Spaghetti Sauce Without Meat

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1Wash 7 pint jars, bands, and new lids in hot soapy water and keep the jars hot 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, blanch 30 to 60 seconds in boiling water, cool in ice water, slip off the skins, cut out the cores, and coarsely chop the tomatoes.
4. 4In a large stockpot, saute the onion, garlic, celery, and bell pepper in the oil over medium heat for 5 minutes until softened, keeping the vegetable amounts within the limits listed above.
5. 5Add the chopped tomatoes to the pot and simmer uncovered, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, for about 1 hour until the volume reduces by nearly half and the sauce thickens.
6. 6Stir in the sugar, oregano, and basil during the last 15 minutes of cooking, tasting and adjusting seasoning as needed.
7. 7Add 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 1 teaspoon canning salt per jar.
8. 8Ladle the hot sauce into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace.
9. 9Remove air bubbles with a nonmetallic tool, wipe the rims free of sauce, center the lids, and screw the bands on fingertip tight.
10. 10Process 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.
11. 11Turn off the heat, wait 5 minutes, then move the jars with a jar lifter to a towel-lined counter and let cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours.
12. 12Check the seals by pressing the lid centers, label with contents, acid added, and date, and refrigerate any unsealed jar.
13. 13Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place up to about 1 year; refrigerate after opening and use within about a week.
14. 14Never omit the bottled lemon juice or citric acid, and never increase the onion, pepper, or celery beyond the tested amounts given here, since this vegetable-to-tomato ratio combined with the added acid is what has been shown safe for boiling-water processing.