Canning Marinara Sauce Recipe
This post is all about canning the best marinara sauce recipe.
If your garden is overflowing with tomatoes, canning homemade marinara sauce is one of the best ways to preserve the harvest.
This simple sauce is packed with fresh flavor and made with ingredients you likely already have. It’s a versatile pantry staple that can be used for spaghetti night, lasagna, pizza, chicken parmesan, and so much more.
While this homemade marinara sauce works great for pizza too, you can also try my canning pizza sauce recipe for a thicker, flavorful sauce made specifically for homemade pizza nights.
I love making a large batch when tomatoes are at their peak. There’s something satisfying about turning baskets of fresh tomatoes into jars of ready-to-use sauce that can be enjoyed all year long.
Have more tomatoes than you know what to do with? Check out my 15 Ways to Preserve Tomatoes for easy ideas to can, freeze, dehydrate, and enjoy your harvest all winter long.
If you’re new to canning, check out my water bath canning for beginners post before trying this recipe!
Why You’ll Love This Marinara Sauce Recipe
This recipe keeps things simple. Fresh tomatoes are combined with onion, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper to create a classic marinara sauce that’s rich in flavor without being complicated. Since the seasoning is mild and versatile, it’s easy to customize later depending on how you plan to use it.
Having homemade marinara sauce on the pantry shelf makes weeknight meals much easier. Instead of reaching for a store-bought jar filled with preservatives and added sugars, you can simply open a jar of your own garden-fresh sauce.
What You’ll Need:
- Tomatoes
- Onion
- Garlic
- Fresh basil
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Olive Oil
- Bottled lemon juice (for safe canning)
- A Large Stainless Steel Stock Pot for blanching tomatoes
- A blender/food processor or Immersion Blender
- Ball Canning Jars with Lids and Bands
- Canning Funnel and jar lifter
Preparing the Tomatoes
Start by washing your tomatoes thoroughly. Remove the skins by blanching them in boiling water for about 30 to 60 seconds, then transferring them to an ice bath. The skins should slip off easily.
Core the tomatoes and remove any damaged spots. Chop them roughly.
Making the Sauce
Saute the chopped onion and garlic in olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes to the pot with the oninos and garlic and bring everything to a gentle simmer. As the tomatoes cook down, they’ll release plenty of liquid.
Stir in the fresh basil, salt, and pepper. Continue simmering until the vegetables are soft and the flavors have blended together.
For a smoother marinara sauce, use an immersion blender to blend the mixture to your desired consistency. If you prefer a chunkier sauce, simply leave it as is.
Continue cooking until the sauce reaches the thickness you like. Some gardeners prefer a thinner sauce for pasta dishes, while others cook it longer for a richer, thicker marinara.
Filling the Jars
Make sure your jars, lids and rings are all very clean. Add your bottled lemon juice or citric acid.
For pints, use 1 tbsp of bottled lemon juice or 1/4 tsp of citric acid. For quarts, use 2 tbsp of bottled lemon juice or 1/2 tsp citric acid.
Ladle the hot marinara sauce into hot jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe the rims clean, and apply lids and bands.
Processing
Process pint or quart jars in a boiling water bath canner, pints for 35 minutes and quarts for 40 minutes.
After processing, remove the jars and allow them to cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours on a kitchen towel. Check the seals and wash jars before storing.
Storage
Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place for up to one year for best quality. Once opened, refrigerate and use within a few days.
Ways to Use Homemade Marinara Sauce
One of the best things about canning marinara sauce is its versatility. Use it as a pasta sauce, pizza sauce, dipping sauce for breadsticks, or as the base for casseroles and soups.
A pantry stocked with homemade marinara sauce means you’re always just minutes away from a homemade meal.
Easy Marinara Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 20 lb tomatoes (roughly 60)
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup finely minced fresh basil
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp bottled lemon juice (2 Tbsp for quart jars)
Instructions
- Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent
- Add prepared tomatoes to the pot with onion and garlic and bring to a boil, the reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- To make your sauce smoother, use an immersion blender to blend the mixture to your desired consistency.
- Add basil, salt and pepper and continue simmering until reduced by half, stirring to prevent sticking.
- Add 1 Tbsp bottled lemon juice to each hot pint jar, or 2 Tbsp to hot quart jars
- Ladle hot sauce into jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace, remove air bubbles and wipe rims clean. Place lid on jar and place band on finger tip tight.
- Place jars in boiling water canner. Process pint jars for 35 minutes and quarts for 40 minutes. Remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes then remove jars and place on kitchen towel to cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Store in a dry, dark room. Enjoy!
Enjoy!
