***DISCLAIMER: This is NOT a tested canning recipe. The picture shows canning jars, but that’s before I learned this isn’t a safe recipe to can.

Spaghetti Sauce for Canning

30 cups of tomatoes, peeled, cored, and diced (can use tomato puree —see blog post for instructions)
6-1/2 to 7 cups diced onions (I usually use 3 large yellow onions)
10 garlic cloves, finely minced (about 1 head of garlic)
2/3 cup olive oil
30 ounces tomato paste
3 tablespoons leaf basil, crumbled
6 whole bay leaves
2 tablespoons salt
6 tablespoons oregano
5 tablespoons leaf thyme
2/3 cup sugar

**Note: If you use fresh herbs instead of dried, double the amount listed above.

Place diced tomatoes (or tomato puree if you use a food mill) in a large stockpot. In another pot, heat the olive oil, and sauté diced onions for 5 minutes. Add minced garlic to the onions, and sauté for an additional 5 minutes. You want the onions to be soft and translucent, not brown. Stir frequently to prevent scorching – and garlic burns easily, so keep your eye on it. When soft, add the onion mixture to the stockpot with the tomatoes.

Add remaining ingredients to the tomatoes, and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. You don’t want it to boil but cook at a nice simmer. Cook until it reaches your desired consistently. This may take several hours depending on the type of tomatoes you use and how thick you like your sauce (I usually cook for about 2-3 hours). If it isn’t thick enough for you, you can add more tomato paste as well. Taste as you cook, and adjust spices and salt as needed.

When finished cooking, remove bay leaves (and other stems if using fresh herbs). Ladle sauce into freezer containers and freeze.

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