I’m back with the second installment of my “Yes we CAN!” preserving recipe series. A week ago I shared my recipe for old-fashioned dill pickles. (As an aside: Erick has now polished off yet ANOTHER jar of them in one sitting. Seriously: they’re tasty.)

Today I’m sharing my recipe for a simple and easy-to-make tomato sauce. This sauce works exceptionally well as the base for a rosé sauce, tomato soup, or pasta sauce. You can use it on its own or in a dish. A few nights ago I made spaghetti with this sauce as the base, along with mushrooms and chorizo. It was splendid! A major hit and a must-repeat recipe. I’ll try to actually write it down the next time I make it. 🙂

Homemade Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

(Makes 6 medium-size jars of sauce)

5 garlic cloves, diced

4 medium-sized yellow onions, chopped

5 cups crushed fresh tomatoes

Salt and pepper

6 tbsp bottled lemon juice (for canning)

Directions:

1. Wash the tomatoes with soap and hot water. Rinse thoroughly!
2. To remove the skins from tomatoes, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the tomatoes until the skins begin to crack and peel. Submerge the tomatoes in ice-cold water, then peel.
3. Remove the cores of the tomatoes, and crush them. (I used a potato masher because putting them through the blender did just that: blended them beyond recognition. Oops.)
4. Strain out half the juice from the tomatoes.
5. Sautée the garlic cloves and onions in olive oil. When the onions are golden and fragrant, add the tomatoes.
6. Bring the sauce to a boil. Season lightly with salt and pepper. (Remember that this sauce is intended to be the base for more complex sauces or dishes.)

Please note: If you do not own the necessary canning equipment, this sauce can be frozen very successfully! 

To can:

1. With hot water and soap, wash six medium glass jars, lids and rings.
2. Boil the jars in a large pot. In a smaller pot, boil the lids and rings.
3. Once the water has come to a rolling boil, remove the jars and place them on a clean work surface.
4. Place 1 tbsp of lemon juice in each jar. Fill the jars with sauce, leaving the neck empty.
5. Wipe away any sauce that spills on the lip or outside of the jars.
6. Using tongs, remove the lids from water and place them on the tops of the jars. Add the rings and tighten part-way but not fully.
7. Once all the jars are filled, replace them in the large pot of water and bring them back to a boil. Boil the jars for 35 minutes.
8. Remove the jars from the water and place them on a clean work surface (be careful – they are HOT).
9. Do not touch the tops of the lids. Once the lids “pop”, they are sealed and you may tighten the rings fully.

I may try to make another batch of this sauce this week. It is a lot of work, but the fact that I can control the amount of salt (little) and preservatives (only the lemon juice) in it makes me feel a whole lot healthier.

Have you ever tried canning tomato sauce? Do you find the product > the effort? Do you prefer to freeze your sauce? You can leave a comment with any tips, suggestions, or question you may have. I love to hear from you!

I’m getting ready for the Etsy “Fait au Québec” fair in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu this coming weekend. Any helpful hints about attending these sorts of events as a blogger/affiliate? I’d love to hear ’em!

Have a good week!

*****

Here’s where I link up each week:

Mondays: Merry Monday, Monday Funday, Inspire Me Monday, Show & Tell, Lou Lou Girls

Tuesdays: Tell ’em Tuesday, Two Uses Tuesday, Together on Tuesdays, Tutorials & Tips, Tuesdays with a Twist, Hit Me with Your Best Shot, Tickle My Tastebuds, Treasure Box Tuesday, Tasty Tuesdays

Wednesdays: Pin Worthy Wednesdays, Work it Wednesday, Wow Us Wednesday, Wake Up Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Whimsy Wednesday, Welcome Home Wednesdays

Thursdays: Think and Make Thursday, Handmade Hangout, Weekend Re-Treat, Favourite Things, Artsy Fartsy Link Party, What to Do Weekends, Friday Features (Thursday)

Friday: Fiesta Friday, Feathered Nest, Frugal Friday, Link Party Palooza, Friday Favourites

Saturday: Share it One More Time

Sunday: Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Silver Pennies, Sundays at Home, That DIY Party, Frugal Crafty Blog Hop, Share the Wealth Sunday, Food Stars

Monthly/Recurring: Great Blog Train, Sunday Brunch, Before and After