I love Tomatoes. Since I started making my own pasta sauce, I have not bought any store bought sauces for a long time. I am still learning what makes the best sauce, but think I have settled on what I concidered the best. The first sauce I made was from VF Roma's, a hybrid tomato, (but more on that later). At that time, I did'nt even know the difference between Determinate or Indeterminate tomatoes. I wondered why my VF Roma plants were so short. I learned that Determinate simply put, are Bush type, and Indeterminate were Vining. At any rate, I got 70 lbs of tomatoes off 5 plants, and started my sauce making venture. I canned 54 pints that year, and the sauce was good, but could I do better?....
The following year, I decided to try growing the standard for tomato sauce, San Marzano, which is an heirloom variety. They are Indeterminate tomatoes. That year my tomato plants were over 6 foot tall, and I got about 60 lbs of tomatoes off 6 plants. and made sauce once again to the tune of about 48 pints. My pressure canner holds 18 pints, so it was 3 batches. The sauce was better tasting in my opinion (using the same recipe as I used for the Roma VF's), but I still was striving for that perfect sauce tomato.
In 2023, I started more Roma VF's in my basement under lights as I always do. The plants were doing well just waiting for my May plant date after the last frost. I planted them May 17th taking a big risk of a frost. I woke up May 18th to a hard frost. All of my Tomatoes, Cukes, Melons, were killed by the frost. I knew I could restart the Cukes and Melons from seed and I would still get a crop, but it was to late for me to plant tomatoes from seed. I was forced to go to a Nursery to buy Tomato plants. That frost turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to me. I bought Amish Paste Tomato Plants at the Nursery, and I have finally found my perfect tomato for making sauce. I knew the minute I tasted the tomatos that I had a winner. They are good for fresh eating as well as making sauce. Keep in mind that I use the same recipe every year. The sauce from the Amish Paste Tomatoes turned out to be the best sauce I have ever eaten. I will be using only Amish Paste from here on out. They are also an heirloom which means I can keep the seeds and re-plant each year.
The Recipe:
This recipe is adapted from:
https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/canned-spaghetti-sauce/
It makes 9 quarts or 18 pints (I use pints becuse there are only two of us)
25 LBS of Amish Paste Tomatoes
5 Medium Onions (About 7-8 cups chopped)
4 Red Bell Peppers (chopped)
1 Green Bell Pepper (chopped)
4 (6oz) cans Tomato Paste
¼ Cup of Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp of Worchester Sauce
2/3 Cup Brown Sugar
¼ Cup salt
20 Cloves Garlic (Chopped or Minced)
3 tablespoons dried Oregano (I tried fresh, but think dried is better)
3 Tablespoons dried Basil (I tried fresh, but think dried is better)
2 Tsp Red Pepper flakes
2 Bay Leaves
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice for each jar
If you don't have a Tomato Mill:
Start by carefully putting the tomatoes in a pot of boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes, then, with a slotted spoon, lift them out and put them in a bath of ice water, and peel. This will make the skins come off easy. Then quarter and process in a food processor or blender in batches and pour sauce in a large stockpot. Then I just put in all ingredients and cook on Low to Medium heat for 5 hours making sure to stir every 15 minutes so the sauce doesnt burn on the bottom of the pot. Discar the Bay Leaves at the end of the cook.
I prefer a Tomato Mill. It is far easier, and makes a better sauce in my opinion. The one I use is the Fabio Leonardi SP3.
Canning the sauce:
I clean my jars and lids in the dishwasher. If you are pressure canning, there is no need to boil the lids. Then put a Tbsp of Lemon Juice in each jar, (2 Tbsp for quarts) and ladle the sauce in each jar using a canning funnel until it is filled to 1/2 inch headspace at the top. I use a bamboo skewer to run around the inside of the jar to bring any air bubbles to the top. Then wipe the rim of each jar and put the lid on and gently screw on the cap. I have learned that if you press down with one finger on the top of the lid while you are tightening, tighten until the jar starts to rotate. If they are tightened too much, the jars can break while processing.
Water Bath Canning:
Process for 40 minutes in a boiling-water canner for altitudes of 1,000 feet or less. For altitudes up to 3,000 feet, add 5 minutes; 6,000 feet, add 10 minutes; 8,000 feet, add 15 minutes; 10,000 feet, add 20 minutes.
Pressure Canning:
Using a weighted-gauge pressure canner, process 20 minutes for pint jars and 25 minutes for quart jars. Process at 10 lb for altitudes between 0-1,000 feet. Process at 15 lb for altitudes above 1,000 feet.
I prefer Pressure Canning and have a Presto 23 Quart Pressure Canner. l If you do a search for Presto Quart Precise Gauge, for All Cooktops Pressure Canner and Cooker, 23 qt, Silver, many places carry it. Enjoy!
