Canning Spaghetti Sauce Meatless

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
• Preparing Your Tomato Sauce
• Preparing & Canning Meatless Spaghetti Sauce
• Recipe Card
• {FAQ} Does Meatless Spaghetti Sauce Have to Be Pressure Canned?
• {FAQ} Should You Use Fresh or Dried Herbs & Spices?

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

Sharon Peterson

Canning Spaghetti Sauce

Pin Recipe Print Recipe

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 9 pints

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 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

Equipment

• Pressure canner  
• Canning jars, seals, and rings 
• Canning funnel, lid lifter, and jar lifter 
• Ladle and bubble tool 

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

Processing with a Pressure Canner

Place the jars in the warm canner. Proceed to fill all jars placing them in the prepared hot canner. 

Put the lid on the canner leaving the weights off.  Bring to a boil. Watch for the steam to start coming out the vent pipe in the lid.

Allow the steam to ‘vent’ for 10 minutes then put the weights on. Use the proper weight for your altitude (check the chart below) This is when pressure will start to build.  

When the pressure reaches the pressure required for your altitude (check the chart below) that is when you’ll start your time.  Process for the full time indicated, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain the correct pressure for the entire time.

When processing time is completed turn off the heat. Do not remove weights yet. Let the canner sit undisturbed until pressure comes back to zero. Do not try to speed up the cooling process.

Remove the weight and wait 5 minutes.

Open the lid to allow steam to escape. (carefully don’t let it hit your face or arms!) Leave the lid setting on top of the canner slightly ajar and wait 5 minutes.

Take the lid off the canner and remove your jars. (optionally you can wait another 5 minutes if the contents appear to be bubbling so hard it is coming out of the jars)

Put the jars a few inches apart on a thick towel and allow them to cool to room temperature undisturbed. 12 hours is suggested.

When the jars are cool, remove the metal bands, check the seals, and store the jars in a cool dark place.

Processing Instructions for Pressure Canner (Hot Pack)  

Process sauce with meat for 60 minutes (pints) or 70 minutes (quarts), adjusting for altitude.  

Process sauce without meat for 20 minutes (pints) or 25 minutes (quarts), adjusting for altitude.  

Adjustments for Pressure Canner  

Altitude – Weighted Gauge  

0-1,000 ft – 10 pounds

1,001-8,000 ft – 15 pounds

Altitude – Dial Gauge

0-2,000 ft – 11 pounds

2,001-4,000 ft – 12 pounds

4,001-6,000 ft – 13 pounds

6,001-8,000 ft – 14 pounds

 

Adapted from: The National Center for Home Food Preservation, Colorado Extension

Last Updated: 5/20/2021

Keyword canning spaghetti sauce meatless, canning spaghetti sauce with meat, Home Canning, Pressure Canning

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