Canning Pasta Sauce

About one day every six months we make a batch of pasta sauce and today was that day!  We make some batches with meat in the sauce, but today we were making just a good marinara sauce. 

Pasta Sauce

• 25 lbs. Roma tomatoes

• 2 onions

• 2 large yellow bell peppers

• 2 large green bell pepper

• 4 (Oz) cans tomato paste

• 1/4 c. soy sauce 

• 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

• 1/4 c. salt

• 8 cloves garlic chopped 

• 3 Tbsp. dried oregano

• 1 cup fresh basil

• 2 tsp. red pepper flakes

• 1 1/4 c. Lemon juice / or ¼ tsp Citric Acid  in each jar

Begin by washing your vegetables.  Next core your tomatoes.  To remove peels, fill a large pot half-way with water, bring to a boil. Using a slotted spoon, add tomatoes one at a time until (about 8-10 tomatoes). Boil for 1-2 minutes. Remove tomatoes one at a time with slotted spoon and plunge in an ice water bath. The skins will slip off the tomatoes.  

I ran the tomatoes through a tomato press to separate the ‘meat’ of the tomatoes from the seeds.  

Chop up green peppers and onions.  In a large stockpot, or Instant Pot,  combine the tomato pulp, and all the other ingredients, except lemon juice/Citric Acid. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4-5 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice, or ¼ tsp Citric Acid, to each hot 1-quart jars.  25 lbs. of tomatoes will yield about 10-11 Quarts.  Ladle hot mixture into jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace at the top. Remove air bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 40 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Better a small serving of vegetables with love

    than a fattened calf with hatred.

Proverbs 15:17