Tomato-Basil Sauce

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1Wash 6 pint jars, bands, and new lids in hot soapy water and keep the jars hot until ready to fill.
2. 2Simmer the new lids in hot water according to the manufacturer's instructions.
3. 3Wash the tomatoes, score an X on the bottom of each, blanch 30 to 60 seconds in boiling water, cool in an ice water bath, slip off the skins, cut out the cores, and chop the tomatoes.
4. 4In a large pot, saute the chopped onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until softened but not browned, then add the chopped tomatoes.
5. 5Simmer the tomato mixture uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 40 minutes until it thickens to a sauce consistency, then stir in the chopped basil, salt, and pepper during the last 2 minutes of cooking.
6. 6Add the required acid to each hot, empty jar before filling: 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid per pint jar (double for quarts).
7. 7Ladle the hot sauce into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace.
8. 8Remove air bubbles with a nonmetallic spatula, wipe the rims clean, center the lids, and screw the bands on fingertip tight.
9. 9Process in a boiling-water canner, jars covered by 1 to 2 inches of water, timing from a full rolling boil: 35 minutes for pints and 40 minutes for quarts at 0-1,000 ft, adding 5 minutes at 1,001-3,000 ft, 10 minutes at 3,001-6,000 ft, 15 minutes at 6,001-8,000 ft, or 20 minutes above 8,000 ft.
10. 10Turn off the heat, wait 5 minutes, then transfer jars to a towel-lined counter with a jar lifter and let cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours.
11. 11Press each lid to confirm sealing, label with contents, acid added, and date, and refrigerate any jar that did not seal.
12. 12Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place up to about 1 year; refrigerate after opening and use within about a week.
13. 13The bottled lemon juice or citric acid is required in every jar, and the chopped onion and garlic must not exceed the amounts listed here, since increasing low-acid ingredients beyond the tested ratio can make the jar unsafe even with added acid.