Why Plum Tomatoes Make the Best Sauce

Homemade canned tomato sauce is one of my favorite ways to preserve summer tomatoes. This recipe uses plum tomatoes, fresh herbs, and a simple water bath canning method to create a smooth, flavorful sauce you can use all year long. It works beautifully for pasta, chili, goulash, tacos, and winter cooking when you want something homemade and comforting.

Plum tomatoes are always the preferred choice for sauce. They have less water, cook down faster, and give you a thicker, richer texture. If you don’t have San Marzano tomatoes, Roma tomatoes work perfectly. Garden tomatoes will work too, but they take longer to reduce because they are more watery.

This sauce is seasoned, milled, and cooked down until it reaches a smooth consistency. It is not a paste, but it is thicker than soup and perfect for canning.

Ingredients You Need

Roma tomatoes, washed and tops removed (about 18 pounds)
Onions
Garlic
Oregano
Sugar
Pepper
Bay leaves
Red wine vinegar
Pickling salt

The vinegar helps maintain safe acidity for water bath canning.

Equipment Used for Canning Tomato Sauce

Water bath canner
Enamel canning pot
Canning utensils
Food mill, electric or manual
Pint jars, bands, and lids

A food mill is what gives this sauce its smooth texture.

How To Make Homemade Canned Tomato Sauce

Cool jars and check seals.
Wash tomatoes and remove the tops.
Quarter tomatoes and cook them down until soft.
Run the cooked tomatoes through a food mill.
Return the strained sauce to the pot.
Add onions, garlic, herbs, sugar, vinegar, and salt.
Simmer until the sauce reduces by half.
Taste and adjust seasoning.
Prepare jars and lids.
Ladle hot sauce into jars, leaving ½ inch headspace.
Wipe rims, apply lids, and place jars in the canner.
Process pints for 35 minutes and quarts for 40 minutes in a water bath canner.

How To Know When The Sauce Is Reduced Enough

The sauce should reduce by half and coat the back of a spoon. It will be thicker than soup but not as thick as paste. If you use a roaster, stir every 20 to 30 minutes to prevent burning.

Troubleshooting Tomato Sauce

If the bottom scorches, do not scrape. Transfer the unburned sauce to a new pot and continue.
Tomato sauce may separate in the jar. Shake before using.
Floating pulp is normal and safe.
If the sauce is too thin, continue reducing. Do not add thickeners.

Ways To Use Homemade Tomato Sauce

Chili
Goulash
Spaghetti
Swiss steak
Tomato soup
Tacos
Pizza sauce base
Winter cooking

Frequently Asked Question

Can I use garden tomatoes instead of plum tomatoes Yes. They will work, but they take longer to cook down because they contain more water.

Do I need to peel the tomatoes No. The food mill removes skins and seeds. You only need to core them.

Can I freeze the sauce instead of canning it Yes. Freeze in containers or freezer bags.

Can I add meat to this sauce No. Meat changes the acidity and requires a different canning process.

Can I thicken the sauce with cornstarch No. Thickeners are not approved for canning. Instead, reduce the sauce longer to thicken.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Homemade Canned Tomato Sauce

Homemade canned tomato sauce is easy to make with fresh plum tomatoes, simple pantry spices, and a smooth finish from the food mill. The tomatoes cook down until rich and flavorful, then the sauce is water bath canned for safe long term storage. This recipe makes a versatile sauce you can use for pasta, chili, tacos, goulash, and winter meals when you want something homemade and comforting.

Course: Canning, Homesteading

Cuisine: American

Author: Regina Sober

Equipment

Ingredients

½ bushel 1/2 bushel Roma tomatoes, washed & tops removed (about 18 pounds)
2 cups onions
6 Tablespoons fresh oregano (or 3 Tablespoons dried)
3 Tablespoons minced garlic
3 teaspoons sugar
1 ½ teaspoons pepper
6 bay leaves
6 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons pickling salt

Instructions

Wash the Roma tomatoes to remove any dirt.
Cut the tops off the tomatoes and cut in half, place into enamel pot. Inspect and remove any bad spots/tomatoes.
Add the onions, oregano, garlic, sugar, pepper and bay leaves. Stir and place on stop on medium heat.
Stir to keep from burning in the pot for 1 1/2 hours, until thick. Tomatoes will begin to break down and reduce.
Prepare the food mill station to receive the tomatoes.
Remove from heat and process in the food mill.
Wash out the enamel pan, and place the juice back into the pan.
Add the red wine vinegar and salt into the mix.
Put back on the stove for 45 minutes to an hour, to reduce further (less water = thicker sauce).
Remove from heat and ladle into the jars, leaving 1/2" head space.
Place seals and bands on the jars and hand tighten.
Process the jars for 35 minutes in water bath canner for pints 40 minutes for quarts (adjust for elevation).

Video

Notes

Reduce reduction time by letting the tomatoes drain out extra juice in the fridge in a colander, if you have the space and time (we did not do this)
Start this early in the day, as the cooking time is 3 hours and processing is another 35-40 minutes per batch.
Makes about 14-15 pints or about 7 quarts
Taste as you go, you might decide you want to add more spices to your taste
The sauce is not super thick, like a paste. It will be between a soup and a paste consistency when done.
If you notice you have burned the tomatoes, do not attempt to scrap it while you have the sauce in there or it will go throughout the tomatoes and ruin the batch (it will all taste burnt). You should be able to use if you avoid scraping out the burn into the mix.