Recipe and pressure canning instructions for canning spaghetti sauce meatless (with no meat).
You will need to know how to use a pressure canner. Go here for a recipe for canning spaghetti sauce with meat. Yield for this recipe is about 9 pints. For my family, I will double this and do quarts.
Again, spaghetti sauce must always be processed in a pressure canner.
This Page Includes:
Canning Spaghetti Sauce Meatless: Extended, Step-By-Step Directions
Gather Your Canning Supplies:
- pressure canner
- canning jars
- canning seals and rings
- jar lifter and canning funnel
- blancher
- bowls
- large spoons
- sharp knife
- towels, dish cloths, and pot holders
- Food Mill or strainer (optional)
Ingredients:
- 30 pounds tomatoes
- 1 cup chopped onions*
- 5 cloves garlic (mince garlic or use a garlic press)
- 1 cup chopped celery or green peppers*
- 1 lb sliced mushrooms (optional, I rarely use them)*
- 4 tsp. canning salt
- 2 Tbsp. oregano
- 2 Tbsp. minced parsley
- 2 Tbsp. basil
- 2 bay leaves (remove before filling jars)
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup brown sugar
*For safety reasons, do not increase proportions of onions, peppers, or mushrooms.
Preparing Your Tomato Sauce
The first thing you need to do when home canning spaghetti sauce is to prepare your tomato sauce.
Click here to go to a page that explains how to make and can tomato sauce.
First, make your sauce, but do not process. Come back here to complete your spaghetti sauce.
Preparing & Canning Meatless Spaghetti Sauce
If needed, simmer tomato sauce, uncovered, in large saucepan until thick enough for serving. This might a take 20 minutes to a couple of hours. Stir frequently to avoid burning. The amount of sauce may be reduced by nearly one-half.
- An easy way to do this is to place sauce in a slow cooker and leave the lid off, and then let it cook until thickened.
- Or bake uncovered in the oven at 350. Remember, you will still need to stir often.
Here is my favorite time-saving tip for tomato sauce.
OPTIONAL: Canning this sauce as is, without the cook down time, will simply give you a thinner sauce. Add a can of tomato paste to thicken when you prepare your meal. I have done this when I did not want to spend the time to cook down.
Next, chop vegetables while you simmer the tomatoes.
Saute chopped onion and chopped bell pepper (or celery) and minced garlic in a small amount of vegetable oil. (Spray oil is a great way to keep the vegetables from sticking.) Cook until veggies are tender.
Add vegetables to sauce. Stir in salt, spices, and sugar.
Fill your hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Take out the bay leaves at this point.
Follow pressure canning instructions.
Processing Spaghetti Sauce in a Pressure Canner
Process pints for 20 minutes or quarts for 25 minutes, adjusting for altitude using the chart below. To learn why adjusting for altitude is so important, visit this page.
Recipe Card
Canning Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients
- 30 pounds tomatoes
- 2 1/2 pounds ground beef optional
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 cup chopped celery or green peppers.
- 4 1/2 tsp. canning salt
- 2 Tbsp. oregano
- 2 Tbsp. minced parsley
- 2 Tbsp. basil
- 2 bay leaves (remove before filling jars)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 to 2 tsp. vegetable oil or some spray oil
Instructions
- Start by preparing jars and getting water in the canner heating. You want the canner hot, but not boiling, when the jars are ready to be processed.If you are new to using a pressure canner, see this article for full pressure canning instructions. This includes more detailed information and step-by-step instructions on how a pressure canner works.
Hot Pack only
- Make tomato sauce.
- Simmer tomato sauce until thickened (20 minutes to 1 hour), stirring often.
- Brown meat with chopped onion and vegetables and minced garlic (meat optional).
- If meat is not desired, sauté onion and vegetables in oil until tender.
- Add cooked meat and vegetables to sauce.
- Stir in seasonings. Bring back to a boil.
- Fill hot jar with spaghetti sauce (remove bay leaves), leaving 1” headspace.
- Remove bubbles. Wipe the rim clean and place seal and ring. Place the jar in the warm canner. Proceed to fill all jars. Process according to the directions below.
Processing
Adapted from: The National Center for Home Food Preservation, Colorado Extension
Last Updated: 5/20/2021
Canning Spaghetti Sauce Meatless Tips & FAQs
Does Meatless Spaghetti Sauce Have to Be Pressure Canned?
This spaghetti sauce has vegetables in it and is only tested for the pressure canner. I like it because it has lots of veggies. It MUST be pressure canned.
Remember, safety in canning is all in the acidity levels of your food. High acid is fine for a water bath, but low acid needs the pressure canner.
There are other spaghetti sauce recipes available that are are created with enough acidity that a water bath is enough to safely store it on the shelf. However…this one is not. 🙂
Should You Use Fresh or Dried Herbs & Spices?
For canning, use dried herbs and spices, unless a recipe specifies otherwise.
Related Pages
Canning Tomatoes
Canning tomatoes can be done in both a pressure canner and a water bath canner!
Canning Stewed Tomatoes
Canning stewed tomatoes doesn’t have to be boring! This recipe is a great way to preserve your extras into something more nutritious and delicious than you can buy at the store.
Canning Spaghetti Sauce with Meat
Canning spaghetti sauce with meat is something that must be done in the pressure canner. This recipe not only makes things easier, you end up with more nutritious food on your shelf!
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Source: The National Center for Home Food Preservation, Colorado Extension
Page last updated: 7/9/2021
Can I use my own recipe, and this technique?
With tomatoes, it’s important to use a tested recipe for canning, because of the acidity levels. For that reason, you should use a tested recipe for making spaghetti sauce. If you have your own recipe, Sharon would suggest freezing it instead. 🙂
-Rachel (Sharon’s assistant)