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.
Garlic Herb Pizza Sauce
This recipe makes 6 half-pints of 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
Soften Tomatoes to make Garlic Herb Pizza Sauce
Directions:
Soften the tomatoes by simmering for about 20 minutes.
simmer garlic and onion in oil
While this is softening combine the olive oil, garlic, and onion. Simmer for 5 minutes.
food mill and strainer
Process the soft tomatoes through a food mill or a blender if you prefer to keep the seeds and skins. 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.
combine all ingredients except citric acid/lemon juice
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.
add citric acid and stir in each jar
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. I fill the jars leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
Canning Directions:
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 for 35 minutes if at sea level. Remember to adjust your processing time if you are above 1000 feet in elevation.
processing complete
Once your sauce has completed processing, space the jars about an inch apart on the counter for 24 hours to cool and completely seal.
If your jar did not seal, then place it in the fridge and use it immediately. Store the sealed jars in your 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.
Garlic Herb Pizza Sauce
If you have any questions about canning with a pressure canner or how to adjust the pressure or processing time for altitude, take a look at our canning basics videos.
