Smooth Garlic & Basil Spaghetti Sauce for Canning

Smooth Garlic & Basil Spaghetti Sauce for Canning

Yield: About 9 pint jars Canning method: Pressure canning Based on: USDA/National Center for Home Food Preservation tested Spaghetti Sauce Without Meat

Ingredients

• 30 pounds ripe tomatoes

  • Roma or other paste tomatoes are excellent for a thicker sauce

• 1 cup finely chopped onion

• 5 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 cup finely chopped celery OR green bell pepper

• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced — optional

• ¼ cup vegetable oil

• 2 tablespoons dried oregano

• 4 tablespoons minced dried or fresh parsley

• 2 teaspoons black pepper

• 4½ teaspoons canning or pickling salt

• ¼ cup brown sugar

• 2–4 tablespoons dried basil, for a stronger basil flavor

Do not increase the amount of onion, garlic, celery/pepper, or mushrooms. The proportions of these lower-acid ingredients are part of the tested safety formula.

Preparing the Tomatoes

1. Wash the tomatoes thoroughly.

2. Dip tomatoes into boiling water for 30–60 seconds, until the skins split.

3. Immediately transfer them to cold water.

4. Slip off the skins and remove the cores.

5. Quarter the tomatoes.

6. Place the tomatoes in a large stockpot and bring them to a boil. Cook uncovered for about 20 minutes, stirring as needed.

7. Pass the cooked tomatoes through a food mill or fine sieve to remove seeds and remaining pieces of skin.

This step is particularly useful for the smooth sauce you're looking for.

Prepare the Vegetables

8. Heat the ¼ cup vegetable oil in a large saucepan.

9. Add the onion, garlic, celery or green pepper, and mushrooms if using.

10. Cook until the vegetables are tender.

11. Combine the cooked vegetables with the strained tomato pulp.

12. Add the oregano, parsley, basil, black pepper, salt, and brown sugar.

Cook the Sauce

13. Bring the sauce to a boil.

14. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered, stirring frequently.

15. Continue cooking until the sauce has reduced by approximately one-half and is thick enough to serve as spaghetti sauce.

This reduction is important. Don't simply simmer for a predetermined amount of time—the final consistency should be determined by the reduction in volume.

16. For an especially smooth sauce, use an immersion blender after the vegetables have softened and before the final simmer. Do not add additional vegetables or ingredients at this stage.

Fill the Jars

17. Prepare your pressure canner according to the manufacturer's instructions.

18. Ladle the hot sauce into hot, clean pint jars.

19. Leave 1 inch of headspace.

20. Remove air bubbles with a bubble remover or plastic utensil.

21. Wipe the jar rims clean.

22. Apply the prepared two-piece canning lids and screw bands according to the manufacturer's directions.

    
    

Pressure Canning

Place the jars in the pressure canner and process:

Pints

20 minutes

Quarts

25 minutes

For a dial-gauge pressure canner:

Elevation	Pressure
0–2,000 ft	11 lb
2,001–4,000 ft	12 lb
4,001–6,000 ft	13 lb
6,001–8,000 ft	14 lb

For a weighted-gauge pressure canner:

Elevation	Pressure
0–1,000 ft	10 lb
Above 1,000 ft	15 lb

These are the processing recommendations published by NCHFP for this specific recipe.

After processing, allow the canner to depressurize naturally according to your canner's instructions. Remove the jars and allow them to cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours.

Check the seals before storing.

Serving

For the best fresh-basil flavor, add basil after opening the jar.

For one pint of sauce, stir in:

• ¼–½ cup fresh basil, finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil

• Fresh Parmesan, to taste

• Additional garlic, if desired

Heat thoroughly and serve over spaghetti.

Important Canning Safety Notes

This recipe is intentionally different from a typical homemade spaghetti sauce recipe. The amounts of the lower-acid ingredients are controlled as part of the tested formula.

Do not add:

• Extra onions

• Extra garlic

• Extra peppers

• Extra celery

• Extra mushrooms

• Fresh meat

• Sausage

• Ground beef

• Parmesan cheese

• Butter

• Wine

to the canning batch.

You can add these ingredients after opening the jar when preparing it for a meal.

The NCHFP specifically states not to increase the proportion of onions, peppers, or mushrooms in this recipe.