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Homemade Canned Tomato Sauce with Fresh Basil

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A rich, velvety tomato sauce made from fresh Roma or San Marzano tomatoes, simmered low and slow with garlic, onion, and fresh basil. Perfect for canning to enjoy summer’s bounty all year long.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 10 lbs ripe Roma or San Marzano tomatoes (washed, cored, and roughly chopped)
  • 2 medium yellow onions (finely diced)
  • 6 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves (packed, then thinly sliced or chiffonade)
  • 6 to 8 pint-sized canning jars (with new lids and bands)
  • 1 large water bath canner (or deep stockpot with rack)
  • 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice per jar

Instructions

  1. Prepare the tomatoes: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Score a small ‘X’ on the bottom of each tomato. Drop tomatoes into boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds until skins peel back. Transfer to ice water bath. Peel, core, and roughly chop tomatoes.
  2. Sauté the aromatics: In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onions and cook 5-6 minutes until soft and translucent. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Cook the sauce: Add chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper, and sugar (if using). Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 45-60 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until sauce thickens and reduces by about a third. Optionally, use an immersion blender for smoother sauce.
  4. Add fresh basil: Turn off heat. Stir in sliced basil. Let sit 5 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Prepare jars and canner: Wash jars, lids, and bands in hot soapy water. Place jars in water bath canner, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Keep jars hot. Heat lids in simmering water (do not boil).
  6. Fill jars: Using jar lifter, remove one hot jar. Add 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice to each pint jar. Ladle hot sauce into jar, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with bubble remover or chopstick. Wipe rim, center lid, and screw on band fingertip-tight.
  7. Process jars: Place filled jars back into canner, ensuring 1 inch water coverage. Bring to rolling boil. Process pint jars for 35 minutes (40 minutes for quarts). Start timer when water returns to full boil.
  8. Cool and test seals: Turn off heat, let jars sit 5 minutes. Transfer to towel-lined counter. Cool undisturbed 12-24 hours. Press center of each lid; if it doesn’t flex, jar is sealed. Refrigerate unsealed jars and use within a week.

Notes

For a smoother sauce, use an immersion blender after simmering. If sauce tastes too acidic, add a pinch of baking soda. Always use bottled lemon juice for safe canning. Store sealed jars in a cool, dark pantry for up to 12 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: homemade tomato sauce, canned tomato sauce, fresh basil, canning recipe, summer tomatoes, pantry staple

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