Larry, you are not in trouble. I am so very sorry to hear that you lost your wife. My condolences to you.

I have not canned this, but hear it is good. You can also freeze the sauce if you don't want to can it. This recipe is safe to use, I saw some that called for large amounts of oil, and that would not be safe to use. Stick with the amounts of the vegetables, too, in this recipe or it won't be acidic enough to can safely. You can use different amounts of the dried seasonings without any problem.

I hope it is similar to your wife's recipe.

ITALIAN SEASONED TOMATO SAUCE

10 pounds tomatoes
3 onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon each dried basil, oregano, Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
Bottled lemon juice or citric acid

Wash tomatoes; drain. Peel, core and cut into small pieces; set aside.

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil in a large saucepot. Add tomatoes and seasonings. Simmer about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Press mixture through a sieve or food mill; discard seeds. Cook pulp in a large, uncovered saucepot over medium-high heat until sauce thickens, stirring to prevent sticking.

Add 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid to each pint jar. Carefully ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe jar rim clean. Place lid on jar with sealing compound next to glass. Screw band down evenly and firmly just until a point of resistance is met - fingertip tight.

Process 35 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Yield: about 4 pints.