Home Canned Spaghetti Sauce
There are few things that scream SUMMER than bright, red, juicy tomatoes. Whether you grow them yourself, buy them at the farmer's market, or pick them up at the grocery store you feel so ... natural and healthful and hungry when you have a pile of them on your counter top.
My mom came home one day a couple of weeks ago armed with two huge boxes of tomatoes and a sauce recipe from a friend at work. She started peeling and cooking, and although I know she called to invite me to help peel and cook so I could have some of my own sauce for the fall and winter ... I think she was just intimidated by the huge pile of tomatoes on the kitchen table!
It was a family affair, with both my sisters there to help. The house smelled of garlic, onions, basil and oregano, and the countertop was covered with ladles, jars and canners. Canners! I don't know how to can. Do you? I left that up to my mom, who is quite experienced at it since she cans green beans every summer. (I'll do another post about that later in the summer!)
It's so pretty, isn't it? You see the bits of spices and peppers throughout, and the color is just glorious. It will be so nice to pull out a jar of this fabulous sauce when it's bitter cold in January and serve it over a fresh plate of pasta. (Perhaps pasta that I actually make? Maybe?)
Is it authentic? I have no clue. I have no Italian blood in me anywhere. (German, French, yes. And my family is so Old South that we're just about completely such nowadays!) Does it look authentic? Yes. Does it taste authentic? I think so. Will it please me and my guests? Absolutely.
No doubt you have access to tomatoes. No doubt you love tomato sauce and have friends that do, too. Why not get together one night and can some sauce for your winter tables? You'll be happy with the end result, guaranteed.
* Canned Spaghetti Sauce is my submission to Waiter, There's Something in my... Sauce, which is being hosted this go-round by Spittoon Extra.
Canned Spaghetti Sauce
By Confabulation in the Kitchen
Printer-friendly version
Ingredients
4 quarts fresh tomatoes, peeled and quartered
1 C onion, chopped
1 C green pepper, chopped
3/4 C canola oil
1/4 C sugar
2 T Italian seasoning (or variation of)
1 T oregano
1 T basil
2 tsp. black pepper
1 heaping T minced garlic
1 T salt
12 oz. can tomato paste
Directions
1. Combine all ingredients (except tomato paste) in large, heavy-bottomed pot.
2. Cook 1 hour, stirring often.
3. Add tomato paste, cook another hour, stirring often.
4. Put sauce in quart jars with lids, then put in pressure canner at 10 pounds for 15 minutes.
