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:
- Wash the tomatoes with soap and hot water. Rinse thoroughly!
- 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.
- 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.)
- Strain out half the juice from the tomatoes.
- Sautée the garlic cloves and onions in olive oil. When the onions are golden and fragrant, add the tomatoes.
- 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:
- With hot water and soap, wash six medium glass jars, lids and rings.
- Boil the jars in a large pot. In a smaller pot, boil the lids and rings.
- Once the water has come to a rolling boil, remove the jars and place them on a clean work surface.
- Place 1 tbsp of lemon juice in each jar. Fill the jars with sauce, leaving the neck empty.
- Wipe away any sauce that spills on the lip or outside of the jars.
- 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.
- 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.
- Remove the jars from the water and place them on a clean work surface (be careful – they are HOT).
- 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
