Homemade Herb Tomato Sauce

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword canning, sauces, spaghetti

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

12 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled*
3 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp crushed red pepper (not for heat, for depth – optional but recommended)
2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tbsp dried Oregano (use fresh and add some to the fresh herbs)
1 cup lightly packed fresh herbs (chopped) I use parsley and cilantro
optional garlic 2-3 tsp of minced or 3 tbsp of roasted garlic. Add minced garlic with tomatoes to cook and roasted with herbs.

If Canning

6 tbsp bottled lemon juice for jars (1 Tbsp per jar, use more if more jars)

Instructions

Chop the Tomatoes. Cut peeled tomatoes into chunks. Pulse in a food processor until chopped but not puréed. Transfer each processed batch into a 7–8 quart nonreactive pot (stainless steel or enameled).
Add: brown sugar, salt, balsamic, black pepper, crushed red pepper (add minced garlic if using)
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 70–90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces and thickens. (If using watery tomatoes, let it go longer.)
Remove from heat and stir in:
basil, parsley, cilantro, oregano... (add roasted garlic if using)

For Freezing and Canning

To Freeze This Sauce:
Ladle cooled sauce into freezer-safe mason jars or containers. Leave room at the top for expansion. Freeze for up to 6 months.
Canning This Sauce (Safely and Easily):
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it cans beautifully… as long as you follow proper acidity guidelines. Because tomatoes vary in acidity, you must add bottled lemon juice to each jar for safe water-bath canning. Bottled lemon juice is standardized, fresh lemon juice is not.
Once that’s in place, this sauce is a perfect beginner-friendly canning project.
Jar Size Options:
Pints (great for smaller serving size, pizza, or dipping sauce)
Quarts (ideal for spaghetti, chili, lasagna, and soup)

Recipe Notes

I usually make 2-4 batches to can. If I make 1 batch, I will either use at once or freeze leftover sauce.

*To peel tomatoes: Score an “X” on the bottom, drop into boiling water for 30 seconds, then move to ice water. Skins slide off. BONUS – You can bake the skins with some oil and salt, until dried, and eat like chips or grind up for powder for smoothies or sauces.