Making and Canning Our Own Marinara Sauce
Fresh baked bread and cookies in the oven are two of the more popular smells that fill my kitchen, but there is one that rivals these: homemade marinara sauce. Early on in our relationship my husband and I bonded over our deep love for italian food. We'd try different restaurants and dishes finding new italian favorites we wanted to learn how to make ourselves. This led to us buying and eventually growing our own garden of italian ingredients. After trying lots of pricey marinara sauces we realized it would be cheaper if we made it ourselves. We played around with a lot of recipes before settling on one that was both easy to make and store in our pantry.
Marinara sauce ingredients
Today, I am going to post the recipe that we primarily use during winter, when our fresh garden ingredients are out of season. We use slightly different mix of fresh items during the summer when our farmer market down the road has some of these items handy.
When we make the marinara, we plan on making a fairly large (around 16 quarts) batch and canning it all. While it does take some time, the experience and money we save in the long run is well worth, especially if you use marinara as often as we do!
Marinara Sauce Ingredients:
4-5 large carrots
4 large sticks of celery
1/2 of an onion (yellow)
1/3 a cup of olive oil
1 heaping tablespoon of diced garlic
1/2 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 heaping table spoon of basil and oregano
a dash of red pepper flakes
6 cans (28 oz) of tomato sauce
6 cans (15 oz) of finely diced tomatoes or you can use about 50 fresh tomatoes ( we use Roma tomatoes in the summer)
1/2 cup of water
1 very large stock pot
This recipe makes about 14-16 quarts of marinara sauce.
Directions:
In a very large stock pot, heat olive oil and garlic, making sure not to over cook the garlic. You want the garlic to a golden color not dark brown, if you over cook it the garlic can becomes bitter. When the garlic starts to turn a golden color add the mirepoix (carrots, celery, and onion finely chopped by hand or food processor). Allow this to cook for a few minutes, stirring often so it does not burn or stick to the bottom of the pot. Then add the sauce and chopped tomatoes, stir well and add seasonings, sugar and water. Allow to cook on medium to high heat until it comes to a boil, string often. When the sauce begins to bubble, turn the heat to low, then eventually off to allow it to cool.
Canning the sauce:
My preferred method of canning has always been utilizing a water bath, I find it simple and effective for this type of canning. While the jars are in the water bath I often take that time to clean my kitchen, when everything is done, I have plenty of yummy sauce and a clean space to enjoy it in - it's a good feeling, my friends!
To start I sterilize all my canning jars by placing them in the sink and pouring boiling water in them. After they are sterilized I fill them with the hot marinara sauce to about an inch to an inch and a half from the top of the jar. After making sure the rim of the jar is clean I place a lid (which is also sterilized in boiling water) on top and screw on the metal screw band as tightly as possible. After placing them in my water bath, I fill it (or you can use a stock pot) with water until the jars are completely submerged and turn on high heat.
Ball Water Bath Canning Kit
Leave about 1" of space from the sauce to the top of the jar.
When the water reaches a roaring boil, start a timer for 25 minutes. When the time is up, remove jars carefully from the water and place them in an area where they can cool without getting bumped or moved. You will hear them seal themselves with a pop sound as they seal. Sometimes this happens as soon as they leave the water, others will take more time. A sealed jar will have a lid that does not move or make sound when you press on it.
Happy canning!
That moment when you hear you canning jars seal, perfection!
This marinara sauce is perfect with a pasta dish or as a dipping sauce.
