Pizza or Pasta Sauce
adapted from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving (Kingry and Devine)
Makes enough sauce to fill 4-5 pint jars.
13 cups fresh plum tomato puree (about 9 lbs of fresh tomatoes)
1/2 cup bottled lemon juice
4 tsp Italian seasoning blend (ours includes basil, oregano, and thyme)
3 tsp aleppo pepper (can substitute 1-2 tsp red pepper flakes)
3 tsp garlic powder
4 tsp cracked anise
1 tsp salt
If canning the sauce, prepare water bath canner, jars and lids.
Place 6 cups of the tomato puree in a large non-reactive sauce pan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Add remaining tomato puree one cup at a time, being certain to keep the puree at a constant boil (this step tempers the tomatoes, preventing the unsightly separation of the juice from the pulp later on). Stir in lemon juice and seasonings until thoroughly combined.
Allow the mixture to boil vehemently for 25-30 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened to your liking.
Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with a non-metallic spatula, and maintain headspace by adding additional sauce if needed. Wipe rim of canning jar to remove debris, center hot lid on jar, and screw on band until finger-tip tight. Process pint jars in a water bath canner for 35 minutes (quarts for 40 minutes). When jars have finished processing, remove canner lid and wait five minutes before removing jars.
All content © 2011 Burp! Where Food Happens. www.eatatburp.com