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Basic Tomato Sauce For Canning Or Freezing | Roots & Boots

Basic Tomato Sauce for Canning or Freezing

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  • Author: Kathleen | Roots & Boots
  • Yield: 5-6 pints 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 9 lbs tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
  • bottled lemon juice, 1 tablespoon per pint jar
  • basil leaves, optional

Instructions

  1. Core tomatoes and roughly chop.
  2. Place tomatoes in a large pot on the stove.
  3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.
  4. Turn off heat and get your food mill ready. I use this one.
  5. Position food mill over a large bowl. I like to use my 8-cup Pyrex measuring cup or another large pot.
  6. Run tomatoes and their liquid through the food mill until only skins and seeds are left.
  7. Pour milled tomatoes back into the large pot and return the pot to the stove.
  8. Add 1 teaspoon salt.
  9. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer the sauce for 1-2 hours, stirring often, until reduced by about 1/3.
  10. When sauce is nearing completion, prepare a hot water bath canner and 5-6 pint sized jars. (I like to boil the jars in the canner, then transfer clean, hot, empty jars to a pan in the oven. preheated to 250 degrees. I keep the jars in the oven and pull them out one at a time as needed.)
  11. Fill a small pan with water and bring to just below a simmer, over low heat. Add 5-6 canning lids. Keep the heat on low so lids are warmed but not boiled.
  12. Get all your other tools and ingredients ready: jar lifter, lid wand, wide mouth funnel, ladle, clean towel over your shoulder, clean & damp dish cloth for wiping jar rims, lemon juice, tablespoon, optional fresh basil leaves.
  13. Make sure the hot water bath is boiling and ready. Secure the rack in the top of the pot (hooked over the sides).
  14. When sauce is reduced and thickened, remove two jars from the oven. Drop one optional basil leaf in each jar, then fill with sauce and add 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Allow 1/2 inch head space.
  15. Wipe rim of jar with your clean, damp dish cloth.
  16. Use lid wand to remove one lid from the pan of warm water. Dry lid and center on jar. Add a ring and secure.
  17. Use your clean towel or the jar lifter to place each filled jar in the canning rack. As you add more jars to the canning rack, be sure to position them so the rack remains balanced.
  18. When all the jars are filled and positioned in the canning rack, lower the rack into the boiling water.
  19. Place the lid on the pot and return water to a boil if necessary.
  20. Process pint jars for 35 minutes.
  21. Prepare a landing space for the hot jars of sauce. They should remain in place for 12-24 hours. I like to use a wooden tray with a clean towel laid across the bottom. That way I can carefully transfer the tray off my precious kitchen counter space if necessary, without disturbing the jars as they cool and seal.
  22. Turn off heat and carefully remove lid from pot.
  23. Carefully raise canning rack and hook onto the sides of the pot.
  24. Carefully use the jar lifter to remove jars one at a time.

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