If you’re looking for a simple marinara sauce to can that is super versatile…look no further. I depend on this spaghetti sauce for so many different recipes!

Of course we use it in spaghetti…but also in casseroles that call for marinara sauce, chicken parmesan, even in pizza type-dishes. Anything that needs an Italian flare; I use this sauce.

I can bunches of it! For this recipe I’ll include the instructions for my big batch of sauce. It uses half a bushel of garden fresh tomatoes. A nice dent in the harvest! And it yields one of my favorite things to use all year long: marinara!

Supplies You Need to Can Marinara Sauce

If you haven’t already, check out my post on how to get started canning your own food. The supplies to water bath can are as follows:

Water bath canner

Mason jars This particular recipe makes 4 quart jars

Lids and bands

Canning funnel

Canning tongs

Stockpot for cooking the sauce

Large spoon for filling jars

Immersion blender for pureeing the sauce

For this recipe, you will need the biggest stockpot you own! This makes a bunch, I’m telling you. Or, you can always half the recipe.

What You Will Need for the Marinara Sauce

-25 pounds of tomatoes. Yes, this is a lot. I’m telling you, this is for a big bunch! This pretty much equals a half bushel basket. If you don’t have a scale that reads this big of an amount, just fill your half bushel basket full, and that will be fine.

-1 pound onion. I weigh out a pound of our garden onions. They are small, so I use several of them. (This equals to about 2 store bought onions.)

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-6-8 cloves of garlic

-2 tbsp kosher salt

-1 tbsp dried oregano

-1 tsp dried rosemary and 1 tsp dried thyme

-1/2 to 1 tsp black pepper

-3 tbsp of bottled lemon juice per quart jar

Instructions for Cooking the Marinara Sauce

First, you will blanch all of the tomatoes. This means you will first wash them, then put a pot of water to boil. Have a container full of ice water on the side.

When the water is boiling, start adding five or six tomatoes at a time. Boil them for only 30 seconds to a minute. The skins will start to peel back. When this happens, scoop the tomatoes out then plunge them into the ice water. Keep adding tomatoes to boil until you run out!

When all the tomatoes are blanched, you can begin peeling and coring them. I do this at my sink.

As I work, I’ll place the peeled and cored tomatoes into my HUGE stockpot.

In this photo, I’ve really got ’em packed in there. But it’ll be ok.

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Next, use your immersion blender to blend all the tomatoes up into a smooth sauce. This will make it seem a little less…overflowing.

Place the stockpot on the stove to boil.

Keep an eye on the pot, because it may start to foam. Just scrape the foam off the top and continue to watch it until the sauce starts condensing.

Boil for 3-4 hours or until nearly reduced by half.

After the sauce is reduced…

Add in the onions and garlic. I chop the onions in big chunks, and keep the garlic whole.

Blend again with the immersion blender. Everything should be smooth. (Unless you like a chunky sauce, you could leave the onions in bigger pieces, it’s up to you.)

Then add the rest of the spices. (Don’t add the lemon juice though.)

Let it simmer for a few more minutes, just so the flavors meld, and taste it so see if it’s to your liking. If you would like more salt, you should add it now!

How to Can the Sauce

Now, be sure to have your water bath canner already set up with the jars in the water. Turn on the heat, and have the jars hot, and also have a small bowl filled with hot water for the lids and bands.

Taking one jar out at a time, use your canning funnel you will first add 3 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice to EACH jar. (If you want to can in pints, just use 1 1/2 tablespoons in each pint jar.)

Then, fill the jars full of sauce. Leave a good inch of headspace from the top of the jar.

Wipe rims clean, and screw on the lid.

Place the jar back in the hot canner.

When all the jars are filled (you should have 4 quarts, or nearly 8-9 pints, if you choose pints) turn the heat up so the water is boiling in the water bath canner.

Finally, process the marinara sauce for 40 minutes.

After the time is up, turn off the heat, let them sit in the canner for about five minutes, then carefully remove the jars with the canning tongs.

Make Your Meal Prep Easier

I just can’t tell you how much I love opening a jar of my homemade marinara in the dead of winter. I know it’s cheap to buy at the store…and making it this way takes so much time…but I love it anyway!

It’s something I always make every summer. And I’m so glad of it when I am needing that jar of spaghetti sauce for a quick meal.

Want to see more canning recipes?

Check out my Canning section for more!

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