Homemade tomato sauce, whether it is marinara sauce or pizza sauce are a must have for us, so every summer we do “tomato day” where we can lots of fresh sauces, salsa, homemade ketchup and more. The fresh flavors of herbs, tomatoes and seasonings are delicious on top of pizza (we love this pizza sauce on top of sourdough pizza crust) or tossed into pasta with ground beef or chicken. This recipe uses the water bath canning method (use at your own risk), but you can also freeze the sauce if you prefer to skip the canning method. For more home canned goods, see my list of recipes below the recipe card.
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Homemade Pizza Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 pounds white or yellow onions
- 1 full head garlic, peeled and minced optional
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley and basil (mixed) or 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 2 cups vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar can add to taste
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dry mustard powder
- 6 quarts tomato juice may need more if sauce is too thick
- 7, 12-oz. cans tomato paste or 84 oz.
Instructions
- In a large, 16-quart stock pot, cook onions, garlic and herbs in 2 cups oil until the onions are soft and translucent. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a blender and blend until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
- Pour onion mixture back into the stockpot and then add sugar and spices. Add tomato juice and tomato paste, then stir until the tomato paste dissolves into the mixture.
- Bring the pizza sauce to a simmer and allow to cook at a low simmer for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to blend together. Stir frequently to prevent scorching on the bottom. At this point, if the sauce is too thin, more paste can be added. If too thick, you can add more juice.
- Ladle the sauce into sanitized pint jars leaving an inch of headspace on the top, then clean the rims of each jar and seal with lids and rings. Bring a canner (with enough water to come up to within an inch of headspace on the jars) to a full rolling boil, then use a jar lifter to fill the canner with hot jars of pizza sauce. *See note if working in batches.
- Process the jars in boiling hot water for 20 minutes, then remove from the canner and allow the jars to rest on a tea towel for 24 hours. During the resting time, avoid moving the jars or tapping on the seals to allow the jars to seal properly. Any unsealed jars will need to be discarded.
Notes
Additional canning recipes you may enjoy:
- 3 Ingredient Pickled Red Beets
- Pineapple Zucchini
- Amish Sweet Dill Pickles
- Pickled Jalapeno Peppers
- Pickled Banana Peppers
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To make tomato juice:
To make homemade tomato juice, slice tomatoes and remove stems. Place the tomatoes into a large stockpot and mash to release some of the juices into the bottom of the pan to keep the tomatoes from scorching. Cook the tomatoes for around 20 minutes until soft enough to remove the skins, then peel and blend the tomatoes, or skip the peeling and process the cooked tomatoes with a Victorio strainer. If needed, you can add water to the juice to thin it down. You will need enough tomato juice for 6-7 quarts (I always like to have extra just in case) which comes out to a little less than half a bushel of tomatoes.
Tip: To make the process go faster while you are in the thick of cooking up the sauce, you can mix all the spices and sugar together in a bowl. I have even done this the night before and find it helps canning day to go smoother!
Step 1: Cook onions, garlic and herbs in oil until soft and translucent. Allow the mixture to cool for ten minutes, then place into a blender and blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Step 2-3: Pour onion mixture back into the stockpot and then add sugar and spices. Add tomato juice and tomato paste, then stir until the tomato paste dissolves into the mixture. Bring the pizza sauce to a simmer and allow to cook at a low simmer for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to blend together. Stir frequently to prevent scorching on the bottom. At this point, if the sauce is too thin, more paste can be added. If too thick, you can add more juice. More seasonings or sugar can also be added if the taste is not to your preference.
Step 4: Ladle the sauce into sanitized pint jars leaving an inch of headspace on the top, then clean the rims of each jar and seal with lids and rings. Bring a canner with enough water to come up to within an inch of headspace on the jars to a full rolling boil, then use a jar lifter to fill the canner with hot jars of pizza sauce.
If you only have one canner like I do, then you will need to can the pizza sauce in batches. I did around 2 1/2 batches of pizza sauce and ended up just using a smaller pot with a towel fitted on the bottom (to keep the jars from breaking) for the last half batch. I did not have a problem with my jars cooling off too much to safely transfer into a hot water bath, but if you feel it is too risky, you can keep the batch that is not being canned in a tub of hot water to keep the jars hot before they are transferred to the hot water bath.
Step 5: Process the jars for 20 minutes at a full rolling boil. (You can lower the heat a little if the boiling water gets out of hand). Remove the jars from the canner and place them on a tea towel for 24 hours to seal. Do not disturb the jars during this resting period, to avoid breaking the seal. Any jars that do not seal will need to have the contents discarded.
Canning tips:
- Be sure to use lids that are unblemished and clean. The seal cannot have any scratches or dents in it in order to seal properly.
- Check your jar rims for small cracks or dirt before fitting the lid on top. This goes along with sanitizing the jars before getting started, which is very important for food safety during the preservation process. To sanitize the jars, wash them in very hot water with soap, then place them in boiling hot water for at least a minute. Allow to air dry before filling.
- Adding lemon juice will raise the acidity of tomatoes and lowers the risk of botulism.
- Before canning anything, ensure you have a jar lifter. A funnel is also useful for pouring sauce like this pizza sauce into jars.
- Always ensure your countertops and tools are clean and sanitary before processing any foods for canning.
Enjoy! This pizza sauce lasts for a nice amount of time if properly canned and stored in a cool dry area. If you notice any unsealed jars, be sure to discard the contents immediately.
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