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    Home » In the kitchen » Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce (for canning)

    Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce (for canning)

    Published: Mar 2, 2021 by Laura · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    The perfect sauce to make the most of fresh summer tomatoes and basil. You can bottle it, freeze it or eat it right away. Perfect for pasta, on pizza, with meatballs, in spaghetti bolognese or in lasagne.

    6 pint jars of homemade tomato basil pasta sauce

    It's the March "made from scratch" challenge! If you missed the last ones, you can check out all of the previous challenge recipes here.

    Bottling tomatoes is a reasonably new thing to me. I've always bottled fruit, made jams and chutneys but it was only since I started making tomato salsa and canning diced tomatoes that I've really discovered the whole new world that comes with bottling tomatoes.

    Last year I used my garden tomatoes to make pasta sauces that I froze. This was an awesome way to do it but I am terrible at remembering to take things out of the freezer before I need them. This is one of the things that I love the most about canning or bottling. The jar is sitting on your shelf and can be opened and used immediately!

    Plus, I get so much satisfaction from seeing jars of homemade preserves lined up on the shelf.

    Because I know a lot of you are interested in canning, this is the tested recipe that I have been using out of the Ball Blue Book of Preserving. As you know, using a tested recipe when it comes to canning is crucial, particularly when tomatoes are involved. For more information on canning, check out this post.

    If you are not into preserving, this recipe can also be frozen - the bonus of that is that you can add any extra vegetables while you are making it as they freeze well. Try carrots, zucchini, peppers or spinach. If you are canning, you can't change the ratios or just add in vegetables as you please as this will change the acidity of the recipe meaning that it may not be safe for canning.

    Alternatively you can try my marinara sauce recipe - perfect for making a double batch of and freezing!

    Equipment needed:

    • Water bath canner or large stockpot with rack/trivet
    • Jars, lids and bands
    • A second large stockpot to cook the sauce in
    • Chopping board, knife, tea towels, ladle, jar funnel
    • Food mill or stick mixer/food processor

    How to make the sauce:

    • Prepare your water bath canner. Wash jars and lids and bands in hot soapy water. Keep the jars hot in the water bath and keep the lids and bands in a small jug covered with warm water.
    Ball mason lids and bands in a pot of water
    • Wash the tomatoes, remove cores and cut into quarters. Set aside.
    • Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until transparent. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    onions and garlic being sautéed
    Tomato sauce cooking in stockpot
    • Run the hot mixture through a food mill. Discard the skins and seeds. If you don't have a food mill you can puree it in a food processor or with a stick mixer. For a smoother sauce, after you have done this, press the mixture through a sieve to remove skins and seeds.
    Tomato sauce being pushed through a food mill
    • Add the tomato puree back to the pot along with the salt and the basil. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until volume is reduced by about one third to one half, stirring to prevent sticking. This will take about 1 hour.
    • Add ¼ teaspoon citric acid or 1 Tablespoon bottled lemon juice to each hot pint jar. Ladle hot sauce into hot jars leaving ½ inch headspace. Use a chopstick or small spatula to remove air bubbles. Wipe the rim clean and center the lid on the jar. Apply band and adjust until it is fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
    Water bath canning set up
    Filling a jar with sauce and a canning funnel
    • Process pint jars for 35 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars and cool.
    Jars of tomato sauce in a waterbath canner

    How to get creative:

    While you can't adjust the amount of low acid ingredients such as onions and garlic in this recipe, you can experiment with herbs and spices. I did 3 different varieties of this sauce:

    • ¼ cup fresh basil for a basic tomato basil sauce (this is how the recipe is written below)
    • 2 Tablespoons fresh basil and 2 Tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley
    • Replace the basil with ¼ cup fresh coriander + add to each jar, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin, ½ teaspoon chilli powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper for a Mexican tomato sauce that I will use as a base for enchiladas or in nachos/burritos

    This sauce is perfect for stirring through pasta, adding to cooked mince to make spaghetti bolognese or lasagne or even for using as a pizza sauce! It makes dinner quick, easy and so tasty!

    Recipe adapted slightly from Ball Blue Book of Preserving

    6 pint jars of homemade tomato basil pasta sauce

    Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

    The perfect sauce to make the most of fresh summer tomatoes and basil. You can bottle it, freeze it or eat it right away. Perfect for pasta, on pizza, with meatballs, in spaghetti bolognese or in lasagne.
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 2 hours hours
    Servings: 8 pint (500ml) jars
    Author: Laura

    Equipment

    • 8 pint/500ml glass preserving jars with lids and bands

    Ingredients

    • 9 kg tomatoes
    • 1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
    • 6 cloves garlic , minced
    • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • ¼ cup fresh basil , finely chopped
    • ¼ teaspoon citric acid or 1 Tablespoon bottled lemon juice per hot jar

    Instructions

    • Prepare your water bath canner. Wash jars and lids and bands in hot soapy water. Keep the jars hot in the water bath and keep the lids and bands in a small jug covered with warm water.
    • Wash the tomatoes, remove cores and cut into quarters. Set aside.
    • Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until transparent. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    • Run the hot mixture through a food mill. Discard the skins and seeds. If you don't have a food mill you can puree it in a food processor or with a stick mixer. For a smoother sauce, after you have done this, press the mixture through a sieve to remove skins and seeds.
    • Add the tomato puree back to the pot along with the salt and the basil. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until volume is reduced by about one third to one half, stirring to prevent sticking. This will take about 1 hour.
    • Add ¼ teaspoon citric acid or 1 Tablespoon bottled lemon juice to each hot pint jar. Ladle hot sauce into hot jars leaving ½ inch headspace. Use a chopstick or small spatula to remove air bubbles. Wipe the rim clean and center the lid on the jar. Apply band and adjust until it is fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
    • Process pint jars for 35 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars and cool.
    • Remove the jars carefully from the water bath and let cool to room temperature. Check to make sure the jars have sealed correctly (if any jars haven’t sealed correctly, they will need to be refrigerated/frozen or re-processed).
    Nutrition Facts
    Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    230
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    4
    g
    6
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    6
    %
    Sodium
     
    639
    mg
    28
    %
    Potassium
     
    2707
    mg
    77
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    46
    g
    15
    %
    Fiber
     
    14
    g
    58
    %
    Sugar
     
    30
    g
    33
    %
    Protein
     
    10
    g
    20
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    9411
    IU
    188
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    156
    mg
    189
    %
    Calcium
     
    123
    mg
    12
    %
    Iron
     
    3
    mg
    17
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Tag @thekiwicountrygirl or tag #thekiwicountrygirl!
    « Homemade Tomato Salsa (for canning)
    Chicken Fried Rice »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jan S says

      January 26, 2025 at 3:00 pm

      5 stars
      the best pasta sauce ever the whole family love it

      Reply
    2. Kristy says

      January 07, 2025 at 12:35 am

      Hi Laura, how long are you able to keep the sauce in the pantry for before opening? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Laura says

        February 05, 2025 at 8:46 pm

        As long as the jar sealed properly, it will keep almost indefinitely, but the quality will start to deteriorate over time. I work on using them within 1-2 years

        Reply
    3. Colleen says

      March 20, 2024 at 12:33 pm

      why do you add the citric acid to the jar and then put the sauce in it

      Reply
      • Laura says

        March 21, 2024 at 12:31 pm

        The citric acid is what adjusts the pH level of the sauce to make it safe for water bath canning - putting the citric acid in each jar ensures that each jar has the correct level of acidity

        Reply
    4. Robyn Skerten says

      February 19, 2024 at 10:32 am

      Hi Laura, I know canning is more sterile, but I wonder if you have tried using previous store bought pasta sauce jars and metal lids? I could add some cider vinegar and a little sugar. Thank you, Robyn

      Reply
      • Laura says

        March 24, 2024 at 12:15 pm

        Hi Robyn. You can still water bath using old pasta sauce jars and lids as long as the lids are in good condition! I would not recommend using the overflow method for this sauce as it's too low in acidity to be sure it's safe at room temperature

        Reply
    5. Amber Brooks says

      May 13, 2023 at 2:17 pm

      Hi there I have a batch of pasta sauce on the oven in one of the comments it says you can use a normal pan for canning how do you do this? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Laura says

        September 03, 2023 at 3:18 pm

        Hi Amber, yes you can use a large stockpot to waterbath, if you read this post, it will take you through the process - https://www.thekiwicountrygirl.com/beginners-guide-to-water-bath-canning-bottling/

        Reply
    6. Tammy says

      February 27, 2023 at 12:14 pm

      I don't have a water bath is it just as easy to make sauce and freeze it?

      Reply
      • Laura says

        September 03, 2023 at 2:48 pm

        It sure is! I've done this a lot too!

        Reply
    7. Danika says

      November 01, 2022 at 7:05 am

      How come salt is listed but then not mentioned in the recipe? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Laura says

        September 08, 2023 at 12:24 pm

        That is a great question and it's because I forgot to put it in the instructions! Thanks for pointing that out! I've amended the recipe card now, I add the salt with the basil after I have run the tomatoes through the food mill!

        Reply
    8. Maria says

      August 11, 2022 at 5:23 pm

      Good recipe ... I always oven bake quartered tomatoes with de-skinned red capsicum, garlic, olive oil & seasoning ... this method really brings out the sweetness in the tomatoes.

      Reply
    9. Angie says

      May 05, 2022 at 10:09 pm

      Hi, our family have always made tomato relish and put into hot jam jars with pop lids that reseal. It does have a lot of sugar and vinegar in it though. Is that what makes the difference where relish can be kept this way, but a sauce as per your recipe can't be?
      Cheers, Angie

      Reply
      • Laura says

        June 14, 2022 at 10:57 am

        Hi Angie, that's exactly it! The sugar and vinegar helps preserve things like relishes it without the need for water bathing (although I still water bath everything now, just for that extra peace of mind!

        Reply
    10. Cassy says

      March 29, 2022 at 11:14 pm

      Hi, my Tomatoes are ripening slowly and sporadically, can I freeze them whole in say 2kg lots until I've enough to make this recipe, or will the consistency be affected by using defrosted tomatoes?

      Reply
      • Laura says

        June 14, 2022 at 11:24 am

        Hi Cassy, you can absolutely do this!

        Reply
        • Lucy says

          February 12, 2024 at 6:42 pm

          Hi there,
          I'm wanting to make a pasta sauce using my yellow cherry tomatoes but in much smaller quantities than this, more like 1kg toms, does the amount of onion and garlic make a bit difference if preserving? Also what about the basil? Alternative is that I just add basil to the tomatoes and process as a passata and preserve if basil won't affect acidity etc for preserving.... Hope that makes sense! Thanks

        • Laura says

          April 20, 2024 at 9:35 pm

          Hi Lucy, yes you would need to reduce the amount of onions/garlic to keep the same ratio of tomatoes:onions/garlic however basil won't matter, you can add as much or as little of that as you like as that won't affect the acidity!

    11. Helen says

      January 21, 2022 at 7:55 pm

      If I want to freeze the sauce, does the recipe still require the citric acid/lemon juice?

      Reply
      • Laura says

        January 24, 2022 at 12:59 pm

        Hi Helen, no you can leave that out if you are freezing it!

        Reply
    12. Marion says

      March 11, 2021 at 8:16 am

      Can I just add to mixture to hot jars and seal them with the bands? I don't have a canner like yours.

      Reply
      • Laura says

        May 30, 2021 at 10:33 pm

        Hi Marion, not with tomatoes, they are a bit tricky when it comes to preserving. Any large stockpot will work but if you don't have anything suitable, you can freeze this sauce too.

        Reply
        • Andoria Watherston says

          March 16, 2022 at 5:35 pm

          I always make my pasta sauce (as per your recipe no lemon juice and put into j clean hot jars and seal). My tomato sauce is also just put in same clean hot jars. Never a problem.

    5 from 8 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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