This meatless version of homemade spaghetti sauce can be canned for later use in many recipes. Leaving out the meat gives many more options for use, simply brown your meat later add to this sauce and you are ready for the dinner table.
Removing Skins and Seeds from Fresh Tomatoes: 3 options.
Blanching Tomatoes: removes skins only.
Wash tomatoes and remove stems and bruises.
Blanch tomatoes by bringing water to a boil in a large stock pot or blancher. Dip the tomatoes until skins split or 1 minute.
Remove tomatoes to cold water. When they are cool enough to handle slip the skins off with your hands. They should slip off easily. Add peeled tomatoes to another pot until all tomatoes are peeled.
Food Mill: removes skins and seeds.
Wash tomatoes and remove stems and bruises, slicing tomatoes in half.
Simmer tomatoes to soften in a large stock pot, crushing the tomatoes to start the juices flowing.
Cool slightly and run tomatoes through a food mill to remove all skins and seeds.
Freezing: removes skins only.
Freeze tomatoes whole in a freezer bag.
Defrost tomatoes. As they thaw, the skins will slip off like blanched tomatoes.
Making Homemade Spaghetti Sauce:
Simmer tomato sauce until thickened (20 minutes to 1 hour), stirring often.
Sauté onion and vegetables and garlic in oil until tender.
Add vegetables to sauce.
Stir in dried seasonings and bring back to a boil.
Fill hot jar with spaghetti sauce, leaving 1" headspace.
Remove bay leaves, remove bubbles, wipe the rim clean, and place seal and ring.
Place the jar in the warm canner and repeat the process for all jars.
Process according to the directions below.
Packing the Jars
As you are filling jars, remove bay leaves.
Fill hot jar with spaghetti sauce, leaving 1" headspace.
Remove air bubbles and check your headspace again. Adjust if needed.
Wipe rims of jar clean with damp towel or paper towel.
Add your canning lids and rings, finger tight.
Place jar in the hot (not boiling) canner. When all jars are filled, process according to the processing instruction and time chart in the notes area below.
Processing with a Pressure Canner
Put the lid on the canner leaving the weights off. Bring to a boil. Watch for 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 your requirements, 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.
Cool Down Time
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 again.
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, wash jars, dry completely, and store in a cool dark place.
Notes
Please note! Remember this is a meatless sauce. If you’ve added meat you need to use different processing directions. This time is not enough for spaghetti sauce with meat.Pressure canning instruction. Pay attention to the proper time for the proper equipment.Processing Time in a Pressure Canner Pints are processed for 20 minutes Quarts are processed for 25 minutes.
Step one - use the chart for the style of pressure canner you are using.
Step two - check the altitude adjustments for your altitude.
Dial Gauge – Watch the dial on your canner to determine pressure. Altitude Weight (pounds pressure) 0-2000 11 lbs 2001-4,000 12 lbs 4,001-6,000 13 lbs 6,001-8,000 14lbsWeighted Gauge – Watch for the weight to ‘jiggle’ to determine pressure. Altitude Weight (pounds pressure) 0-1000 ft 10 lbs Above 1000 15 poundsAdapted from recipe source- National Center for Home Food Preservation