Canning San Marzano Tomato Sauce
Make rich, smooth San Marzano tomato sauce at home with this full‑batch canning recipe. Learn how to prep your tomatoes, remove skins and seeds, and safely can 6 pints of homemade sauce for spaghetti, lasagna and pizza. Perfect for stocking your pantry with real tomato flavor all year.
Servings: 6 pints
Equipment
Ingredients
- 15 pounds ripe, cored and quartered plum tomatoes like San Marzano
- ½ cup bottled lemon juice can also use 1 1/2 teaspoon citric acid
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
How to Process Tomatoes
- Take your San Marzano tomatoes, cutting the tops off and removing the seeds from inside.
- Cook the tomatoes in a pot until softened.
- Process the tomatoes through a food mill.
Making the Sauce
- Pour the tomato sauce into the pot.
- Add the pepper, garlic powder and salt into the sauce and stir together.
- Allow the tomato juice to simmer for 45 minutes or until reduced by half.
- Prepare the cans, seal and bands. Heat the water in the water bath canner as well.
- Once the tomato juice has simmered for 45 minutes, add the lemon juice and stir together, then remove from heat.
- Ladle the juice into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space from the top of the jars.
- Wipe the rim of the jar with a wet sterile towel.
- Place the seal and band on the jar and hand tighten.
- Place the jar into the water bath canner and process for 35 minutes for pints, 40 minutes for quarts. (adjust based on your elevation).
- Once done processing, remove from the heat and place a towel around the jars to allow them to cool slowly.
- Place the date and label what is in the jars.
Notes
- If you don't have a Jam/Jelly Maker to stir for you, can use a timer and a spatula to stir and can.
- Placing a towel around the jars allow them to slowly cool This will take several hours, so place in a location that will not be disturbed.
- You can use Roma tomatoes if you do not have San Marzano.
- You can use oregano instead of Italian seasoning to make it pizza sauce.
- Cook the sauce before you use it in your dish, to reduce and thicken further.
- We have other canning recipes for tomatoes