Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe for Water Bath Canning
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My homemade pizza sauce recipe is one of the very first things I start batch making and canning when the garden tomato plants are finally producing! I plan on canning enough for 1 pint per week for each year. That usually leaves me with some jars left over since I use about 1/2 pint for one of my homemade pizzas and we always have it on Sundays, our weekly pizza nights. I also will use it for homemade stromboli and some casseroles, so I just make sure I make about 50-55 pints for each year to have plenty with enough carry over to boost me for the next year.
My homemade pizza sauce recipe is an easy one you can make on the stove top or in the slow cooker (my favorite because it’s more hands off and gives me time a break between processing and canning the tomatoes and is a simple way to get more depth of flavor) and is a relatively small batch you don’t need 5 bushels of tomatoes to make. Most of us have smaller gardens, so small batch canning is a great way to learn how to can and the math of mathing some of these TeStEd recipes down to a manageable size is overwhelming. Lemme help ya, cause once you’ve made your own, you’ll find that store-bought pizza sauce ain’t it!
I frequently make a half size of this batch until the tomatoes are really showing off. Every little bit counts and I just love seeing my homemade pizza sauce recipe on the shelves when tomatoes start coming it. It’s so pretty!
Check out my favorite fresh milled bread machine homemade pizza dough recipe. It makes 2 thin crusts or one thick crust and test it out along with some home-canned pizza sauce on your next pizza night.
Rebel Canning
This recipe can be considered rebel canning because it hasn’t been tested nor evaluated by the USDA or NCHFP (National Center for Home Food Preservation). Does the mean this recipe is unsafe? Sure doesn’t, as its one I and many others use and consume. What it does mean is as with any home canning, you should can at your own risk and use common sense.
Make your own decisions because what I do and say I’m doing in my own home should not affect what you do in yours. If you are not comfortable with rebel canning, please don’t follow this recipe. In the end, you will have canned something you are afraid of and you will not eat it or use it and you will have essentially wasted your time and money.
Let’s get started with this easy homemade pizza sauce recipe!
Equipment You Might Want
- Food Mill/Strainer
- Large Pot
- Slow Cooker
- Immersion Blender
- Pint Canning Jars
- Canning Lids & Screw Bands
- Jar Funnel
- Jar Lifter
- Steam Canner
- Water Bath Canning Pot
Ingredients
- 27 pounds of tomatoes
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 bunch of fresh oregano OR palmful of dried
- 1 bunch of fresh basil OR palmful of dried
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 2 tsp salt
Step 1: Prep
Prepare a paste variety of tomatoes (like Amish Paste, San Marzano, Federle, or Opalka) by rinsing them under cold water. Half tomatoes and line them skin side up on a baking sheet. Place under the broiler to roast until the skins are blistered. Remove from the oven and cool slightly so you can handle them.
Working in batches, run them through your food mill of choice. I have a handy attachment that fits on my standmixer, but there are hand crank varieties that work amazing too. Any juice left behind on the roasting pans should be run through the strainer as well and added to the stock pot of tomato sauce. This is the acid and the flavor of your tomatoes. I don’t know why ANYONE decided that discarding the beautiful tomato water was the way to go. Please, for the love of the Lord, don’t discard it. Take the time to properly cook down your sauce; don’t cheat or you won’t have good sauce.
Add this sauce to a stock pot.
Step 2: Cook
Stove Top Method:
Place stock pot of medium heat and bring to a simmer.
While the sauce is heating, roughly chop a sweet onion, green bell pepper, and mince 4 cloves of fresh garlic. Don’t worry about being uniform because we’ll blend this later on. Add in fresh herbs, onion, bell pepper, and garlic to your pot. I tend to rinse the fresh herbs on the stem and then just throw them in stems and all and fish the stems out later after simmering. You can also pull the leaves off and add them that way. Stir and return to a simmer.
Once the sauce is simmering and the peppers and onions have softened and the herbs have fallen off the stems (this can be and hour or so), remove the stems from the sauce and then pulse the sauce with an immersion blender to incorporate onion, peppers, herbs, and garlic. You don’t want any big chunks so be thorough.
Continue simmering this sauce while stirring frequently until it has reduced by about one half and mounds on a spoon when you scoop it. If it doesn’t mound on a spoon, it’s not done. If you’re cool with a more runny sauce, stop the cooking time early.
Slow Cooker Method:
Add sauce to the insert of a slow cooker and turn to HIGH. Cover with the lid.
While the sauce is heating, roughly chop a sweet onion, green bell pepper, and mince 4 cloves of fresh garlic. Don’t worry about being uniform because we’ll blend this later on. Add in fresh herbs, onion, bell pepper, and garlic to your pot. I tend to rinse the fresh herbs on the stem and then just throw them in stems and all and fish the stems out later after simmering. You can also pull the leaves off and add them that way.
Once the sauce is simmering in your slow cooker, remove the lid and turn the heat to LOW. When the peppers and onions have softened and the herbs have fallen off the stems (this can be a while), remove the stems from the sauce and then pulse the sauce with a stick blender to incorporate onion, peppers, herbs, and garlic. You don’t want any big chunks so be thorough.
Continue simmering this sauce gently in your slow cooker while stirring frequently until it has reduced by about one half and mounds on a spoon when you scoop it. If it doesn’t mound on a spoon, it’s not done. If you’re cool with a more runny sauce, stop the cooking time early. I normally sauce the tomatoes in the morning and get it cooking and allow the sauce to cook overnight on low, uncovered, and then can it in the morning. It takes some time, but it also tastes great!
Add Remaining Ingredients
Once the sauce is mounding on a spoon, add in 1 cup of lemon juice and stir. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Be sure and taste your sauce and make sure it’s seasoned perfectly. If you would like a little spice to it, add in some red pepper flakes.
Step 3: Canning
Ladle hot sauce into clean pint canning jars or smaller to 1/2 inch of headspace.
Remove air bubbles and add more sauce if needed to maintain headspace.
Wipe the rims of the jars with a vinegar damp cloth and add a clean lid and secure with a screw band according to manufacturer’s instruction. Different brands require different ways of tightening, so be aware of that.
Place jars in your steam canner or hot water bath canner and process jars for 35 minutes, adjusting processing time for your elevation if needed.
Once processing time is complete, remove jars to a heat proof surface lined with a clean towel. Allow jars to cool undisturbed for 18-24 hours.
Step 4: Storage
Once cooled, remove bands and test seals, wash jars, label, and store in a cool dark place away from direct sunlight. Room temperature is fine as long as jars are not exposed to extreme temperatures. Any jars that did not seal can be reprocessed or frozen in a airtight container.
Shelf life is until you use it. If the seal is good, they’re good. If you’re in doubt, throw it out. Aim to rotate canned goods out every 2 years for maximum nutrition and flavor, but they’ll last longer than that if needed.
Step 5: Preparing
Spoon straight from the jar onto your pizza dough or warm in a sauce pan for dipping stromboli.
If you would like your pizza sauce a touch sweeter, try stirring in a pinch of baking soda once opened to back the acid off a bit.
Notes:
Add any herbs and spices you like in a pizza sauce. We like ours pretty tomato-y with a little herbs, so that’s how I make it. You do you and find the right amount of the best flavor you will enjoy.
I hope you enjoy my homemade pizza sauce canning recipe and have fun making it your own!
Equipment
- Food Mill/Strainer
- Large pot
- slow cooker
- pint canning jars
- Canning lids & screw bands
- jar lifter
Ingredients
- 27 pounds of tomatoes
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 1 bunch of fresh oregano OR palmful of dried
- 1 bunch of fresh basil OR palmful of dried
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Rinse paste type tomatoes under cold water. Cut in half and place skin side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Place under the broiler until skins are blistered. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
- Working in batches, run them through your food mill of choice. Any tomato juice left on the baking sheet should be dumped through the strainer as well. Do not discard.
- Add this sauce to a stock pot or insert of a slow cooker depending on the cooking method you prefer.
Stove Top Method
- Place stock pot of medium heat and bring to a simmer.
- While the sauce is heating, roughly chop a sweet onion, green bell pepper, and mince 4 cloves of fresh garlic. Don't worry about being uniform because we'll blend this later on. Add in fresh herbs, onion, bell pepper, and garlic to your pot.
- Once the sauce is simmering and the peppers and onions have softened, pulse the sauce with an immersion blender to incorporate onion, peppers, herbs, and garlic. You don't want any big chunks so be thorough.
- Continue simmering this sauce while stirring frequently until it has reduced by about one half and mounds on a spoon.
Slow Cooker Method
- Add sauce to the insert of a slow cooker and turn to HIGH. Cover with the lid.
- While the sauce is heating, roughly chop a sweet onion, green bell pepper, and mince 4 cloves of fresh garlic. Don't worry about being uniform because we'll blend this later on. Add in fresh herbs, onion, bell pepper, and garlic to your pot.
- Once the sauce is simmering in your slow cooker, remove the lid and turn the heat to LOW.
- Once the sauce is simmering and the peppers and onions have softened, pulse the sauce with an immersion blender to incorporate onion, peppers, herbs, and garlic. You don't want any big chunks so be thorough.
- Continue simmering this sauce gently in your slow cooker while stirring frequently until it has reduced by about one half and mounds on a spoon when you scoop it
Finish the Sauce
- Once the sauce is mounding on a spoon, add in 1 cup of lemon juice and stir. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Be sure and taste your sauce and make sure it's seasoned perfectly.
- Ladle hot sauce into clean pint canning jars or smaller to 1/2 inch of headspace.
- Remove air bubbles and add more sauce if needed to maintain headspace.
- Wipe the rims of the jars with a vinegar damp cloth and add a clean lid and secure with a screw band according to manufacturer's instruction.
- Place jars in your steam canner or hot water bath canner and process jars for 35 minutes, adjusting processing time for your elevation if needed.
- Once processing time is complete, remove jars to a heat proof surface lined with a clean towel. Allow jars to cool undisturbed for 18-24 hours.
- Once cooled, remove bands and test seals, wash jars, label, and store in a cool dark place away from direct sunlight. Room temperature is fine as long as jars are not exposed to extreme temperatures. Any jars that did not seal can be reprocessed or frozen.
- Shelf life is until you use it. If the seal is good, they're good. If you're in doubt, throw it out. Aim to rotate canned goods out every 2 years for maximum nutrition and flavor, but they'll last longer than that if needed.
