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Best Easy Slow-Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce for Canning

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This hands-off slow-roasted garlic tomato sauce for canning delivers incredibly rich, caramelized flavor with minimal effort. The oven does all the work, transforming simple Roma tomatoes and garlic into a thick, restaurant-quality sauce perfect for water bath canning.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 10 pounds Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise
  • 12–15 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped (or 2 tablespoons dried basil)
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
  • 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice (for canning)
  • Canning salt (optional, for adjusting seasoning)
  • Clean canning jars, lids, and bands (pint or quart size)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C).
  2. Wash tomatoes thoroughly, cut each in half lengthwise, and remove the core. Arrange tomato halves cut-side up in a single layer in large roasting pans.
  3. Scatter whole garlic cloves evenly among the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss gently with your hands to coat. Arrange tomatoes back cut-side up. Tuck basil leaves in between the tomatoes.
  4. Roast for 2.5 to 3 hours, until tomatoes are wrinkled, slightly browned on edges, and swimming in deep red liquid. Garlic should be soft and golden.
  5. Let pans cool for 15-20 minutes until warm but handleable.
  6. Process the roasted mixture: If using a food mill, run tomatoes, garlic, and pan juices through the mill. If using an immersion blender, remove tomato skins first, then blend everything directly in the pan until smooth. Add balsamic vinegar if using.
  7. Transfer blended sauce to a large stockpot. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Simmer for 10-15 minutes to thicken slightly if needed.
  8. While sauce simmers, wash jars in hot soapy water and keep warm (e.g., in a 200°F oven). Place lids in a small saucepan of simmering water.
  9. Add 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice to each pint jar (2 tablespoons for quart jars).
  10. Using a canning funnel, ladle hot sauce into jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with a chopstick. Wipe rims clean.
  11. Center lids on jars, screw bands on until fingertip-tight.
  12. Process in a water bath canner: pint jars for 35 minutes, quart jars for 40 minutes (adjust for altitude if needed).
  13. After processing, let jars sit in water for 5 minutes, then remove and place on a towel-lined counter. Do not disturb for 12-24 hours. Check seals after 24 hours.

Notes

For safe canning, use bottled lemon juice (not fresh) to ensure proper acidity. If sauce is too thin after roasting, simmer longer on stovetop before canning. Label jars with date before storing. Sauce flavor improves after 1-2 months in the jar.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow-roasted garlic tomato sauce, canning recipe, homemade tomato sauce, Roma tomatoes, water bath canning, summer preserving

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