Want an easy way to put up your tomatoes without spending more time than necessary in the kitchen? Look no further! I will show you my easy canned tomato sauce!
Harvest season is such a busy time with much to be done all at once. It can easily get overwhelming. That being said, I am always looking for ways to simplify the process, especially with 3 kids under foot.
The majority of the tomatoes I use year round are in the form of sauce. Not counting the delicious, garden fresh, sun warmed tomatoes of late Summer, of course. Lasagna, spaghetti, mozzarella sticks and homemade pizza- just to name a few of the dishes we enjoy with variations tomato sauce.
I’m going to show you my favorite way to put up some easy tomato sauce. Let’s dive in!
My secret weapon? The Vitamix! Except for my new propane stove, I’d have to say that the Vitamix is my favorite kitchen appliance. With its 2 hours power motor, hot motor detection and large canister, what’s not to love? This jewel has forever changed how I can tomatoes. Save for diced tomatoes for homemade chili, I really only ever use sauce. Which makes this method a no-brainer. The Vitamix is powerful enough to completely obliterate the tomato seeds and skins beyond detection into a smooth sauce. I am afraid you will not have the same results in a cheaper, less powerful blender. After going through some cheaply made, small blenders, burning them up and making many (not so smooth smoothies), we invested in a Vitamix. And the best part? It’s made in the good ol’ US of A! Based on reviews between the Ninja and the Vitamix they seem to be similar in caliber and performance. But the Ninja is made in China. So yeah, it’s cheaper, but we try to support our country when we can.
You do not even have to spend the full price tag on one. We bought ours refurbished for a fraction of the cost. It arrived all packaged like brand new and everything. I think we have had it for two years now and it is still going like a champ with nearly daily use. I highly recommend it. Yes, it is an investment, but well worth it if you make home canned tomato sauce, smoothies and many other goodies. You won’t be disappointed! (And no, this post is not sponsored by Vitamix, but maybe it should be! Ha, ha! If you do look into getting one, I have a link at the bottom of this post and be sure to get one with a low profile canister for better sauce making.
Let’s make some sauce!
First wash all your tomatoes and remove the stems. Slice large tomatoes in half. Small ones can be put in the blender whole. Do not worry about the cores, skins, or peels, the blender will take care of ALL of those! Plus, did you know that tomato seeds are high in vitamin C? Blend all of your tomatoes on high speed. You may need to use the tamper now and then to get them all through the blades.
Pour all of the sauce into a large pot or stock pot with a heavy bottom to prevent scorching. Bring to a simmer/low boil, stirring frequently until reduced by about half or more.
The sauce will look pale and foamy at first, but will settle down and develop a darker, red color as it simmers.
Once your sauce is nice and thick it’s time to can it. Per standard canning directions, put 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in each pint size jar (2 TB for each quart) and ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. *Tip: if you are using reusable Tattler canning lids, I leave about 1 inch of headspace and the lids seal better this way. Clean the jar rims and put on the two piece lids.
Process jars in a water bath, 35 minutes for pints, 40 minutes for quarts.
Thank you!
I have heard nothing but “Tomato sauce is very hard to make”.
“Super easy” doesn’t sound too hard.
Awesome! Hope it helps!
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.
Thank you for your kind words Mark!
This is a very good tip particularly to those fresh to the blogosphere. Brief but very precise information… Appreciate your sharing this one. A must read post!
Thank you for stopping by the blog! I hope you have a great day!