Can anyone recommend a good recipe for a basic Marinara sauce to be canned? I've got 6 San Marzano tomato plants that are producing like crazy, ready to start preserving some of this, but have never done tomato sauce (but am experienced with both pressure and water bath canning). I prefer pressure canning due to increased safety factor, though I know if acidic enough tomatoes and sauce can be water bath canned.

I just did that very thing this weekend. I decided to make mine as more of a pre-marinara sauce and reduce it as I use it. I dunked the tomatoes into boiling water for a minute so I could slip the skins off.

I put some olive oil and garlic into a big pot and cooked it some. Added tomatoes and mashed with a potato masher. I'm growing basil and oregano so that went in as well. Salt and ground pepper.
Cooked it for a few minutes and then canned it up. I did add lemon juice to bring the acidity up as mine is a water bath.

All of my tomatoes came in at once so I had to do something. Last year it was just plain tomatoes and lemon juice and they were pretty good.

I'm thinking of getting a pressure canner for next year. What do you use and do you like it?

Good luck. Happy eating!

^^^^^^^ I would not advise water bath canning anything with olive oil. It's not safe.

As far as which one to get, go with All American. They are the best you can buy. It'll cost you, but it's worth it. I have the 930 and love it.

I'm with Gustofer... No oil if at all possible.

I used to pressure can tomato recipes but now I just can tomatoes in various forms like diced and pureed. I also can ground meat and other things so that when I want a marinara or any other tomato sauce I pull out what I need and put it together.

Also a big fan of All American pressure cookers. I have a 925 which was a bit of a mistake. A 930 would have been better as I could have canned 2 layers of quart sized jars. They are built like tanks and are literally generational canners.

Mark

As for pressure canners, mine is also an All-American - I gave it to my mother 15 years ago, she gifted it back to me as she no longer cans anything. Its a beast, can't remember which model, but will hold 7 quarts. Good for my purposes. Larger would probably be too much for my small garden.

No Oil huh? Think if I use it up within a couple of weeks it'll be o.k.? I probably used 3-4 tablespoons total.

You asked for a recipe, but why not just can the tomatoes and make the recipe to suit the dish? There are so many uses for your excellent home grown and canned 'maters besides Italian dihes. Like Swiss Steak. Like chili. Like gumbo. I could go on and on.

quote:

Originally posted by mark_a:
I'm with Gustofer... No oil if at all possible.

I used to pressure can tomato recipes but now I just can tomatoes in various forms like diced and pureed. I also can ground meat and other things so that when I want a marinara or any other tomato sauce I pull out what I need and put it together.
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Sounds like a good plan.

quote:

Originally posted by 9x18:
No Oil huh? Think if I use it up within a couple of weeks it'll be o.k.? I probably used 3-4 tablespoons total.

Just keeping it in the fridge or freezer makes more sense if using it within that time frame.

quote:

Originally posted by cne32507:
You asked for a recipe, but why not just can the tomatoes and make the recipe to suit the dish? There are so many uses for your excellent home grown and canned 'maters besides Italian dihes. Like Swiss Steak. Like chili. Like gumbo. I could go on and on.

That sounds like a flexible idea. Like tomato paste.