Canning: Pasta & Pizza Sauce

Okay, still in over your head with tomatoes?

Even after making Rotel and Salsa?

Today I am sharing what recipes I used for Pasta Sauce and Pizza Sauce!

Make sure you follow the directions to a T, for tomatoes because they are in a gray area when it comes to pH. Hence recipes needing citric acid, vinegar or lemon.

For my sauce I went with Ball's Basil Garlic Tomato Sauce. 

Except, instead of letting it simmer for hours on end ( I tried and couldn't get it to the thickness I like for my sauce) I went with roasting instead. I know, I am shying away from the recipe, which I clearly said is a canning no no. But hear me out! I used the recipes proportions (which is where the pH comes from) and changed the technique to get to the end result. 

To roast instead of simmer, I took all my ingredients and placed in a 9x13 rimmed pan.

Stuck it in my oven at 450' for an hour or so. Your house will smell amazing.

Then using a slotted spoon (I bet a colander would work too) I scoop all my solids into my blender. 

Because it is still hot at this point, I do not fill my blender all the way and pulse until smooth. 

Then, I go back to the Ball recipe, and finish as per their instructions.

I like to can my pasta sauce in quart jars as that is a good size for our family of five. 

To do so, I increase the citric acid (it tells you right on the acid bottle) and increase my time in the hot water bath canner.

For the Pizza Sauce, I use Preserving by the Pint's recipe, and it is to die for!

(If you go to the link, there is a picture of the book, and the recipe is readable!)

If you can't read it, definitely check out her book from the library or purchase it!

Also, there is an errata for the book, so if you have her book you may need to reference it, here!

Well, now that my mouth is watering just thinking about sauce... I

 better go figure out what we will be having for dinner... pasta? or pizza?