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Home-canned tomato sauce from vine-ripened tomatoes may as well be an entirely new product as there is no comparison to store-bought. It's incredibly easy to make and you can water bath or pressure can it for long-term food storage.
Follow this easy step-by-step tutorial for my favorite canned tomato sauce recipe and enjoy it spiced up as pizza or spaghetti sauce, use it in chili, for tomato soup, barbecue sauce, cabbage rolls, and so much more.
Why I Love This Recipe
Learning how to can tomato sauce is life-changing. No, seriously, with a single jar you can create pretty much anything your heart desires with tomato sauce as the base.
Using my principles for growing a year's worth of tomatoes (and then saving the seeds for the following year's garden), I am able to can our entire year's worth of tomato sauce. Never having to purchase tomato, pizza, or spaghetti sauce from the store is pretty amazing. In fact, I dare say this may be the most versatile item in my home food storage.
And let me tell ya, if you've never had homemade tomato sauce before made from vine-ripened tomatoes, then you've never had tomato sauce before. All else is an imitation, my friend.
If you're struggling to grow enough tomatoes to put up for sauce, you can always buy them from the farmer's market. But you may also be interested in how to prune tomatoes for a better harvest, or even my 10 tomato growing tips for a disease-free harvest.
Be sure to also check out these 129+ canning recipes to put up this year!
How Do You Can Tomato Sauce?
The best part about canning homemade tomato sauce is that you've got options! (A girl can never have too many options for canning recipes, right?)
You can use both water bath and pressure canning methods for this canned tomato sauce recipe. Update: you can use a steam canner, as long as the processing time is 45 minutes or less (I incorrectly said 30 minutes but it is actually 45 minutes, yay). Keep reading below to see which option best suits your needs.
If you feel like you could use a bit more hand-holding for canning tomato sauce, you may be interested in my Tomato Canning eCourse!(It's only $19 and includes how to can salsa and other sauces as well!)
What Tomatoes Make the Best Sauce?
First off, you can use any tomato, but truly, paste tomatoes are the best for making sauces.
Why, you ask? (I love it when you ask questions, I truly do!)
Paste tomatoes have less water inside and are fleshier. This results in a thicker sauce without so much reduction time. And I'm all about saving time in the kitchen!
Some good paste tomato options are Roma tomatoes and, of course, the mother of all paste tomatoes (and quite possibly the best paste tomato of the bunch) is the heirloom San Marzano Lungo No. 2. I grow them every.single.year.
This also happens to be the variety that frequently ripens first, so it's a double win in my book. We liked the flavor diced and tossed onto pizza, but it really shines in sauces and pastes.
How Many Tomatoes Do I Need To Make Tomato Sauce?
You need a lot of tomatoes at once to make tomato sauce. This may be difficult if you don't have a large number of tomato plants and your tomatoes are ripening over a long span of time.
To allow for this without needing to make small batches of sauce, you can freeze your tomatoes whole in gallon ziplock bags until you have enough to move forward with this recipe.
The bonus of freezing tomatoes is that, as they defrost, you're actually able to peel the skins off, eliminating the step of having to roast them in the oven in batches (watch the video above to see how to do this if you're working with fresh tomatoes).
If you didn't grow enough tomatoes in your garden for sauce, you can buy a flat or two at the local farmer's market or barter with a friend. It's up to you how you source them, but for this canned tomato sauce recipe, you'll want at least 20 pounds of tomatoes to make about 7 pints of sauce.
Ingredients
- Tomatoes (about 20 pounds makes 7 pints of sauce), I recommend San Marzano, Roma and Amish Paste, or another paste tomato, but remember, any tomato will do!
- Bottled lemon juice(1 Tablespoon per pint jar and 2 Tablespoons per quart jar)it's important to use bottled juice from concentrate as fresh lemons vary in their acidity.
- Salt(1/4 teaspoon per pint jar and 1/2 teaspoon per quart jar) I like to use Redmond Real Salt, but any sea salt will do as long as it doesn't contain iodine or anti-caking agents.
- Dried Basil (1/2 teaspoon per pint jar and 1 teaspoon per quart jar) I don't like adding dried herbs to my jars anymore because I feel like they lose flavor during the canning process, instead, now I add my herbs after opening my jars of canned sauce for whatever recipe I'm using it for.
- Canning jars, lids, and bands
- Either a water bath or pressure canner
Making This Tomato Sauce Recipe
1. The first step, pick yourself some tomatoes! I didn't bother weighing out my haul, it was approximately 90 ripe tomatoes which I'm guessing came close to about 20 pounds of tomatoes. It yielded three one-quart jars plus a one-pint jar in the end.
2. Slice the tomatoes in half and remove the inner seeds and white membrane.
3. Lay the tomatoes, skin side up, on a cookie sheet and place in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 5 minutes, or until the skins begin to come loose from the flesh.
4. Remove skins and reserve in a bowl (I like to either dehydrate or freeze dry my seeds and skins to then pulse into a powder and use to thicken soups!).
Tip: If you want to skip this step of removing the skins, try using the Weston Tomato Press. Or simply chop the tomatoes and add them to the stockpot, cook them down, mash them, and then put the sauce through a food mill to remove the skins.
5. Place the remaining tomatoes into a food processor or high-powered blender and give it a quick pulse to liquefy the contents. If you don't have a blender or food processor, you can mash the tomatoes (as shown in the photo above).
NOTE: Keep track of how much liquid you end up with, this amount will be necessary to know how many jars to prepare for canning.
6. Pour all tomato sauce into a large stockpot and bring up to a simmer and allow to reduce until the sauce is as thick as you like it. For my paste tomatoes, this usually means reducing it for about 40 minutes which allows about 1 inch of the liquid to evaporate. But my sauce is already pretty thick right from the start. This is purely preferential and will vary based on tomato varieties.
7. Meanwhile, prepare your jars, gather your lids, and either your water bath canner or your pressure canner.
8. To each jar, add a small amount of tomato sauce, then bottled lemon juice, salt, and optional herbs (see ingredients above for amounts).
NOTE:Lemon juice (or citric acid), salt, and herbs should be added to each individual jar, not the pot of tomato sauce. And you must add the bottled lemon juice for safe shelf stability.
9. Fill jars with tomato sauce up to a 1/2-inch headspace for water bath canning and 1-inch headspace for pressure canning. I typically like to pressure can because it takes less time.
10. Run a spatula around the jar circumference to remove air bubbles. Add more tomato sauce if needed to keep 1/2-inch or 1-inch headspace depending upon your method of canning.
11. With a damp clean cloth, wipe the rim of the jar clean. Place on lids and screw down the bands until resistance is met, then to fingertip tight.
Water Bath Canning Instructions
1. Place jars on a rack inside your water bath canner.
2. Make sure at least 1 inch of water is covering the tops of the jars.
3. Once you've got rolling boiling water, add lid and process pint jars for 35 minutes or quart jars for 40 minutes.
NOTE:See recipe notes for altitude adjustments above 1,000 feet in elevation.
4. Turn off heat and remove the lid from the canner. Allow jars to rest inside the water bath for 5 minutes.
NOTE: If you remove jars immediately, you run the risk of cracking the jars or the siphoning of liquid, which can inhibit a proper seal.
5. After the five minutes have passed, using a jar lifter, carefully lift jars out of the canner and place them in a draft-free area on a kitchen towel folded in thirds. Never place hot jars on a cold countertop.
6. Allow jars to rest, untouched for at least 12 hours, 24 hours if you have the counter space.
7. Remove bands and check seals then move to the pantry for storage. (If any jars didn't seal, store them in the refrigerator and use them within a day or two.)
Pressure Canning Instructions
1. Add water to the pressure canner, place the inner rack inside, and load jars.
2. Lock the lid, bring to a boil, and allow the pressure canner to vent steam for 10 minutes.
3. Put the weight on and allow the canner to come up to 10 pounds of pressure (or use a weighted gauge, depending on your pressure canner).
NOTE:See recipe notes for altitude adjustments above 1,000 feet in elevation.
4. Start processing time after weight begins rocking and hissing, or dial gauge reads 10 pounds of pressure.
5. Process both pint and quart-size jars for 15 minutes.
6. Allow pressure canner to cool down naturally and for pressure to return to normal.
7. Carefully remove the hot lid and wait another 10 minutes before taking jars out of canner.
NOTE: If you remove jars immediately, you run the risk of cracking the jars or the siphoning of liquid, which can inhibit a proper seal.
8. Using a jar lifter, carefully lift jars out of the canner and place them in a draft-free area on a kitchen towel folded in thirds. Never place hot jars on a cold countertop.
9. Allow jars to rest, untouched for at least 12 hours, 24 hours if you have the counter space.
10. Remove bands and check seals then move to the pantry for storage.(If any jars didn't seal, store them in the refrigerator and use within a day or two.)
NOTE: If you have enough tomato sauce to fill all the jars needed for a run in the pressure canner, I'd use the pressure canner. Food may reach a hotter temperature in the pressure canner, but because it's processed for less time, it retains more of the nutrients. But, if you don't have enough jars or don't have a pressure canner, the water bath is completely safe with this recipe.
Now stand back and look at those gorgeous scarlet jars, just begging to be simmered all day for spaghetti, in chili, or in these slow cooker cabbage rolls.
Seriously, does anyone else like to sit and stare at the rows of home-canned food, or am I the only one weird that way? I'm hoping now that you know how to can tomato sauce, you'll be staring at them, too.
Want to learn how to pressure can?
I have a FREE pressure canning video series here walking you through how to:
- safely pressure can without fear of blowing it up or exploding
- how to make sure you stay SAFE and avoid botulism
- the science of canning so you always stay safe
- what foods CANNOT be canned at home, even in a pressure canner
- and more
It's completely free and I've taught hundreds of people how to pressure can, you're in good hands! Click here to snag your seat and get started pressure canning today.
More Tomato Related Posts
- Weston Tomato Press (+ Tomato Sauce Recipe)
- How to Prune Tomato Plants for a Better Harvest
- Trellising Tomatoes the Right Way
- Storing Green Tomatoes for Fresh Eating
- 10 Tomato Growing Tips for a Disease Free Harvest
- Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Cabbage Rolls Recipe
- Homemade Barbecue Sauce Recipe
- 129+ Best Canning Recipes to Put Up This Year
- Canning Problems and Solutions: Siphoning (Liquid Loss in Jars)
- Pressure Canning FAQ's
Want ALL of my best-preserving recipes
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Easy Canned Tomato Sauce
Melissa Norris
Learn how to can tomato sauce at home with this easy recipe, safe for both water bath or pressure canning!
4.17 from 87 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour hr
Cook Time 1 hour hr
Canning Time 35 minutes mins
Total Time 2 hours hrs 35 minutes mins
Course Sauce
Cuisine Italian
Servings 14 cups
Calories 119 kcal
Equipment
Pressure Canner or Water Bath Canner
Canning Jars and Lids
Ingredients
- 20 pounds tomatoes 20 pounds makes about 7 pints of sauce
- 7 tbsp bottled lemon juice
- 1.75 tsp salt
- 3.5 tsp dried basil optional
Instructions
Prepare Tomatoes
Pick your fresh tomatoes, slice in half and remove seeds.
Place tomatoes, flesh side down (skin side up) on a cookie sheet and roast in a 350 degree F oven for 5 minutes (or until skins start to pull away from the tomatoes).
Carefully remove skins and set them aside in a bowl.
Add tomatoes to a food processor or high-powered blender. Pulse quickly to liquefy contents.
Add tomato sauce to a heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and continue simmering until tomato sauce is reduced down to desired thickness. (This will vary based on tomato variety.)
Meanwhile, prepare your jars, gather your lids, and either your water bath canner or your pressure canner.
To each jar, add one scoop of tomato sauce, then add 1 Tablespoon bottled lemon juice to each pint jar (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice to each quart jar).
Add 1/4 teaspoon salt to each pint jar (or 1/2 teaspoon salt to each quart jar).
Add the optional 1/2 teaspoon dried basil to each pint jar (or 1 teaspoon dried basil to each quart jar).
Fill jars the rest of the way with tomato sauce leaving1/2-inch headspace for water bath canningand1-inch headspace for pressure canning.
Run a spatula around the jar circumference to remove air bubbles. Add more tomato sauce if needed to keep 1/2-inch or 1-inch headspace depending upon your method of canning.
With a damp clean cloth, wipe the rim of the jar clean. Place on lids and screw down the bands until resistance is met, then to fingertip tight.
Water Bath Canning Instructions
Place jars on a rack inside your water bath canner.
Make sure at least 1 inch of water is covering the tops of the jars.
Once you’ve got rolling boiling water, process pint jars for 35 minutes or quart jars for 40 minutes. (See notes for high altitude canning instructions.)
Turn off heat and remove the lid from the canner. Allow jars to rest inside the water bath for 5 minutes.
Using a jar lifter, carefully lift jars out of the canner and place them in a draft-free area on a kitchen towel folded in thirds. Never place hot jars on a cold countertop.
Allow jars to rest, untouched for at least 12 hours, 24 hours if you have the counter space.
Remove bands and check seals then move to the pantry for storage.(If any jars didn’t seal, store them in the refrigerator and use within a day or two.)
Pressure Canning Instructions
Add water to pressure canner, put in the rack, and load jars.
Lock the lid, bring to a boil, and allow the pressure canner to vent steam for 10 minutes.
Put the weight on and allow the canner to come up to 10 pounds of pressure (or use a weighted gauge, depending on your pressure canner). See notes for high-altitude canning instructions.
Start processing time after weight begins rocking and hissing, or dial gauge reads 10 pounds of pressure.
Process both pint and quart-size jars for 15 minutes.
Allow pressure canner to cool down naturally and for pressure to return to normal.
Carefully remove the hot lid and wait another 10 minutes before taking jars out of canner.
Using a jar lifter, carefully lift jars out of the canner and place them in a draft-free area on a kitchen towel folded in thirds. Never place hot jars on a cold countertop.
Allow jars to rest, untouched for at least 12 hours, 24 hours if you have the counter space.
Remove bands and check seals then move to the pantry for storage.(If any jars didn’t seal, store them in the refrigerator and use within a day or two.)
Video
Notes
- Keep track of how much tomato sauce you're blending as you go to have an idea of how many jars to prepare for canning.
- You MUST use bottled lemon juice for this recipe in order for it to be considered safe (or citric acid, see free chart for differing types of acid and amounts right above recipe card).
- Lemon juice, salt, and optional herbs should be added to each individual jar, not the pot of tomato sauce.
- If you have enough tomato sauce to fill all the jars needed for a run in the pressure canner, I'd use the pressure canner. Food may reach a hotter temperature in the pressure canner, but because it's processed for less time, it retains more of the nutrients.
- If you don't have enough jars to fill a pressure canner, or you don't have one, the water bath is completely fine with this recipe.
- Even if you are pressure canning the tomato sauce, you still need to use the bottled lemon juice (or citric acid).
- Allow jars to remain in the canner for the recommended time to prevent siphoning of liquid which can inhibit a proper seal.
If you're 1,001 feet above sea level, you must make processing adjustments.
- For water bath canning 1,001 to 3,000 feet is 40 minutes for pints and 45 minutes for quarts, 3,001 to 6,000 is 45 minutes for pints and 50 minutes for quarts. For altitudes above 6,001 feet increase by an additional 5 minutes.
- For pressure canning, 1,001 + feet use 15 pounds of pressure with a weighted gauge canner. For dial gauge, if 0 to 2,000 feet use 11 lbs PSI, for 2,001 to 4,000 feet use 12 lbs PSI, for 4,001 to 6,000 feet use 13 lbs PSI, for 6,001 to 8,000 feet use 14 lbs PSI.
Nutrition
Calories: 119kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 6gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 323mgPotassium: 1550mgFiber: 8gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 5398IUVitamin C: 92mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Canned Tomato Sauce, pressure canning, Tomato, Tomato Sauce, Water Bath Canning
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Category: Canning Recipes, Food Preservation, Food Preservation - Canning, Pressure Canning, Recipes, Water BathTag: homemade, More Canning, prepper, preserving, recipes, survival, tomato acid chart, tomato sauce
About Melissa Norris
Melissa K. Norris inspires people’s faith and pioneer roots with her books, podcast, and blog. Melissa lives with her husband and two children in their own little house in the big woods in the foothills of the North Cascade Mountains. When she’s not wrangling chickens and cattle, you can find her stuffing Mason jars with homegrown food and playing with flour and sugar in the kitchen.
