. I have 300 pounds waiting for processing this week alone. It is a GREAT sauce!
Mavis says
300 pounds?!! Good luck with that!!
Erin...from Sidney says
Hi Mavis…I will send pictures and an update on my Meyer Lemon ASAP. How fun to see yours!!
Mavis Butterfield says
Yay! Thank you so much Erin. 🙂 🙂
Katrina says
Do you put the cooked ingredients through a food mill before you can the tomato sauce?
Mavis Butterfield says
Nope. I like mine a little on the chunky side though.
Rebecca says
Hi Mavis, thanks for the recipe!! I canned my first tomatoes a few days ago and used fresh lemon juice. Even though lots of blogs say to only use bottled, I’m sure they’ll be fine! I do have a quick canning question…when I went to take my second batch out of the water canner I realized that the water had evaporated a bit, so it wasn’t fully over the lids. They were still submerged in a good boil and my lids sealed well…would you still think they’re ok? Thanks so much!
Mavis says
Yep. I would say they are just fine!
JJ says
Are there any altitude adjustments for this recipe?
Mavis says
Depends on the method you are using. As you go up in elevation, increase processing time for a water bath and for a pressure canner, increase pressure.
Becky says
Hi Mavis! Is there any change that you would make if you simply wanted to freeze the sauce instead of can it? Thanks 🙂
Mavis Butterfield says
Nope. You are good to go. 🙂