Home Canning Spaghetti Sauce with Recipe and Tips

This homemade spaghetti sauce recipe is really easy to make. You can customize it by using the spices and herbs listed or use the ones that you personally prefer. It’s a great way to use up a lot of those ripe tomatoes sitting in your garden. You can easily double-up the recipe to make a larger batch.

* Post contains affiliate links.

It will take you an afternoon to make it (to blanch and cook down your tomatoes, chop the peppers & onions, etc.) so make sure you allow a few hours in your schedule. You can make it go quicker by enlisting help. I will often draft my mother and husband to help me! This recipe will make approximately 5 quarts.

You can use this spaghetti sauce with any pasta dish you may be making. I will use this same sauce when I’m baking manicotti, ziti, lasagna, etc. It’s versatile! If I want to add ground beef to it…I will brown up my 1/2 lb. ground beef and add it after I pop open a jar while I’m heating up the sauce for whatever recipe that I’m making.

Home Canning Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

12 pounds of large, ripe, red tomatoes
2 large green bell peppers, chopped
1 large orange bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, diced
12-ounce can tomato paste
5 Tbsp. olive oil
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 cup bottled lemon juice
water

Wash all produce under running water. Blanch tomatoes in boiling water, remove skins, rinse away seeds and quarter. Place tomatoes in a large stock pot.

Chop the bell peppers into small pieces using a food processor or knife. Dice up the onion. Place peppers and onions into the stock pot with the tomatoes. Add in the tomato paste, olive oil, granulated sugar, minced garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, dried parsley, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and ground black pepper. Add enough water to cover all of the ingredients by at least 1″ over the top. Cover. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer (medium heat) and simmer (uncovered) for 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to prevent sticking. You’re basically cooking down the tomatoes and softening up the peppers and onion.

While sauce is cooking prepare all of your canning jars by washing them. Lay out all of the canning supplies that you’re going to need during the canning process. (jars, seals, rings, wide mouth funnel, jar lifter, magnetic lid grabber, ladle, linens, etc.)

Ladle the spaghetti sauce into hot mason jars leaving a 1/2″ headspace. Add 2 Tbsp. bottled lemon juice to each quart-size jar. Remove air bubbles, wipe the jar rim clean. Add your lid and ring until it’s finger-tip tight.  Place jars into your water bath canner with simmering (not boiling) water. Use your canner rack. Continue this process until all of your jars are filled.

Lower rack into your water bath canner. Water should cover all of the jars by at least 2″. Cover. Turn the heat up on the burner to medium-high. Bring water to a boil. Process jars in boiling water for 40 minutes. Turn off heat. Remove lid. Let jars sit in the hot water for an additional 10 minutes.

Carefully remove jars from the canner. I like to lay out an old cotton towel on my kitchen counter-top and place the jars on top. Make sure you don’t place them in a drafty area. Let them cool to room temperature. Double check all jars to make sure they sealed. Label jars with contents and date. Store for up to 1 year.

* This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we may or may not receive a small commission which helps to support this site. Thank you!