Canning Home Made Marinara Sauce

My father and mother in law have been canning since, from what I can tell and they claim, God was a child. Aside from the growing trend in eating seasonally, I wanted to learn this family tradition that was so important during their childhood and even today.

It was actually an easy process which I enjoyed. I will definitely experiment in the future with other methods and techniques as well as more interesting recipes. For now though, in the midst of tomato season, I felt it appropriate to make and can some tomato sauce to keep me warm throughout the long winter.

Some basics in canning

1. Sterilize jars. There are three methods to sterilization:

- Dishwasher with a high temperature wash and dry cycle.

- Place jars in a hot pot of water water at a rolling boil for 20 mins.

- Or place jars in oven 200 fahrenheit for 45 mins.

2. Sterilize lids by placing them in a pot with boiling water for about 15 minutes.

3. Place warmed sauce (or whatever it is you are preserving) in hot jar. Leave about 1 inch between the sauce and the top of the jar. The sauce needs room to boil and steam.

4. Wipe the rims of the jars clean or it won't seal. No food should touch any part of the lid.

5. Place hot lid on the jars. Do not tighten all the way. A way to make sure is to tighten all the way then un-tighten by an inch.

4. Place jars in the appropriate container depending on your canning method. Canning methods are:

- Water bath

- Pressure cooker

- Steam canner

5. Follow the directions on your preferred method.

In this circumstance, we used a steam canner. The steam canner looks like an upside down pot where the shallow lid is actually the bottom and the large container is actually a lid. We will keep the jars in the steam canner for 45 minutes. The timing begins when we see the steam come out of the opening in a stream of about 8 inches.

After 45 mins, take the jars out and put in a warm place. The lids should not make a "pop" sound when you push down on it. If it does, then either go through the canning process again or use immediately as the food is not properly preserved and will not be safe for later consumption.

Please note, non acidic vegetables and meats need to be canned by a pressure cooker.

Sauce

I quadrupled this recipe to make at least 4 large mason jars of sauce.

8 pounds of tomatoes - blanched so the skin is easy to peel. Once the skin is off, chop the tomatoes and add to a large pot on medium heat along with any juices from the tomatoes.

Make a mirepoix

2 2/3 cups finely chopped carrots

2 2/3 cups finely chopped onions

2 2/3 cups finely chopped celery

Add mirepoix to the large pot. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Add additional spices to your liking. Possible additions:

- Chopped garlic

- Fresh or dry herbs: basil, sage, oregano, rosemary, bay leaf, parsley, italian seasonings, etc

- Balsamic vinegar

- Crushed red pepper

- An anchovy (Mainly used for the saltiness of the fish. Take out the anchovy when finished)

When the tomatoes have cooked down, add 1 cup of olive oil. Stir and taste again. This may be a good time to add fresh herbs if you like your herbs to be very fresh and not cooked into the sauce. Cook for another 10 minutes. If you prefer a creamier sauce, put the sauce through a food processor to the consistency of your liking.

* Note: The carrots will add a sweetness to the sauce and an orange color to it. Omit the carrots if you prefer neither.