Making Tomato Sauce
Following the directions in the Ball Blue Book, I made tomato sauce yesterday with all the organic tomatoes we were given. I ended up with 11 quarts. Since 45 pounds makes about 7 quarts, I figure I was working with 70 pounds of tomatoes. Whew! I am game for more, but now that I’ve spent a whole day making 11 quarts, I have a much better idea of how time consuming preserving can be.
I went from 3 boxes of this…
…to 11 quarts of this (one jar is in the refrigerator).
I did deviate from the instructions in the Ball book. I did not skin or de-seed the tomatoes. I figure if God made the tomatoes with skin and seeds, then it is okay and probably even better if we would just eat them that way. 
This is what I did:
1) Wash and quarter the tomatoes, removing the stem blossoms. Puree the tomatoes in the Vita-Mix.
2) Cook down the tomatoes half-way. I didn’t add a single thing to the tomatoes, as I prefer to salt and season when using them.
3) Fill the quart jars with hot concentrated tomato sauce, adding 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to each jar.
4) Add the lids and rings to the jars. Put the jars into the water bath canner (1/2 full of boiling water) and process for 45 minutes, fully immersed.
5) Turn off the heat; let the jars stand in the cooling water for 5 minutes. Transfer the jars to a towel on the counter. Let rest undisturbed for 18 hours.
Every September, my grandma made gallons of tomato sauce for our extended family. We grandkids were pressed into service in her basement kitchen, manually turning the food mill, carrying heavy stockpots for her, etc.
It was the only canning we did. She would go to the market and return with a trunk full of Roma tomatoes that the boys carried by the bushelful into the basement. Then our work began. At the end of the effort we had a whole wall full of sauce in the pantry. She seasoned hers with fresh sprigs of basil and garlic, which has always been the only seasoning our family used in sauce, other than the meat that went into the sauce pot for flavor. I always concluded that this was the authentic, right from Naples recipe for sauce. Even though my largely americanized family doesn’t prefer it that way, it’s home cooking and comfort food for me, when either me or my mom makes sauce in that old family traditional way!
What great memories! Thanks for sharing that with me. I loved reading it. And it certainly does sound delicious! Love, Wardeh
Aren’t they beautiful!! Isn’t it a delightful yet humble feeling seeing the beautiful, nutritious foods that you have been blessed to prepare (ahead) for your family. It always sends me to my knees in gratitude. Our God IS good.
You said that beautifully, Tracy. I feel the same way. Love, Wardeh
That looks absolutely delicious! Great job!
Thank you, Jen! I “saw” you on Sylvia’s blog this morning. Thanks for stopping by! Love, Wardeh
Those jars look great!
Love, Wardeh
I’ve never done canning before. My family are “city” folks who stockpile “cans” of a different nature.
Elaine, you’re too funny!
Oh Wardeh, I am so glad that you are canning and having such a great time! You are having a great time aren’t you?
Have you canned before or is this your first time to can tomatoes?
I usually make tomato sauce, chili, spaghetti sauce and can whole tomatoes this time of year.
This is my first time to can (other than jam) and I am having fun. I sure wish I had more tomatoes!
If I could get enough sauce made, I would like to do salsa. I finally have a pressure canner that my mom passed on to me, but I need to buy a new seal for it and have the gauge checked. So I’m just doing water-bath acid things for now. When I know the PC is up to speed, I’d like to do beans and other low-acid foods. Then I’ll be need more of your information! Do you have the chili canning instructions posted somewhere? Love, Wardeh
Wow , what a wealth of information you have here! I was googling how to make vegetarian chili, and I found you! Lovely blog, Im going to read all about your canning adventures now!!!
Angie
Hi, Angie… hopefully I won’t disappoint you because I’ve just begun my canning adventures. I’m happy you found me though and please come again! Love, Wardeh
Those do look beautiful.
Thanks, Michelle. Love, Wardeh
Wardeh, I don’t have my chili canning instructions on my blog but if I do manage to get it on there, I’ll let you know. You can water bath chili as long as it doesn’t have meat in it.
Please do let me know. I can always look in my Blue Book,though. It doesn’t seem that creative, though. Pretty conventional and standard stuff in there. Love, Wardeh
Hey Wardeh!
I stopped by to check up on you and your adventures. I just spent the whole weekend putting up 150 pounds of tomatoes! I made sauce, diced tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, whole raw tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, tomato juice, and salsa. Some of it I froze and most of it I canned. Now I need a weekend from my weekend! I know that I used to have a canned chili recipe that I got from Backwoods Magazine, but I can’t find it. Maybe they have it online? http://www.backwoodshome.com/
Hope all is well! xoxo, Amy
Hi,Amy! It is good to see you. My you have been busy! All those sound wonderful! I hope you’ve gotten a good rest. Thanks for the tip to look at BWM; I will see if they do have it! Love, Wardeh