Homemade Pasta Sauce!

 
Homemade Tomato Sauce!

It's late August, and the tomatoes taste AMAZING!!!!

Jar that goodness up!!!!

I mean seriously right now!!!   Pick from your garden or buy from your local farm and JAR it now!!!

Anyone with tomatoes, a jar and a pan can water-bath can.  

Disclaimer....  water bath canning needs acid and salt.  Don't mess with recipes unless you know your stuff.  Botulism is real.  

Here's my jars with 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid and a basil leaf per pint.

The tomatoes and spices cooking down.  

The beautiful tomatoes.

My amazing labor!!!

Recipe

I quadrupled it!

Makes about 5- 32 oz jars of sauce.  

10 pounds of fresh tomatoes
  1 cup good Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
  One yellow Onion
  One head of garlic
  1 bunch fresh basil
  1 bunch fresh Oregano
  1 sprig of fresh Rosemary
  Kosher salt
  Fresh ground pepper
  Pepper flakes (optional)

1. Sanitize jars
2. Sprinkle the garlic with olive oil, salt and pepper, then wrap in aluminum foil and roast the garlic in the oven at 375 for 30-45 minutes
3. Boil a large pot of water and put tomatoes in in batches until the skins burst
4.  Put the tomatoes in a bowl and let them cool
5. Peel and clean the tomatoes- if you have a good food mill our a Vitamix, this peeling is optional
6. If you have a food mill, break it out and put the tomatoes through it, if you don't have a food mill, squish the tomatoes with your hands.  This is fun and very stress reducing!!! 
7. Dice the onion 
8. Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or stock pot
9. Cook the onion until soft but not quite browned
10. Put the tomato "juice" into the pot with the onion and add the garlic
11. Chop and add the herbs, reserving one basil leaf per jar
12. Cook on low for 1-2 hours until your desired consistency is achieved
13. Salt and pepper to taste.  Add pepper flakes if desired.
14. Boil a large pot of water - creating a canning water bath
15. Place either a tablespoon of lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid in each jar
16. Place a basil leaf in each jar 
17. Ladle into jars and place the lids on
18. Boil the jars according to canning standards (Boil 32 oz jars for 45 minutes).  
19. Remove the jars and make sure the caps have sealed by pressing them down and making sure they don't "click"