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.
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.
Why You’ll Love This Marinara Sauce Recipe
This recipe keeps things simple. Fresh tomatoes are combined with onion, garlic, basil, oregano, 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
- Dried oregano
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Bottled lemon juice or citric acid (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 and place them into a large stockpot.
Making the Sauce
Add the chopped onion and garlic to the tomatoes and bring everything to a gentle simmer. As the tomatoes cook down, they’ll release plenty of liquid.
Stir in the fresh basil, dried oregano, 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.
Enjoy!
