Canning Tips for Delicious Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Meat

There’s nothing quite like the taste of homemade spaghetti sauce with meat. Whether you’re using fresh tomatoes from your garden or canned tomatoes from the store, creating your own sauce allows you to control the ingredients and the flavor. And by canning your homemade sauce, you can enjoy it throughout the year, even when tomatoes are out of season.

If you’re new to canning, it’s important to follow proper procedures to ensure that your sauce is safely preserved. Here are some tips for canning delicious homemade spaghetti sauce with meat:

1. Use the right equipment: When canning spaghetti sauce, you’ll need a large pot for boiling the jars, a canner or large pot with a rack for processing the jars, canning jars and lids, a funnel, and a magnetic lid lifter. Make sure to sterilize all equipment before using it.

2. Follow a tested recipe: It’s important to use a tested recipe for canning spaghetti sauce, as the acidity and other factors need to be carefully balanced to ensure safe preservation. We’re providing you with a tried and tested recipe below.

3. Prepare your sauce: Whether you’re using fresh tomatoes or canned, start by cooking down your sauce with onions, garlic, herbs, and browned ground beef or Italian sausage. Make sure to taste and adjust the seasoning as needed before canning.

4. Process your jars: Once your sauce is ready, ladle it into the sterilized jars, leaving a bit of headspace at the top. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp cloth to remove any sauce residue, then place the lids on the jars and screw the bands on just until fingertip-tight.

5. Process your jars: Submerge the jars in a canner of boiling water, making sure they are covered by at least 1 inch of water. Process the jars for the time specified in the recipe you are using. Once processed, remove the jars and let them cool completely before checking the seals and storing them in a cool, dark place.

Here’s a delicious recipe for homemade spaghetti sauce with meat that can be safely canned for later use:

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Meat

Ingredients:
– 10 lbs tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or 3 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes)
– 2 large onions, finely chopped
– 6 cloves of garlic, minced
– 2 tablespoons olive oil
– 1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage
– 2 teaspoons dried oregano
– 2 teaspoons dried basil
– 1 teaspoon dried thyme
– Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the ground beef or sausage to the pot and cook until browned and cooked through, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks.

3. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, oregano, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 hours, until the sauce has thickened.

4. Ladle the hot sauce into sterilized canning jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp cloth, then place the lids on the jars and screw the bands on just until fingertip-tight.

5. Process the jars in a boiling water canner for 35 minutes (pints) or 40 minutes (quarts). Once processed, remove the jars and let them cool completely. Check the seals, then store the jars in a cool, dark place.

With these tips and a delicious recipe in hand, you’ll be well on your way to canning your own homemade spaghetti sauce with meat. Enjoy the fruits of your labor all year long!