This is our Favorite Basil and Garlic Tomato Sauce Recipe for Canning!
Canning season is still going strong here at Camp Butterfield and with over 300 pounds of tomatoes already harvested this year from the vegetable garden and oodles of homemade salsa, ketchup, bruschetta, and hot sauce already put up on our shelves, we decided to dive into making pasta sauce.
This canning recipe for homemade basil and garlic tomato sauce couldn’t be easier to make.
All you really need is a boatload {okay, so 20 pounds} of tomatoes, a little basil, some garlic, an onion and some olive oil and lemon juice and you’ll be good to go.
And, as an added bonus, your house will smell like an Italian restaurant while you’re making it. 🙂 But seriously, who wouldn’t love that?
This recipe for homemade basil and garlic tomato sauce basically rocks. I hope you like it as much as we do.
~Mavis
Basil and Garlic Tomato Sauce Recipe for Canning
Ingredients
20 pounds Roma style tomatoes
1 cup chopped onion
10 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup fresh basil, minced
Bottled lemon juice
Instructions
Wash tomatoes to remove any dirt under cold running water and then remove the core and blossom ends from the tomatoes.
Cut tomatoes into quarters and set aside.
Peel onion and garlic, chop and then saute in olive oil over medium heat in a large pot until the onions have softened and are translucent.
Add tomatoes and simmer 20-30 minutes making sure to stir the tomatoes occasionally.
Puree tomato mixture in a food mill to remove peels and seeds.
Return tomato puree to the large pot, add minced basil and cook over medium heat {uncovered} until the mixture is reduced by half, stirring to prevent scorching.
Fill a hot water canner about 2/3 rds full with water and bring it to a boil.
Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in a saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.
When your sauce is ready, add 1 tablespoon of bottled lemon juice to each pint jar or 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice to each quart jar.
Ladle hot tomato sauce immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/2 inch of tops. Remove any air bubbles.
Canning Time
Wipe the jar rims and threads clean if needed. If using traditional canning jars, cover with 2-piece lids. Screw bands on.
If using Weck jars, carefully place the Weck rubber gasket on the lid of the jars. Place the lid on the jar and secure the lid with 2 evenly spaced Weck clamps.
Place jars on an elevated rack in a hot water bath canner. Lower rack into canner. {Water must cover jars by 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.}
Cover; bring water to a boil. Process pint jars for 35 minutes or quart jars for 40 minutes.
Turn off heat and remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. Cool jars for 12-24 hours.
After the jars have cooled, check the seals by pressing the middle of the lids with your finger. If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary. {Traditional canning jars}.
For Weck jars, check to make sure your seal is pointing downwards.
Remove rings or clamps and store jars in a cool dark place.
Yields about {7} pints or about {4} #743 Weck ¾ L Mold jars
Margo says
Love the look of your canning cabinet. It’s not only good food put up for later, it’s an art decoration in your dining room. Good work!
Mavis Butterfield says
Thanks Margo. 🙂
Pam says
Did you model your recipe after RAO’s sauce? The best!
Mavis Butterfield says
I think Rao’s has oregano in it. This one doesn’t but it might be a good addition.
Annette says
Looks delicious.
Do you compost? If so, can you post about your method?
HollyG says
Our house does not smell like a delicious Italian restaurant – it smells awful (heehee). The nice farmer where we bought 25 pounds of tomatoes (ours are still green) gave us a box of about 15 pounds of ‘ugly onions’ for $2. I froze a lot, but I’m dehydrating a batch (along with some teeny, tiny garlic). The dehydrator is in the garage with the doors open and a fan, but every so often it wafts in – blah.
Susie says
I was also wondering about your compost. If you compost all the leftover tomato from the food mill, won’t those seeds sprout?! We have an open compost and I have things popping up out there all the time from the veggie seeds & avocado pits that get thrown out there!
Tammy says
Cooked seeds aren’t going to sprout. We compost in our back yard, and we do get things sprouting up, but my husband just turns the plants back into the compost and that kills them.
Amanda says
Does your homemade sauce end up being to acidic once you eat it? I tried a little baking soda and it was still too acidic. Any suggestions?
Tammy says
You can add a little sugar to balance the acidity!
Carrie Valentin says
Mavis, you inspire me to be active and get things done!! I started a business selling dishes 3 years ago but 2 years ago I started having back problems which led to major back surgery last summer. My bottom disc was replaced with a huge titanium one. I have mostly recovered and I am back dealing with a garage full of shelving units and dishes! They are all organized now and I am doing an inventory of what I have and the condition etc. Then onto Ebay and Etsy to learn to sell… Additionally, I am a mad crafter and set up a huge Christmas craft area surrounding my dining room table where I plan to offer classes. When I slow down and get lazy I think of you and all that you accomplish! I get up and get going. Next year when the dishes are whittled down I want to learn to garden more effectively and to learn to can. Thanks for the inspiration!!!
Ashley Bananas says
I’m impressed. You’re like a canning energizer bunny!
Great picture of Lucy too!
Sarah says
Have you tried citric acid in place of the lemon juice? I use that when doing sauce and it adjusts the acidity without adding lemon flavor.
Deborah says
I can’t Pin this recipe. It won’t let me.
Tammy says
I might have 20 or more pounds of tomatoes in my freezer, BUT they are not Roma tomatoes. So when I was at the farmer’s market, and they had a box of Roma’s for a decent price, I snagged them. For this recipe.
Do you have the timing for pressure canning this recipe?
Sherri says
Do you think this sauce could be frozen instead of canning it?
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes. 🙂