Canning tomato sauce is one of the best ways to utilize lots of tomatoes from your garden. It is very simple with a water bath canning pot.
If you have a garden, you know that even if you just plant a few tomato plants, you end up with a ton of tomatoes by the time the growing season is over.
One of the easier ways to use up a bunch of them is to make tomato sauce. Which you can enjoy all year long!
Don’t have time to make sauce now?
If you are short on time, there are a couple of ways to just get the fruit prepped and then can them when you have time. I even make tomato sauce in the winter when the kitchen isn’t so hot.
To preserve tomatoes for later use, freeze tomatoes whole.
Alternatively, they can be placed in a food mill or vegetable juicer/ strainer and then frozen. I like this attachment for my kitchen aid mixer. It makes quick work out of the job.
Then, when you have time to finish the sauce, just thaw and proceed with the recipe.
What type of tomatoes to use
When it comes to canning tomato sauce, it’s best to use paste tomatoes, also known as “saucing” or “processing” tomatoes. These tomatoes are meatier and have fewer seeds and less water than others, making them ideal for making a thick and flavorful sauce. Here are some of the most popular varieties of paste tomatoes:
- Roma: Roma tomatoes are a classic choice for making tomato sauce. They have a dense, meaty texture and a rich flavor, making them perfect for cooking down into a thick sauce.
- San Marzano: Use San Marzano tomatoes, an Italian variety of paste tomatoes often used to make tomato sauce. They have a sweet, slightly tangy flavor and are known for their thin skin, which makes them easy to peel.
- Amish Paste: Amish Paste tomatoes are an heirloom variety that is great for making tomato sauce. They have a rich, sweet flavor and a meaty texture and are especially popular among home gardeners.
- Jersey: Jersey tomatoes are another popular choice for making tomato sauce. They have dense, meaty flesh and a deep, complex flavor well-suited for cooking.
Overall, any variety of paste tomato will work well for canning tomato sauce as long as it has thick, meaty flesh and low water content.
But the easy answer is to use whatever tomatoes you have. They all make a delicious sauce; each variety will have a slightly different flavor. Some varieties may need to be cooked down longer to remove lots of the juice, but they are all good.
Cherry tomatoes make a delicious sauce with a touch of sweetness, but most of them are very juicy, so you’ll need lots of tomatoes to make your sauce.
What you need
- Tomatoes- many tomatoes may be acidic enough to can without lemon juice, but it is always recommended since the acidity of the fruit varies immensely.
- Lemon juice or citric acid – Always use bottled lemon juice because it is tested for acidity levels.
- Salt (optional) – Choose canning salt, kosher salt, or sea salt if you use it.
Use lemon juice to get the pH of tomatoes down to 4.6.
Procedure with juicer
Step One
Cut the tomatoes into 1/4 or 1/8-sized pieces.
Step Two
Feed the pieces through a juicer/ strainer or food mill to remove skins and seeds.
Step Three
Place juice in a large pot and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and low boil until reduced by half for thick sauce.
Step Four
Place juice in a large pot and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and low boil until reduced by half for thick sauce.
Step Five
Pour lemon juice into the jar. Add the tomato sauce.
Step Six
Remove air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp paper towel.
Center the lid on the jar. Screw on the bands fingertip tight.
Bring the water bath canning pot to a low boil. Process pints for 35 minutes and quarts for 45 minutes; adjust the time for elevation above sea level. See this helpful article for an explanation on page 10.
Allow the jars to sit in hot water for an additional 5 minutes. Remove jars from the canning pot. Leave undisturbed for 24 hours.
Procedure without juicer
Step One
Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for a couple of minutes.
Step Two
Cool them in an ice bath.
The peels should slide right off after they cool enough for you to touch them.
Step Three
Halve tomatoes and scrape out seeds. Chop up the tomatoes, or pulse them in a food processor a few times. (or use a food mill)
Step Four
Place in a large pot and bring to a boil.
Step Five
Turn down the heat and low boil until reduced by half for thick sauce.
Step Six
Pour lemon juice into the jar. Add the tomato sauce.
Step Seven
Remove air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp paper towel.
Center the lid on the jar. Screw on the bands fingertip tight.
Bring the water bath canning pot to a low boil. Process pints for 30 minutes and quarts for 45 minutes. Allow the jars to sit in hot water for an additional 5 minutes. Remove jars from the canning pot. Leave undisturbed for 24 hours.
Can you use a pressure canner?
Yes. You absolutely can use a pressure canner to can the tomato sauce. Prepare the tomatoes and cook the sauce as you would if you we using a water bath canner.
Load the jars into the canning pot. Secure the lid and let it vent for a full 10 minutes.
Place your weight or regulator on the vent. Allow the canner to come up to pressure, adjusting for elevation. (See details in recipe notes below.) Once it comes up to the correct psi, start your timer. If it ever falls below the target psi, you must restart the timer.
Once time has elapsed, remove the canner from the burner. Allow pressure to release naturally.
Once all of the pressure has been released, carefully open the lid and move it partially off the top of the canning pot. Let it rest like that for 5 minutes.
Then remove the lid and allow the jars to rest another 5 to 10 minutes in the canning pot.
After resting, remove the hot jars to a kitchen towel placed on your counter and let them thoroughly cool for 12-24 hours, undisturbed.
Check the seals. Press down in the middle of the lid. If it flexes up or down, the jar is not sealed and should be refrigerated and used first.
Then remove the bands. Gently pick the jar up by the lid to further check the seal. Again, if it is not sealed, use it first.
Label jars with contents and the date. Store in a cool, dark space.
The sauce can also be frozen in freezer containers if you don’t want to can it.
How to use this tomato sauce
I just use this plain recipe when canning because then I can use the jars for whatever I like throughout the year. I can add whatever I want to it, such as; onions, green peppers, mushrooms, black pepper, herbs like basil, oregano, garlic, grated cheese, and the like
- spaghetti sauce
- pizza sauce
- lasagna
- casseroles
- sloppy joes
- soups and stews
Helpful tools
- juicer attachment
- Kitchenaid mixer
- food mill
- cutting board
- pH meter
- Water bath canning pot
- Pressure canner
- canning tools
- quart jars
- saucepans
- ladle
Other delicious canned goods for the pantry
Want to learn how to grow tomatoes? If you love growing your own produce, these articles are packed full of information about how to get that big harvest by the end of the season! Don’t miss our How to Start a Garden Series!
The first section is Planning Your Garden. Second is Preparing the Garden Site.
The third is Choosing Plants and Planting Your Garden. The fourth is Garden Maintenance.
The last is Harvesting a Garden and Preserving the Harvest, this article has over 100 FREE recipes for preserving your harvest!
I hope you like this article about canning tomato sauce. Be warned, once you make your own, you won’t want to buy it from the grocery store anymore!
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I hope you enjoyed the recipe today!
Enjoy. And have fun cooking!
📖 Recipe
Canning Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 26 pounds tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or ½ tsp. citric acid
- 1 teaspoon salt optional
Instructions
Blanching and Food mill to skin and remove seeds
- Start a large pot of water over high heat boiling. Set up another large bowl with ice water.
- Once water is boiling, remove cores from tomatoes.
- With a slotted spoon, add small batches of tomatoes to the boiling water. Boil for about 2 minutes. Using the same spoon, pull tomatoes out of the boiling water and add to bowl with ice water.
- Working one at a time, slip skins off of tomatoes.
- Use the food mill to remove the seeds.
Juicer strainer attachment for Kitchenaid mixer
- Wash and core tomatoes. Cut into chunks large enough to fit through the hopper. Process the chunks of tomatoes with another large bowl or pot to collect the juices.
For both methods
- Add collected juice to large pot. Bring to boil.
- Once boiling, reduce heat. At a high simmer, cook down sauce to desired consistency, stirring occasionally, usually at least 40 minutes.
- Add lemon juice and salt, if using to each jar.
- Once sauce is cooked down, ladle sauce into jars, using a canning funnel to avoid spills. Leave ½ inch headspace..
- Remove air bubbles with bubble tool or knife.
- Wipe rim of the jar with damp paper towel or clean kitchen towel. Place hot lids on jars. Screw on the bands until fingertip tight.
- Process jars 45 minutes, depending on elevation. Remove from heat. Allow jars to sit in hot water an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove jars from canning pot using a jar lifter to avoid burns. Allow to rest on counter for 24 hours. Test lids for seal. (press lids in center, if they flex up and down, store that jar in the refrigerator.
- Store in a cool, dark place for at least 1 year.
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Notes
- 0-1000 feet above sea level – 35 minutes.
- 1000-3000 feet above sea level – 40 minutes
- 3000-6000 feet above sea level – 45 minutes
- above 6000 feet – 50 minutes
- 0-1000 feet above sea level – 40 minutes.
- 1000-3000 feet above sea level – 45 minutes
- 3000-6000 feet above sea level – 50 minutes
- above 6000 feet – 55 minutes
- 0-1000 feet above sea level – 6 pounds
- 1000-3000 feet above sea level – 7 pounds
- 3000-6000 feet above sea level – 8 pounds
- above 6000 feet – 9 pounds
- 0-1000 feet above sea level – 11 pounds
- 1000-3000 feet above sea level – 12 pounds
- 3000-6000 feet above sea level – 13 pounds
- above 6000 feet – 14 pounds
Nutrition
Originally published September 2, 2020. Updated March 28, 2023.
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Shelley
What a wonderful way to have the delicious flavor of summer-y tomatoes to enjoy all year through! Gorgeous, garden-fresh tomatoes are one of my favorite summer foods! I don’t do a lot of canning, so your tips are super helpful!
Beth Neels
Glad it was helpful for you Shelley!
Jamie
This tomato sauce came out so wonderful! I made a big batch and tried some yesterday with pasta and it was a hit! Thank you!
Beth Neels
I so glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know Jamie!
Pam Greer
I am so jealous of all your gorgeous tomatoes, mine aren’t as pretty, but they are still going to be amazing canned! Can’t wait to open a jar of these this winter.
Beth Neels
They all taste the same. I planted Cherokee Purple this year and they are a crazy mess, as far as looks. They are super sweet and delicious though! Thanks Pam!
HANNAH HEALY
This is so cool! I haven’t canned anything before, but this tutorial makes it so doable. I cant wait to try it!
Beth Neels
It’s really not as hard as folks make it out to be. Thanks Hannah!
Beth
This looks so delicious and tasty! I can’t wait to make this!
Beth Neels
Thanks Beth. Hope you like it!