Canning Spagetti sauce recipe?

[BLACKJACK]

I have lots of tomatoes, looking for a recipe for making whole tomatoes into spagetti sauce that could be canned.

Thanks!!!

[Chef]

http://www.fishingminnesota.com/forum/ub...rec#Post1943376

[Dark Cloud]

BlackJack - My dad typically cans about 40 quarts of sauce each year. After work this evening i'll get his recipe and put it up...

[nofishfisherman]

You'll need lots of tomatoes. We just canned 9 pints of sauce this weekend and it took 20 pounds of tomatoes. We've already done 9 quarts of another sauce and 6 pints of salsa. Still have about 30 pounds of tomatoes to use yet.

[BLACKJACK]

That would be great Dark Cloud!!! Went thru that other link and the recipes and most of them also call for you to add tomato sauce and tomato paste, I would like to use whole tomatoes as much as possible.

[nofishfisherman]

We used whole tomatoes.

I know our recipe called for 20 pounds of tomatoes. We peeled them, cored them and then diced them and tossed them in a pot with some onion, basil, a few other things and then cooked it down until it reached the right consistency for us. We also used a potato masher to help break up some of the tomatoes a little once in the pot.

I'd have to go dig up the recipe to get all of the particulars. It also included some lemon juice added to each jar before sealing to make sure there is enough acid in it to prevent bacteria from growing.

I'll see if I can find where my wife hid that recipe.

[Dark Cloud]

Here it is, it's rough and basic, and nothing is exact. Iv'e never heard a complaint on his sauce...

The original calls for 1/2 bushel of tomatoes. He usually bumps it up to 3/4 only because it usually yealds his biggest pot, full...

But back to the 1/2 bushel

2 whole heads of garlic peeled

3-4 big green peppers

3 pounds of onions

2-3 hot peppers - usually hungarian wax peppers or long hots

1 pint olive oil

8 six oz cans of tomato paste

1 1/2 - 2 cups of sugar

1 tablespoon basil

1 tablespoon oregano

1/2 cup salt

He processes the tomatoes in a hand grinder thing called a Squeeze-O. All it does is push out all the pulp and juice while removing the seeds and skin. Without that i'd just peel, core and cut/smush the tomatoes.

Now he cooks the juice-pulp for about 3-4 hours on a low simmer to reduce and remove water. While this is simmering uncovered clean your onions, peppers, and garlic. Now run these three together in a food processor till you get it to the consistancy you like. Then saute the three in a little olive oil till it just starts to soften. Now add all the ingredients to the pot and simmer till you get the thickness you want - an hour or two probably...

He hot water bath cans them now for 20 minutes for quarts and 15 for pints...

It's a whole day ordeal but it is nice and easy to have homemade sauce all year without makeing it each time...

[nofishfisherman]

With that recipe I'd be a little concerned about not having enough acid. I am fairly new to the canning thing but tomatoes have enough acid to be canned as is but when you start adding onions, peppers, and other ingredients every recipe I've seen calls for some additional acid somehow, either a vinegar or lemon juice.

[Dark Cloud]

Just passing on a recipe that my dad got from his uncle which has been used for probably 30-40 years. Never had one that was hot bath canned go bad...

[nofishfisherman]

I'm far from an expert so I will gladly differ to whats worked for years. All I know is what I've been reading this summer on hot bath canning.

[Dark Cloud]

Maybe the sugar balances out the acid? Or the long simmer time? I dont know much abut all the canning he does other than I dont like getting ropped into helping...

[BLACKJACK]

Thanks Dark Cloud. Looks like a person just has to grab one of these recipes and try it. To be honest, with all the slicing and dicing and cooking, it looks like a lot of work, not going to happen this year, need to do some deer hunting prep. Would like to try it someday though. May just call my mom and get her method of freezing so I've got some tomatoes for stews. Plus more tomato juice, I've done 10 quarts, another 10 quarts wouldn't hurt!!

As for the concerns about enough acid, if I started adding onions, pepper, meat, etc. I would put them under pressure for 90 minutes. If you're going to do all the work I'd want to make sure the end product keeps and I don't get sick. My tomato juice I just get it boiling, scald the jars, and can it up, they all seal and I've never had a problem, as stated theres enough acid in the tomatoes.

[nofishfisherman]

Pressure canning is another story I guess. From what I understand you don't need to worry about the acid content when using a pressure canner.

I do agree though that its better to not get roped in to helping if you can avoid it. It can be a long process. We did salsa and tomato sauce on saturday which made for a long day.