I just bottled my Homemade Canned Spaghetti Sauce Recipe and the jars are shockingly rich and ready to make any pasta sing.
I’m obsessed with the way my Homemade Canned Spaghetti Sauce Recipe tastes after roasting the tomatoes and smashing garlic. It’s thick, tangy, and so savory that I grab a jar straight from the shelf.
I love that this Spaghetti Sauce For Canning Recipe turns simple ingredients into something bold and bright. Fresh basil sneaks in and makes the whole thing sing.
No fancy fluff here. Just jars full of real tomato punch waiting for midnight pasta or Sunday dinner rescues.
And yeah, I’ll keep hoarding jars like it’s a delicious hobby. Because homemade beats store-bought, every single time.
No contest.
Ingredients
- Roma tomatoes: bright, juicy backbone for sauce, tastes fresh and sun-ripened.
- Extra virgin olive oil: silky mouthfeel, it makes everything feel cozy.
- Yellow onions: sweet, soft chunks that mellow the tomato tang.
- Garlic cloves: punchy aroma, it’s the tiny garlicky hero.
- Carrots: natural sweetness, keeps the sauce balanced and not bitter.
- Tomato paste: deep concentrated tomato flavor, gives body and color.
- Granulated sugar: tames acidity when you need a little roundness.
- Kosher salt: brings out the tomato’s true personality, tastes cleaner.
- Black pepper: warm bite, it’s subtle but necessary.
- Dried oregano: herbal, earthy note that feels classic and comforting.
- Fresh basil: bright, peppery lift that smells unbelievably fresh.
- Fresh parsley: grassy freshness, great if you like extra green notes.
- Bottled lemon juice or citric acid: acid safety plus a clean zip.
- Red pepper flakes: little heat kick, use if you want a sting.
Ingredient Quantities
- 25 pounds ripe Roma or canning tomatoes (about 10 to 12 kg)
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 large yellow onions, roughly chopped
- 12 garlic cloves, smashed
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped (for natural sweetness)
- 1 cup tomato paste
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar or to taste (optional)
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt, adjusted to taste
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed and roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
- 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice per quart jar (or 1 teaspoon citric acid per quart as an alternative)
- Red pepper flakes 1/2 to 1 teaspoon, optional for a little heat
How to Make this
1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Cut the 25 pounds of Roma tomatoes in half, toss them on rimmed baking sheets with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roast until they are soft and blistered, about 35 to 45 minutes. You want some caramelization for that deep flavor.
2. While tomatoes roast, heat 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil in a very large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the roughly chopped 4 large yellow onions, the smashed 12 garlic cloves and the chopped 3 carrots. Cook, stirring, until the onions are soft and starting to brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Stir in 1 cup tomato paste and cook it with the veggies a few minutes more to deepen the flavor. If you like a touch of heat add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes now.
4. Scoop the roasted tomatoes (and any juices) into the pot. Break them up with a wooden spoon or potato masher. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the flavors meld, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. If it looks too thick add a little water.
5. Taste and season with about 3 tablespoons kosher salt (adjust to your taste), 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons dried oregano, 1/4 cup granulated sugar if needed to balance acidity, and stir in 2 cups packed chopped fresh basil and 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley if using. Simmer 10 more minutes.
6. For a smoother sauce use an immersion blender right in the pot or work in batches in a blender to reach the texture you like. Be careful with hot splashes. If sauce is very thick you can thin with a little reserved tomato juice or water.
7. Sterilize jars and lids and keep them hot. For safety add 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice to each quart jar or 1 teaspoon citric acid per quart jar instead. Ladle hot sauce into jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace, remove air bubbles, wipe rims clean, place lids and rings fingertip tight.
8. Process the filled quart jars in a boiling water bath canner for 35 minutes (adjust time if you are at high altitude according to your local extension recommendations). Make sure jars are covered by at least 1 inch of water.
9. Remove jars and let them cool upright on a towel or rack for 12 to 24 hours. Check seals, label and date. Any jars that did not seal should be refrigerated and used within a week or reprocessed.
10. Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place. Let sauce rest a few weeks for best flavor, then toss with pasta, use in lasagna, or freeze a jar for quick dinners. Enjoy the fruits of your work, it gets better with time.
Equipment Needed
1. Rimmed baking sheets (several, to fit 25 lb tomatoes in single layer)
2. Very large pot or Dutch oven (big enough for the cooked tomatoes and long simmer)
3. Mason jars with lids and rings (quart size) plus a jar lifter or tongs
4. Large wooden spoon and a potato masher (or both in case you want chunkier texture)
5. Immersion blender or high speed blender (for smoothing hot sauce)
6. Chef’s knife and sturdy cutting board (for onions, carrots and trimming tomatoes)
7. Fine mesh strainer or colander and a large bowl (to catch juices or remove seeds if desired)
8. Ladle plus a wide-mouth funnel and a few clean towels (for filling jars, wiping rims)
9. Large boiling water bath pot with rack or a canner and oven mitts (for processing jars safely)
FAQ
Homemade Roasted Tomato Spaghetti Sauce Canning Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Tomatoes: If fresh Roma aren’t available use 3 to 4 large 28 oz cans of whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand; taste as you go since canned tomatoes can be more acidic.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Swap with 1/2 cup light olive oil, avocado oil, or even unsalted butter for a richer flavor, but reduce heat a bit if using butter so it doesn’t brown too fast.
- Fresh basil: Use 3 to 4 tablespoons dried basil, added earlier in cooking, or a big handful of baby spinach stirred in near the end for a green, fresh lift.
- Bottled lemon juice / citric acid: You can use 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar per quart jar if you don’t have bottled lemon juice; vinegar gives acidity but a slightly different taste so adjust to your liking.
Pro Tips
1) Roast in batches and save the pan juices. Roasting concentrates flavor, but don’t dump the good brown bits or juices — scrape them into the pot. If your trays crowd, roast in two or three batches so everything browns instead of steaming.
2) Texture shortcut: run hot roasted tomatoes through a food mill or coarse sieve before simmering. You’ll remove most seeds and skins without overworking the sauce. If you want ultra smooth, blitz with an immersion blender after simmering, but wait until it’s cooled a bit to avoid violent splatters.
3) Salt and sugar at the end, taste as you go. Large batches need adjustments after reduction. Add most of your salt near the end so you don’t over-salt while it concentrates. Use the sugar sparingly to balance acidity, and remember fresh basil will mellow with heat so add most of it near the finish.
4) Canning safety and consistency: keep jars hot, leave 1/2 inch headspace, add the correct lemon juice or citric acid per quart, and process the full quart jars the full recommended time for your altitude. Always check seals after 12 to 24 hours and refrigerate or reprocess any unsealed jars.
5) Save time later: cool and freeze 2 cup portions in silicone trays or freezer bags for weeknight meals, and label each jar with contents and date. Also, reserve a small jar of raw sauce before canning to use fresh in recipes that benefit from uncooked tomato brightness.
Homemade Roasted Tomato Spaghetti Sauce Canning Recipe
I just bottled my Homemade Canned Spaghetti Sauce Recipe and the jars are shockingly rich and ready to make any pasta sing.
20
servings
191
kcal
Equipment: 1. Rimmed baking sheets (several, to fit 25 lb tomatoes in single layer)
2. Very large pot or Dutch oven (big enough for the cooked tomatoes and long simmer)
3. Mason jars with lids and rings (quart size) plus a jar lifter or tongs
4. Large wooden spoon and a potato masher (or both in case you want chunkier texture)
5. Immersion blender or high speed blender (for smoothing hot sauce)
6. Chef’s knife and sturdy cutting board (for onions, carrots and trimming tomatoes)
7. Fine mesh strainer or colander and a large bowl (to catch juices or remove seeds if desired)
8. Ladle plus a wide-mouth funnel and a few clean towels (for filling jars, wiping rims)
9. Large boiling water bath pot with rack or a canner and oven mitts (for processing jars safely)
Ingredients
25 pounds ripe Roma or canning tomatoes (about 10 to 12 kg)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 large yellow onions, roughly chopped
12 garlic cloves, smashed
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped (for natural sweetness)
1 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup granulated sugar or to taste (optional)
3 tablespoons kosher salt, adjusted to taste
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed and roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice per quart jar (or 1 teaspoon citric acid per quart as an alternative)
Red pepper flakes 1/2 to 1 teaspoon, optional for a little heat
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 F. Cut the 25 pounds of Roma tomatoes in half, toss them on rimmed baking sheets with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roast until they are soft and blistered, about 35 to 45 minutes. You want some caramelization for that deep flavor.
- While tomatoes roast, heat 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil in a very large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the roughly chopped 4 large yellow onions, the smashed 12 garlic cloves and the chopped 3 carrots. Cook, stirring, until the onions are soft and starting to brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Stir in 1 cup tomato paste and cook it with the veggies a few minutes more to deepen the flavor. If you like a touch of heat add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes now.
- Scoop the roasted tomatoes (and any juices) into the pot. Break them up with a wooden spoon or potato masher. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the flavors meld, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. If it looks too thick add a little water.
- Taste and season with about 3 tablespoons kosher salt (adjust to your taste), 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons dried oregano, 1/4 cup granulated sugar if needed to balance acidity, and stir in 2 cups packed chopped fresh basil and 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley if using. Simmer 10 more minutes.
- For a smoother sauce use an immersion blender right in the pot or work in batches in a blender to reach the texture you like. Be careful with hot splashes. If sauce is very thick you can thin with a little reserved tomato juice or water.
- Sterilize jars and lids and keep them hot. For safety add 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice to each quart jar or 1 teaspoon citric acid per quart jar instead. Ladle hot sauce into jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace, remove air bubbles, wipe rims clean, place lids and rings fingertip tight.
- Process the filled quart jars in a boiling water bath canner for 35 minutes (adjust time if you are at high altitude according to your local extension recommendations). Make sure jars are covered by at least 1 inch of water.
- Remove jars and let them cool upright on a towel or rack for 12 to 24 hours. Check seals, label and date. Any jars that did not seal should be refrigerated and used within a week or reprocessed.
- Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place. Let sauce rest a few weeks for best flavor, then toss with pasta, use in lasagna, or freeze a jar for quick dinners. Enjoy the fruits of your work, it gets better with time.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 636g
- Total number of serves: 20
- Calories: 191kcal
- Fat: 6.7g
- Saturated Fat: 0.9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Polyunsaturated: 0.7g
- Monounsaturated: 4.2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 1000mg
- Potassium: 1554mg
- Carbohydrates: 29.6g
- Fiber: 8.4g
- Sugar: 18g
- Protein: 6.6g
- Vitamin A: 6450IU
- Vitamin C: 90mg
- Calcium: 133mg
- Iron: 2.7mg
