Canned Homemade Tomato Sauce: A Family Tradition That Keeps Giving
There’s something magical about tomatoes harvested in season and then turned into fresh, homemade canned tomato sauce. It’s a tradition I’ve followed for decades, and each batch is unique, reflecting the flavors of the local growing season. Unlike store-bought brands with their consistent taste, this sauce ebbs and flows with the quality of the tomatoes—and that’s exactly what makes it special.
This recipe is simple: olive oil, onions, tomatoes, and a little salt. That’s it! No extra seasonings or spices because I like to keep it as versatile as possible. By leaving it plain, this sauce becomes a blank canvas for countless dishes throughout the year. Want to take it Italian? Just add oregano. Thinking of Mexican flavors? A dash of cumin will do the trick. The combinations are endless, making it the perfect base for all kinds of meals.
What I love most is that this recipe connects me to something bigger. Home canning is, sadly, a lost art in today’s world, but the satisfaction of preserving a bit of the season for the entire year is undeniable. And for me, it’s more than just a practical kitchen task. In a way, I’m keeping the family tradition of canning alive. My Grandpa Ballard, a veterinarian, was one of Canada’s great innovators when he invented canning for dog food under the brand 'Dr. Ballard's Dog Food.'
So when I make this tomato sauce, it’s more than just preparing for the year ahead—it’s about honoring the tradition of preserving food, something that’s been in our family for generations. I hope this recipe inspires you to try your hand at canning and experience that same satisfaction all year long.
Enjoy making it, enjoy eating it, and most importantly—enjoy keeping a tradition alive.
Canned Homemade Tomato Sauce
Special Note: This recipe makes about 8 qts/litres of tomato sauce. And all ingredients are approximate.
Ingredients:
Equipment: 12 qt roasting pan
3/4c olive oil
5 large sweet onions, chopped
apprx. 20lbs ripe tomatoes, chopped
3tsp salt
Canning Equipment:
Large canning kettle and lid (jars need to be covered with 1inch of water during boiling water bath)
Canning kettle insert - (jars sitting directly on bottom of pot can crack during canning process)
Hand-held tool for moving jars around
A canning funnel to ease placement of ingredients in jar without spilling
Pot, with lid, to sterilize canning lids
Instructions for Tomato Sauce:
place oil in roasting pot.
Add chopped onions.
Place on stove and saute on low heat (keep on low heat. As tempting as higher heat is, this can easily lead to scorching that affects the flavour of the entire batch.)
While onions begin to soften, core and chop tomatoes. I like a finer chop to minimze the size of tomato skin in the final sauce.
Once the onions are softened, add 1tsp kosher salt.
Add the tomatoes. I find that the tomatoes fill up over the top of the roasting pan.
Keep on low heat and gently stir. Watch the sauce closely to prevent scorching and boiling over.
Add 2tsp kosher salt.
I find that the cooking at this stage takes about 4 hours. It will boil down a good 2 inches. I like a thicker sauce, but not too thick. Boil to your desired consistency.
Instructions for Canning:
In the last hour of cooking the tomato sauce, begin getting ready for the canning process.
Wash jars and add to canning kettle filled with water.
Bring to a boil.
To sterilize, boil for 10 minutes right before canning.
Just before removing jars from the boiling water, boil snap lids for 5 minutes to soften sealing compound.
Dip clean funnel in boiling water to quickly blanche for sterilization. Now fill hot jars, using funnel, with tomato sauce.
Leave 1/2” headspace (space between top of sauce and jar rim).
if needed, dip a corner of folded paper towel in boiled water and use the corner to wipe any rims that may have any sauce drips on them. This is to ensure a clean rim for a solid seal.
Remove snap lids one at a time from boiled water. I move quickly at this point. I drain the water off the lids and then immediately place on jars, only to ‘finger tip’ tight. This allows rising steam, created inside the jar during processing, to be exhausted.
Place jars carefully back into the canning kettel.
Put the lid back on and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, process (leave in boiling water) for 55 minutes.
Remove carefully from canning kettle. DO NOT TOUCH THE LIDS.
You will hear some ‘pops’. This is good. This is the seal ‘popping’ into place.
Do not touch for at least 24 hours to allow complete cooling and setting of the lids.
Label, date and store jars in a cool dark place.
