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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 made this and water bath canned 7 quarts. I also put 4-1/2 qts in the frig. We have used one already. Very good ladies. My Daughter-in-law took one home and my son text me the next day and said.” The sauce was spot on”.
Can you add parmesan cheese or any kind of Italian dry cheese?
We can only endorse the recipe as written for canning purposes. Omissions or additions can be safely made if you plan to freeze the sauce instead of canning.
No dairy products can be used in canning. You can add cheese if you will be freezing instead of canning. Alternatively, you can make the recipe as written, can it, then add Parmesan when ready to use.
Can I substitute fresh basil for dried basil? (I’ve got it growing in my garden.)
We can only endorse the recipe as written for canning purposes. Omissions or additions can be safely made if you plan to freeze the sauce instead of canning.
Any chance you would be able to tell me how much sauce equals one serving? It sa
It says 60 servings… and one serving is 5oo something but not how much is in a serving
Each quart jar has about 4-6 servings so I would say a serving is between 1/2 and 1 cup.
Fed my family the old country Italian Spaghetti Sauce recipe and the Spaghetti made a number one hit with the Raynard’s on Mother’s Day made fresh Garlic Bread to go with and a side salad and served a cold Sparkling Grape Juice for beverage for dessert was Creamy Coconut Pie ..everyone was pleased at the table yesterday and they want me to start this tradiotion again next Mother’s Day …
Absolutely amazing flavor!!!! This is now my absolute favorite homemade canned spaghetti sauce!!!! Better than anything on the market (and I’m a HUGE Prego fan)!
I didn’t change one thing about this recipe! Perfection!
Thank you so much for sharing this with us!!!!!
Can the bell pepper be omitted or would it make the sauce unsafe for canning? Thanks!
We can only endorse the recipe as written for canning purposes. Omissions or additions can be safely made if you plan to freeze the sauce instead of canning.
Are you able to skip the tomato paste? Would you just cook down longer? Would you added more whole tomato?
If you don’t add the tomato paste, it will be very thin.
I froze a lot of whole tomatoes at the end of summer. How long should I boil them for if you boil fresh ones for 1-2 minutes for this recipe?
We haven’t made this recipe with frozen tomatoes, so I can’t say for sure.
We freeze our tomatoes every summer and when we’re ready to use them we set them out and when they turn white and are frosty looking the skins will slide right off.
I used frozen tomatoes for my marinara sauce. Thawed them for a day or 2 in a colander over a pot in the fridge, lots of water drained out, skins will slip off, then used them as normal after, however, not for this sauce. Yet.
If I want to use my canned tomatoes from this fall, sounds like you are saying 1 pint is approx 1 pound of tomatoes, or is the above 1 lb in 14.5 oz can for store bought canned tomatoes?
A 14.5 ounce can from the store is about 1 pound of fresh tomatoes. A pint jar is 16 ounces so it is a little over a pound of fresh tomatoes. Hope this helps!
I have canned whole peeled tomatoes I’d like to use but how do I substitute for fresh? I used lemon juice when canning them so would I need to adjust lemon juice?
A 14.5-oz can of tomatoes is equal to about 1 pound of fresh tomatoes. And yes I would still add the lemon juice as listed in the recipe.
Hey There!
I made this recipe with Roma tomatoes about 6 months ago. I’d like to make another batch, but was thinking of using crushed tomatoes this time. How many ounces/cups of crushed tomatoes should I use in place of 25# of fresh tomatoes?
Thanks so much, this recipe is truly phenomenal.
A 14.5-oz can of tomatoes is equal to about 1 pound of fresh tomatoes.
If I am freezing the sauce can I omit the lemon juice
Yes!
25LBS of tomatoes will make 9 quarts with this recipe? Or is the 9 quarts 3x the recipe. Thank you !
25 lbs of tomatoes makes 9-10 quarts of sauce. Hope this helps!
Can I sleep sub the lemon juice for lime juice for canning?
We have not tested that substitution for canning safety.
I made this recipe with my garden tomatoes. It is one of the best sauces I have ever had and I can’t believe I made it myself. THANK YOU for the awesome recipe!
We’ve made this recipe for the last few years and absolutely love it. My husband refuses all other sauce recipes.
With that being said – he’s now unable to eat seeds. Could we run the tomatoes through our Norpro sauce master to make a tomato sauce, which would remove the seeds and skins, but leaving the juice and pulp and then add that to the pot with the onions, peppers, etc?
I don’t feel like it would change the acidity, but wanted to chat and see. I know that’s kind of an interesting question. Hopefully as it’s asked it makes sense.
Yes that should be fine!
I made this spaghetti sauce and it was delicious but way to salty, can I cut back on the salt? I need to make more, I just use my last jar today!
Yes, if you feel that it is too salty you can definitely cut back on the salt. Season along the way to make sure you are getting the exact amount you like. Hope this helps!
About freezing: I have found that just having something frozen isn’t enough. You have to have it way colder than that. I have frozen stuff at 25 degrees for years and it came out as if it were just made. What kind of stuff? ANYTHING! Meat, soup, vegetables, anything. Exactly how cold? Darned if I know. What I do is set the temperature as cold as it will go and I have found that of all the freezers I’ve ever owned, that seems to be 25 degrees F. I think, therefore, that is probably an industry standard for manufacturers. So crank your freezer down as far as it will go and you can freeze stuff FOREVER! I,ve frozen a casserole for 4 years and it was like just made. But if you have it just cold enough to be just frozen, say 30 or 31 degrees, look out! It won’t keep.
Exactly! My freezer above my fridge does not freeze things as hard as my 22 cu ft upright. Things from the fridge freezer thaw in no time, but the stuff from the big freezer take forever, Had a vacuum sealed roast from 2020 the other day, was like fresh.
Do I need the salt? I have kidney failure and salt is my enemy as to why I wanna make my own vs store bought
We can only endorse the recipe as written for canning purposes. Omissions or additions can be safely made if you plan to freeze the sauce instead of canning.
Thank you! 😊
How many cups of tomatoes equals 25 pounds? Thanks!
2 cups of chopped tomatoes = 1 pound