Between my tomatoes, Gram's tomatoes, and tomatoes on sale at the store, I was able to successfully make my first canned batch of fresh spaghetti sauce. I added lots of fresh herbs from Gram's garden, and I really like the roasted garlic flavor in these (but I don't think it was *quite* enough garlic!). I ended up having an extra pint leftover which I reduced down further to make pizza sauce and it turned out great.
Ingredients:
~20 lb tomatoes (I had a mixture because I like the different flavors)
2.5 cups finely chopped onion
4 bulbs garlic roasted (I used 3.5 originally but I think it needed more garlic)
2 cups fresh basil
1 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup fresh oregano + 3 T dried
salt/pepper to taste
bottled lemon juice
Instructions For Sauce:
1) To roast garlic: Cut the tops off, place on foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap the garlic in foil and roast on 400 F for 40 minutes until soft. Squeeze out the garlic and set aside
2)To peel tomatoes: I cut mine in half, placed them cut-side down on baking trays and broiled until skins blistered. You can also score an "x" on the bottoms, place in simmering water for 30 seconds and then to an ice bath (I use my sink for large batches). I usually crush the tomatoes with my hands or with a potato masher before I start cooking them
3) Start cooking the chopped onions on medium heat in a bit of oil until soft, about 10 minutes.
4) Add the tomatoes, garlic, herbs and salt/pepper, stir to combine
5) Simmer on medium-low heat uncovered for 4-5 hours. Stir every 15 minutes so it doesn't burn (scrape the bottom!). Blend the sauce with an immersion blender or a food processor until it is the texture you want (I like a smooth sauce).
Canning Instructions:
1) Fill water canner with enough liquid to cover 1" over the tops of quart jars
2) Wash 5-6 quart jars in hot, soapy water then place in hot water canner until ready to use
3) Sanitize lids and rims by placing in boiling water for several minutes, can turn heat off and leave in water until ready to use
4) To each jar, add 2 T bottled lemon juice to make the acid content safe for canning.
5) Pour in sauce to hot jars leaving 1/2" headspace. Use a long spatula to insert down inside the jars to remove air bubbles
6) Using a clean, damp cloth wipe along the edge and outer/inner rim of jars, secure with lid and rim until secure but not too tight
7) Boil pints for 30 minutes, quarts for 40 minutes.
8) Remove and place on clean towel. Do not disturb for 24 hours. Press the center of each jar to check for the seal, if it does not give jars are good for 1 year. Place unsealed jars in the fridge immediately.
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