So you planted a garden this year, and the tomatoes are growing out of your ears. maybe your neighbors planted a garden and tomatoes are coming out of their ears and landing in a cardboard box on their front porch. Either way, you have too many tomatoes to eat. The solution? Turn those tomatoes into spaghetti sauce.

Preserving tomatoes for spaghetti sauce is the perfect solution for a large quantity of tomatoes. Spaghetti sauce is versatile. It can be used in anything from lasagna to pizza and yes, it can be used in spaghetti.

Making and canning a great spaghetti sauce is much easier than you might think. Many of you may have memories of your mother or grandmother slaving away in the kitchen on the hottest day of late summer. The house was filled with the warm sour smell of tomatoes. You’ll still get that a bit, but at least we have air conditioning now, right?

Here are the basics for making spaghetti sauce:

Clean and sterilize your jars – When it comes to canning, cleanliness is next to godliness. or at least keeps him out of the hospital for food poisoning. be sure to follow all guidelines for cleaning jars you will be using for storage.

prepare your tomatoes – This is probably the most time consuming step. Your tomatoes need to be washed and cooked. You have to remove the skin and seeds. Once this is done, the spices called for in your recipe should be added. It is very important to follow a recipe. Adding other vegetables to the mix could be a big mistake.

can your sauce Once the sauce has finished cooking, pour it into the clean, sterilized jars. Be sure to wipe up any excess or any sauce that may have spilled down the sides of the jar. Take special care to clean the rim of the jar. Any sauce in there could affect how the jar is sealed. Put the lid on the jar, seal the lid with a ring, and place in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes or so. Adjust the elevation if necessary.

You’ll know the jars are sealed when you hear them “pop” as they cool. Once they’re cool and you’re sure they have a good seal, you can store them in the pantry for future use. Keep jars out of direct sunlight and extreme temperatures.

I hope this gives you a little idea of ​​what it takes to can can spaghetti sauce at home. Like I said before, it really isn’t that hard if you put your mind to it.