This year we decided to start our tomatoes with seeds rather than buying plants already started.  We were very blessed with several seedlings, which have now turned into bushels of tomatoes.  One of the best perks of gardening is seeing the fruits of your labor.  We decided to preserve our tomatoes by turning them into pizza sauce!

What was so special about making this pizza sauce was that it was the recipe that belonged to my husband’s grandmother.  Sadly, I never had the blessing to meet our grandma Hazel, but I was honored to make her pizza sauce using the sauce pot that was left to Jason and me.  You will see this pot in the photos below.

Let’s begin!

Step 1. Grow or Buy Tomatoes 

You’ll need approximately a 1/2 bushel of tomatoes. You can grow this or buy it from your local market.

Step 2. Peel and Puree Tomatoes

Wash your tomatoes and remove the leaves while looking out for rotten tomatoes. We bought a Weston Food Strainer and Sauce Maker, which was a HUGE headache saver! This saved us so much time and made the process smoother and quicker.

Step 3. Prepare Your Ingredients & Add to Pot

For our recipe we used:
– 1/2 Bushel of Ripe Tomatoes
– 7 Cloves of Minced Garlic
– 3 Onions
– 1/2 Cup of Olive Oil
– 1/2 Cup of Sugar
– 1 TBS of Salt
– 64 oz. of Tomato Paste
– Basil
– Parsley
– Oregano
-Thyme (optional)

We used fresh herbs from our garden for this recipe. We find that fresh herbs add more flavor and a stronger aroma than dry herbs.  Dry herbs are fine, but we had many herbs to use. Use the largest pot you have. We recommend this Soup Pot from Amazon.

Step 4. Combine All Your Ingredients

Step 5. Bring to a Boil, then Reduce Heat and Cook for up to 2-3 hours on a Simmer

You want to cook sauce on a low boil until the mixture is reduced by about ½, stirring occasionally. We recommend using a grease splatter screen for this part to place over your pot. This will allow your sauce to cook down quickly and prevent the sauce from bubbling all over your stove or, worse, on your skin which could cause severe burns!

Step 6. Gather your Canning Supplies

For this you will need:
– Pint Jars (we recommend new or be sure to do a deep inspection for any nicks or cracks to avoid breaking or exploding in the water bath)
– Ladle
– Grip Jar Lifter
– Lids and Rings
– Water Bath Canner with Jar Rack
– Funnel
– Towel
– Damp Paper towel
– Lemon Juice

To reduce the risk of Botulism, add 1 Tbsp of Lemon juice to each jar.

DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!

Heat up your lids. Do not boil.

Bring enough water to a boil to cover jars by 1.5 to 2 inches. You want enough water, so jars are submerged 1.5 to 2 inches underwater.

Step 7. Ladle the Sauce

When the sauce is done and nicely thickened, ladle it into hot pint-size jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Clean the rims (top of each jar) with a damp paper towel, and seal by placing lids on until finger tight.

Step 8. Place Jars In Water Bath

First, check to see that your water bath rack is secure (You don’t want to place jars on the rack; it is not secure. This can break your jars and burn you badly with boiling water.) Bring water to a rolling boil.

Using your jar grip lifter, place each pint jar on the rack, as shown in the video below.

After jars are placed on the rack, CAREFULLY lower the rack using both hands and a firm grip. See the video below. Make sure water is 1.5 to 2 inches above the jar lids. Add more water if need be.  Do not submerge until the water in the pot is at a rolling boil.

Step 9. Wait 35 Minutes

Place the lid on a water bath and wait.  Set a timer for 35 minutes.

Step 10. Remove

When the timer goes off, turn the burner off and wait 5 minutes to lift and remove jars with your jar lifter. Be careful when removing the lid, as hot steam can burn you badly.  Gently lift the rack and secure it on both sides of the canner as you begin. Carefully remove each jar one at a time onto a flat surface safely away from children and animals. Place a towel on the surface to place your jars on to cool and seal.

~BONUS: Save your Tomatoes Skins~

After growing, picking, and preserving the tomatoes, we want to use everything we can so nothing goes to waste! You can make tomato powder using the skins and seeds of your tomatoes. We ran the skins through the Weston strainer three times to squeeze out as much juice as possible. We then placed the skins on the rack of the dehydrator. I can’t wait to add this to some omelets!

After they dried, I used a food processor to grind up the flakes to make a nice powder finely.