Garlic Herb Pizza Sauce

My family loves homemade pizza and having this canned garlic herb pizza sauce in my pantry is so convenient. I make multiple batches of pizza dough and we set up a pizza bar where all the kids can roll out their dough and choose all their own toppings. They love having pizzas of their own preference. Having a good dough and pizza sauce recipe create the base for a great pizza no matter what they decide to try on it.

I also like having these in the pantry for a quick lunch item. My husband will grab some naan bread and use it as a base for a quick pizza. The flavors in this sauce add so much to our pizzas. I hope your family likes it as much as mine does.

This recipe makes 6 half-pints of Garlic Herb Pizza Sauce.

garlic herb pizza sauce Ingredients:

• 6.5 pounds quartered Tomatoes

• 1 finely chopped Onion

• 1/4c minced Garlic

• 1.5 tbsp Olive Oil

• 2 tsp Basil

• 1 tsp Oregano

• 1 tsp Thyme

• 1/2 tsp Pepper

• 1 tsp Sugar

• 2 tsp Salt

• 1/2 tsp crushed Red Pepper Flakes

• 1/8 tsp Citric Acid or 1/2 tsp Lemon Juice per half-pint

Directions:

Soften the tomatoes by simmering for about 20 minutes.

While this is softening combine the olive oil, garlic, and onion. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Process the soft tomatoes through a food mill. Then place the pulp in a strainer (I like my husband’s honey strainer.) or cheesecloth to drain out the juice. Save the juice to be canned later. This step of straining the sauce allows you to skip the reducing down process which usually takes about 2-3 hours to do. If for some reason the sauce seems too thick you can add some of the juice back in.

Place the strained pulp in a large saucepot and add the onion mixture and the rest of the ingredients except the citric acid/lemon juice. Cook until it reaches a simmer.

I like to use citric acid for this recipe because I want to maintain how thick it is but you could use lemon juice if you prefer. After adding the citric acid I like to stir it with a chopstick to disperse it.

Using a jar funnel, I fill the half pint jars leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

Canning Directions:

Wipe off the rim of the jar with a clean damp cloth. Place the lid on top of the jar and add the ring. Tighten the ring to fingertip tight and process in a boiling water bath canner for 35 minutes if at sea level. Remember to adjust your processing time if you are above 1000 feet in elevation.

Once your sauce has completed processing, turn off the heat, remove the lid, and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Then, space the jars about an inch apart on a heat-resistant surface for 24 hours to cool and completely seal.

If your jar did not seal, then place it in the fridge and use it immediately. You can tell it has sealed if the center of the lid is depressed down. If it sealed well, remove the band, wash the jars with hot soapy water and store them in your cool, dry, dark pantry to enjoy for the next 1-3 years. After three years the nutritional value of canned food diminishes. The quality is best in the first year.

If you have any questions about canning with a boiling water bath or how to adjust the pressure or processing time for altitude, take a look at my canning basics videos.