There’s nothing quite like the delicious taste of homemade pizza sauce. The rich, tangy flavor of fresh tomatoes and the aromatic blend of herbs and spices create a truly irresistible combination. Plus, making your own pizza sauce allows you to control the quality of ingredients, ensuring a healthier and more flavorful sauce that can elevate your homemade pizzas to the next level.

Canning your homemade pizza sauce is a great way to ensure that you always have a supply of delicious, ready-to-use sauce on hand. Canning is a simple process that allows you to preserve the freshness and flavor of your sauce, so you can enjoy it for months to come. Plus, it’s a fun and rewarding way to make the most of the summer bounty of tomatoes from your garden or local farmers’ market.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to canning homemade pizza sauce at home:

1. Start with fresh, ripe tomatoes. The best pizza sauce starts with the best tomatoes, so look for ripe, juicy tomatoes that are bursting with flavor. Roma tomatoes are a popular choice for making pizza sauce, as they are meaty and have fewer seeds and less water content, which makes for a thicker sauce.

2. Prepare the tomatoes. Wash the tomatoes and remove any stems or blemishes. Then, blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for about 30 seconds, and immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. This will make the skins easy to peel off. Once cooled, peel the tomatoes and remove the seeds.

3. Cook the sauce. In a large pot, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until soft and translucent. Add the peeled and seeded tomatoes, along with your choice of herbs and spices such as basil, oregano, thyme, and a pinch of red pepper flakes for some heat. Simmer the sauce for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally, until it thickens.

4. Prepare the canning jars. While the sauce is simmering, prepare your canning jars and lids by washing them in hot soapy water. Then, sterilize the jars by boiling them in a large pot of water for 10 minutes, and keep them warm until you’re ready to fill them with the sauce.

5. Fill the jars. Once the sauce has thickened to your liking, remove it from the heat. Using a ladle, carefully fill the sterilized jars with the hot sauce, leaving about 1/2 inch of headspace at the top of each jar.

6. Seal the jars. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp cloth to remove any sauce residue. Place the lids on the jars and screw the bands on until they are fingertip-tight.

7. Process the jars. Place the filled and sealed jars in a large pot of boiling water, making sure the jars are fully submerged with at least 1 inch of water covering them. Process the jars in the boiling water for 35 minutes (adjust timing for altitude if necessary). Then, carefully remove the jars from the water and let them cool on a clean towel or a wire rack.

8. Store and enjoy. Once the jars have cooled, check that the lids are properly sealed by pressing down on the center of each lid – it should not pop up or make any clicking sound. Label the jars with the date and store them in a cool, dark place. Your homemade pizza sauce can last for up to 12 months if properly canned.

Canning homemade pizza sauce is a great way to preserve the fresh flavors of summer and enjoy delicious homemade pizza all year round. Plus, it makes a thoughtful and tasty gift for friends and family. So, roll up your sleeves, gather your ripe tomatoes, and get ready to enjoy the satisfaction of canning your very own pizza sauce. Happy canning!