Recipe: Italian Seasoned Tomato Sauce (for canning)

If you follow the recipe exactly, you can water bath this one. If you change anything, you can put yourself at a risk of botulism. Otherwise, you must pressure can.

Italian Seasoned Tomato Sauce

10 pounds tomatoes
3 onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon each 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

Prepare Ball brand or Kerr brand jars and closures according to instructions found in Canning Basics.

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

For altitude adjustment increase processing as indicated below:
1,001 - 3,000 ft ...5 minutes
3,001 - 6,000 ft .10 minutes
6,001 - 8,000 ft .15 minutes
8,001 - 10,000 ft ...20 minutes