Homemade Chunky Pizza Sauce (With Canning Instructions)

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Homemade Chunky Pizza Sauce
(Adapted from Gina Pettiti)
Yield: 8 pints (16 cups, 4 liters)

For a step by step video on how to make the pizza sauce and how to can it, please check out the video above!

Equipment Needed For Canning:

Water bath canner
Jar rack 
Wide-mouth funnel
Head space tool/bubble remover
Jar lifter
8 jars, lids and rings
Lemon juice
Vinegar (to wipe the jar tops before canning)

Ingredients:

10 pints of canned tomatoes (approx 5 liters)
10 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 cups olive oil (163 g)
3 1/2 tbsp dried oregano (approx 7 g)
5 tsp table salt (30 g)
6 tbsp brown sugar * optional (25 g)
1 big cup of fresh basil (about 20 g)

*I use sugar because I use my home-canned tomatoes. When I can my tomatoes I add lemon juice to acidify the tomatoes for the canning process. Also, if you use store-bought canned tomatoes, they sometimes have a tinny taste to them. The sugar helps with that.

Directions for Cooking:

1. Place all ingredients in a large pot (or two pots); bring to a boil, then simmer partially covered for 75 minutes.

2. About halfway through the cooking time, take a potato masher and mash up the tomatoes a little bit. Continue to simmer uncovered. 

*Simmer until your desired consistency for a pizza sauce you love!

Directions for Canning:

1. Prepare your water bath canner by filling it with hot water and placing it on your stove's burner. Turn the burner on medium to start heating up the water.

2. Wash your jars, lids and rings. Fill your jars with hot water and place them onto the jar rack. Lower them into the hot water in the water bath canner and let sit for a good ten minutes.

3. Use your jar lifter to remove the jars from the canner. 

4. Add 1 tbsp lemon juice to each jar.

5. Place your wide-mouthed funnel on top of your jar and fill it with pizza sauce, leaving 1/2" of head space. (Use your head-space tool to measure)

6. Fill all of your jars the same way. Use your bubble remover (or a knife) and push the sauce down to remove any air pockets.

7. Use a cloth or paper towel to wipe the tops and sides of the jars. Then dip a cloth or paper towel into vinegar and re-wipe the tops.

8. Place the lids on the jars, then the rings. Tighten the rings to finger-tight only - not too tight!

9. Your jars will be hot, so wear gloves or use your jar lifter to place your cans into the jar rack; then lower the rack into the canner. Make sure you have at least 1" of water above the cans. Place the lid on the canner and crank up the heat to high.

10. Once you have a rolling boil in your canner, start your canning time for 35 minutes. Keep the lid on! If the water starts to bubble over, you can turn the heat down slightly, just always make sure you have a rolling boil.

11. When the processing time is done, turn off the heat and leave your canner for about 10 minutes. Then carefully remove each jar with your jar lifter and place on a towel. You'll start to hear the jars popping!

Note: If your kitchen is cold, place a towel on top of the cans to keep them warm as they cool - this avoids breakage.

12. Leave the cans undisturbed overnight. Check each can the next day to make sure there is a seal on the lid. If any of your cans didn't seal properly, put them in the fridge and use them within about a week.

Note: I use my canned goods within a year.
Note 2: I label my cans with the contents and the date I canned.
Note 3: I do not reuse lids, but I do reuse jars and rings.
Note 4: When storing, do not place anything on top of your cans, this can break the seal. If I want to stack them, I will loosen the rings a little bit and place a piece of cardboard on top. This way there is no pressure on the lids and there is no threat of breaking the seal!