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This homemade canned spaghetti sauce is FAR better than anything you can find in a store. You’ll love the rich, savory flavor. The best way to use fresh garden tomatoes! Canning spaghetti sauce is easy and rewarding and makes for the best pasta sauce ever!
This canned spaghetti sauce is HANDS-DOWN, the very best with home-grown tomatoes. We are kind of crazy about our tomatoes over here. The taste of this savory tomato sauce stays fresh and turns any pasta dinner into something special.
Ingredients in Canned Spaghetti Sauce
All you need for perfect spaghetti sauce are some herbs, spices and of course, fresh ripe tomatoes! This sauce couldn’t be simpler to make:
- Tomatoes – about 25 pounds. This recipe makes a huge batch of tomato puree.
- Onions – I start with about five large yellow onions. You’ll end up with 7-8 cups chopped onions.
- Red bell peppers – four large peppers work great.
- Green bell pepper – dice one large pepper
- Tomato paste – four 6-ounce cans should do the trick.
- Soy sauce – Sounds weird, but trust us, it deepens the tomato flavor like you won’t believe!
- Worcestershire sauce – stir in a little sauce to enhance the flavor of the tomatoes and give the sauce a meaty flavor.
- Brown sugar – a little sweetness balances the acidity of the tomatoes and all the herbs.
- Seasonings – Salt, garlic, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves is all you need to season this delicious sauce.
- Lemon juice – for the jars
Why Can Spaghetti Sauce?
Canning spaghetti sauce offers several great benefits. It may take a little time up front but I love the satisfaction of walking into my pantry and seeing rows of freshly canned spaghetti sauce jars! Here are some more great benefits to canning:
- Long-term preservation: Enjoy homemade sauce even when fresh tomatoes are out of season.
- Control over ingredients: Customize the flavors, spices, and level of heat to suit personal taste preferences.
- Convenience and time-saving: Have ready-to-use sauce on hand for quick and easy meal preparations.
- Cost-effective: Save money by utilizing homegrown or bulk-purchased ingredients.
Tomatoes: A Family Tradition
Growing tomatoes is a “family tradition” of sorts for us. Our Uncle Larry is arguably the best gardener ever. He always has an immaculate garden and has studied and taught about gardening. The man knows ALL the tricks to get plants to grow. Uncle Larry has 10 green thumbs! His techniques have been passed around the family, luckily for us. He shared his secrets with our mom, who also grows a bountiful garden every year. To learn more about our tips and tricks for growing tomatoes, see our full guide.
Tomato growing is our family’s way to connect year after year. We compare notes on everything, from how our crops are faring, to what varieties we planted, to what has been canned so far. And of course, we love talking about all the delicious ways we can eat them! Along with the abundance of tomatoes comes a million ways to prepare them. One of our fondest memories growing up with our mom was making her delicious Homemade Canned Spaghetti Sauce. We’ve tweaked the recipe over the years and now it’s darn near perfection!
Family Tested, Dad Approved
Part of the reason we worked so hard to perfect this canned spaghetti sauce recipe is because of our dad. To know him is to know his passionate love for Italian food. He is super picky about spaghetti sauce; it has to be just right. Well, we’re happy to report that we served this sauce at family dinner recently and our dad loved it! He couldn’t get enough. In fact, he used a spoon to get all the excess off his plate. He’s crazy about this savory sauce, and you will be too!
How Can I Use Canned Spaghetti Sauce?
The name may say spaghetti, but this marinara sauce is so versatile, it’s sure to become one of your favorite staples, and not just on pasta night. Try it as a thickener for Italian-style soups like Minestrone, or add tomato paste to a serving to make pizza sauce. Here are some more delicious recipes that use spaghetti sauce:
Water Bath Canning Spaghetti Sauce
Water bath canning tomatoes is the most common way to can tomatoes, but it must be done the right way. Tomatoes are in the “gray area” of having enough acidity, so you need to add a bit of lemon juice or citric acid to ensure it reaches the correct acidity for canning. You can learn all about water bath canning in my water bath canning guide. If you want to learn about the basics of canning and other ways to can, check out my Canning 101 post as well. Between these two posts, you will learn how to be a water bath canning pro in no time!
How to Use a Pressure Canner
For a weighted-gauge pressure canner, you will want to process 20 minutes for pint jars and 25 minutes for quart jars. I like to use the Presto 16-Quart Pressure Canner, which is great for canning spaghetti sauce, homemade jams, and more. You can get it for $78 at Walmart to start canning your own sauces.
Process at 10 pounds for altitudes between 0-1,000 feet. Process at 15 pounds for altitudes above 1,000 feet. For more information on pressure canning spaghetti sauce, check out the National Center for Home Food Preservation here.
Where to Buy Canning Jars
We like to use 1-quart canning jars from Ball. They’re the BEST for canning spaghetti sauce. You can get 12 of them at Walmart for around $16, which makes it a little over $1 a jar and one of the more affordable ways to start canning. We also like to use them as drinking glasses, food storage, flower vases, and more, so you’ll get a ton of use out of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do not, I repeat, do NOT skip this step. Stick a reminder note on your jars or tie a ribbon on your finger so you don’t forget. You absolutely can not safely can tomatoes without bringing up the acidity first. If you forget to add the lemon juice you will need to open the jars, add the juice, replace with new lids, and reprocess.
You can add ground beef or ground Italian sausage ONLY if you are going to pressure can it OR if you freeze it instead of canning it (or you just want to eat it fresh or within a few days). Do not add ground beef if you are planning to water-bath can or steam can — it will not be safe to eat after sitting on the shelf.
Be really careful when adding or omitting ingredients to a canning recipe. You are usually fine adding spices but when it comes to adding fresh mushrooms, celery, parsley, thyme or meat it could throw off the acidity levels, thus making unsafe for canning.
We usually try to eat anything that we have canned within a year. You can probably go a couple years but probably not much longer than that. Some canning sites even say you shouldn’t go more than 6 months, but I think you are fine going longer than that.
Absolutely! This spaghetti sauce recipe freezes beautifully and lasts for several months in freezer bags or freezer-safe containers. Just make sure to thaw the sauce completely in the refrigerator before re-heating. If you DO want to add more random ingredients like ground beef or extra veggies, freezing is a good way to go if you are worried about acidity levels.
The only ingredient that has any gluten in this recipe is the soy sauce. It sounds weird to even have soy sauce in a spaghetti sauce recipe, but trust us, it is divine! Instead of cutting the soy sauce, opt for a gluten free brand. The rich flavor will knock your socks off!
Still Have a Question about Canning Spaghetti Sauce?
This recipe has been tried and LOVED by many of you. Be sure to check out the comments to see everyone’s reviews about this canned spaghetti sauce. We also answer a lot of canning questions that have been asked in the comment section so if you have any questions, read below and I am sure you will find the answer you are looking for! Still can’t find an answer? Leave a comment and we will try to answer it as quickly as possible. With the sheer volume of comments we get, it may take a few days for us to respond but we try to get to every question!
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How to Make Canned Spaghetti Sauce
Homemade Canned Spaghetti Sauce
Video
Ingredients
- 25 pounds tomatoes
- 5 medium onions (about 7-8 cups chopped)
- 4 red bell peppers
- 1 green bell pepper
- 4 (6oz) cans tomato paste
- 1/4 cups soy sauce Sounds weird, but trust us, it deepens the tomato flavor like you won’t believe!
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2/3 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup salt
- 10 cloves garlic chopped or minced
- 3 tablespoons oregano dried
- 3 tablespoons basil dried
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/4 cups lemon juice for jars
Instructions
- Fill a large pot or Dutch oven half-way with water, bring to a boil. Using a slotted spoon, add tomatoes one at a time until you can't fit any more (about 8-10 tomatoes).
- Boil for 1-2 minutes. Remove tomatoes one at a time with slotted spoon and plunge in an icewater bath. Peel and quarter tomatoes.
- In a food processor, cover and process green peppers and onions in batches until finely chopped (if you want to add extra flavor, saute the peppers and onions in a little oil and a pinch of salt before processing).In a large stockpot, combine the tomatoes (do not discard excess juices from the tomatoes), onion/pepper mixture, tomato paste, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, salt, garlic, oregano, basil, pepper flakes, and bay leaves.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4-5 hours, stirring every 15 minutes or so (tomatoes burn easily so keep an eye on it). Discard bay leaves.If you want to make your sauce thick and smooth, use an immersion blender to blend the tomatoes until smooth with no large chunks (you can also blend it in batches in a blender).
- Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice to 9 or 10 hot 1-quart jars (depending on how much sauce you have). Ladle hot mixture into jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace at the top. Remove air bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids.
For Water Bath Canning:
- Process for 40 minutes in a boiling-water canner for altitudes of 1,000 feet or less. For altitudes up to 3,000 feet, add 5 minutes; 6,000 feet, add 10 minutes; 8,000 feet, add 15 minutes; 10,000 feet, add 20 minutes.
For Pressure Canning:
- Using a weighted-gauge pressure canner, process 20 minutes for pint jars and 25 minutes for quart jars. Process at 10 lb for altitudes between 0-1,000 feet. Process at 15 lb for altitudes above 1,000 feet.
Notes
- This recipe makes 9-10 quart-sized jars
- Our Uncle Larry is arguably the best gardener ever. He always has an immaculate garden and has studied and taught about gardening. The man knows ALL the tricks to get plants to grow. Uncle Larry has 10 green thumbs! His techniques have been passed around the family, luckily for us. He shared his secrets with our mom, who also grows a bountiful garden every year. To learn more about our tips and tricks for growing tomatoes, see our full guide.
- This spaghetti sauce recipe freezes beautifully and lasts for several months in freezer bags or freezer-safe containers. Just make sure to thaw the sauce completely in the refrigerator before re-heating. If you DO want to add more random ingredients like ground beef or extra veggies, freezing is a good way to go if you are worried about acidity levels.
I don’t like green peppers. Can I leave those out of the recipe? Or is it not a noticeable taste in the finished recipe?
I don’t think its very noticeable, especially because it is pureed. However, if you are worried about it you can substitute more of another pepper.
Could I cut the peppers down to 2 green and 1 red? I will be pressure canning. Also if I’m doing multiple batches would it be okay to make the sauce and leave it in the fridge a day or two before heating back up to can?
Yes to both of your questions!
I made this recipe last year, it was amazing! Just wondering if I use more green peppers than red, will it mess with the acidity level?
I think that should be fine!
This is the third year we are making this sauce. It is delicious and the only spaghetti sauce my granddaughter wants to eat anymore. We use a Victoria Strainer to put the tomatoes through. It removes the skin and seeds and produces the maximum amount of pulp. It makes it so easy and quick to prepare the tomatoes for cooking. We use 2 – 18 ounce cans of tomato paste, fresh basil and Italian parsley from my herb garden, only 1 tsp of red pepper and 1 cup of dry red wine. Perfecto! We also pressure can the sauce per the recipe. We make 2 batches so we can give some as Christmas gifts.
Making the sauce tomorrow. Can I use a Nesco roaster to simmer the sauce for the 4 hours?
I’m not sure what a Nesco Roaster is, but as long as it heats the sauce to a simmer you should be fine!
Making the recipe now and it tastes great! I want to make a second batch but don’t have enough bell peppers. What do you think about using Italian peppers instead of bell peppers?
I think that would work!
This was delicious! Best recipe I have tried so far! I did NOT blanch and peel my tomatoes because that is a lot of work. It was not a necessary step! I just rough chopped up everything, threw it in the pot together with the other ingredients and cooked on the stove for 4 hours. I also used about 3 T of fresh chopped basil from my garden as I do not have dehydrated basil but once my tomatoes are bursting out of my garden so is my basil:) I then used an immersion blender to make it nice and smooth, but that isn’t needed if you prefer a chunky sauce. I added lemon juice to the jars to ensure acidity was there for long term storage.
We are making this now but unless I’m missing it, the recipe doesn’t say when to use the red bell peppers. We are just going to use the food processor on them along with the green bell pepper and onions. Thanks!
That works!
This is absolutely delicious! We’re going to try using some of it as pizza sauce. In the nutrition info, how much is a serving? Thanks!
The nutrition info is for one quart jar! Hope this helps!
So one quart jar is 332 calories? Just want to make sure I’m calculating correctly 😊
Yep! That’s right.
I changed red pepper flakes to cayenne powder. Reduced to 8 huge cloves. Still a strong garlic taste. The bell peppers used were 3 green, 1 red.
These changes were due to on hand and personal preference.
It turned out amazing! A spicy yet sweet sauce with a deep flavor.
I followed the recipe to the T and I must say it is so delicious. Reminds me of my Mom’s sauce she use to make and she was very much Italian. I boiled all the tomatoes for about 10 minutes after cutting into quarters and then put through a mill removing all but the juice Leaving behind skins and seeds. Pressure canned. Can’t wait to make sourdough bread to dip into a warm cup of it. My Levain is fermenting for the bread tomorrow. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
As my tomatoes are ripening, I’m processing them (taking the skins off) and chopping and putting in the freezer to later make my sauce. I didn’t actually weigh the tomatoes first.
If I weigh the finished chopped up tomatoes, 25# should still be fine for the recipe, shouldn’t it??
Yes! That should work!
This is amazing and I took a shortcut by pressure cooking it. I used to make passatta with my toms, this is far better
Is it ok to add fresh basil instead of dried? Do I need to adjust anything?
Be really careful when adding or omitting ingredients to a canning recipe. You are usually fine adding spices but when it comes to adding more produce, meat or anything else it could throw off the acidity levels, thus making unsafe for canning.
I want to add dry red wine to this recipe. Problem?
We haven’t tried it with wine before, so I can’t say whether or not it will be safe for canning.
Love the sauce! First time I did the water bath method but thinking of using my pressure canner next time (tomorrow)Does one come out tasting better than the other?
I haven’t noticed a difference between methods, but let us know how it turns out!
I used a tiny flour/water mixture in this sauce while simmering. I have read on multiple sites it is not safe- is this true?
Be really careful when adding or omitting ingredients to a canning recipe. You are usually fine adding spices but when it comes to adding more produce, meat or anything else it could throw off the acidity levels, thus making unsafe for canning.
This sauce is delicious! It is now my favourite spaghetti sauce. I used a stick blender to smooth the sauce a bit and I think accidentally ground up the bay leaf. Oh well. Still tasted great!!!!
Great sauce!! I added celery and charcoal grilled the onions and peppers for that something extra👍✅
Wondering about type of tomatoes used? Roma/paste tomatoes or can you get good results with juicier tomatos too?
We usually use Romas but we have readers who have had success with pretty much every type!
We are currently making this recipe and we are just wondering how much this recipe makes? Just so we can have the proper amount of jars ready to go.
Also, Have you ever added fresh parsley to this recipe? If so, how did it fair? If not, do you see this being an issue?
We usually get about 10 quart jars. As for the parsley, I haven’t tried adding fresh parsley before. Be really careful when adding or omitting ingredients to a canning recipe. You are usually fine adding spices but when it comes to adding more produce, meat or anything else it could throw off the acidity levels, thus making unsafe for canning.
I made this and its currently in the water bath. I felt like it was not as thick as spaghetti sauce normally is. Is that how it is supposed to be? When I use it down the road should I just use some tomato paste to thicken it?
Ours is usually thick, but you can definitely use tomato paste to thicken it up when you are preparing to serve it!
Can this recipe be simmered in a crock pot overnight?
I haven’t tried it that way before, so I am not sure! Let us know how it goes if you try it!
Can you use fresh basil…how much would you suggest if can be substituted? Thanks
Be really careful when adding or omitting ingredients to a canning recipe. You are usually fine adding spices but when it comes to adding more produce, meat or anything else it could throw off the acidity levels, thus making unsafe for canning.
I have basil in my freezer from an earlier harvest- did you use fresh? How did it turn out?
I made the sauce and it only filled 6-32 oz jars which I thought was strange. I went through the water bath canning process and everything turned out fine. Then I realized I forgot the tomato paste! Will it still be ok/safe to store and eat? All that work and I forgot an ingredient 😩
That should be fine!! It might be a little runny when you go to heat it up to eat, but you can add the tomato paste at that point to thicken it up.
Instead of cooking on the stove, can you prepare this in a crockpot?
Thank you!
I think that would be fine!