Canned Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1Wash 7 pint jars, bands, and new lids in hot soapy water, then keep the jars hot in a pot of simmering water, a warm dishwasher, or a low oven until filling time.
2. 2Simmer the new lids in hot water per the manufacturer's directions.
3. 3Wash the tomatoes, score an X on the bottom of each, blanch 30 to 60 seconds in boiling water until the skins split, cool in an ice water bath, slip off the skins, and cut out the cores; quarter the tomatoes.
4. 4Simmer the quartered tomatoes in a large pot, crushing as they heat, until soft, about 10 to 15 minutes, then run through a food mill to remove skins and seeds.
5. 5Return the milled tomato pulp to the pot and simmer uncovered, stirring often to prevent scorching, for 20 to 30 minutes or until it reduces to a sauce consistency that mounds slightly on a spoon.
6. 6Add the required acid directly to each hot, empty jar before filling: 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid per pint jar (double for quarts), plus salt if desired.
7. 7Ladle the hot sauce into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace.
8. 8Remove trapped air bubbles with a nonmetallic tool, wipe the rims free of sauce, center the lids, and screw the bands on fingertip tight.
9. 9Process in a boiling-water canner with 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 with a jar lifter to a towel-lined counter and let them cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours.
11. 11Confirm each lid is sealed by pressing the center, label jars with contents, acid added, and date, and refrigerate any unsealed jar for near-term use.
12. 12Store in a cool, dark place for up to about 1 year; refrigerate after opening and use within about a week.
13. 13Always add the full amount of bottled lemon juice or citric acid; do not rely on the tomatoes' own acidity, which is inconsistent and borderline.