I'm apparently not used to canned products anymore...

[kitchenelf]

I made some Eggplant Parmesan using Hunt's Traditional sauce - my all-time favorite. It's been a looooooooooooooong time though since I've used already made spaghetti sauce. My eyes are already swollen from the sodium content I can make marinara using canned whole tomatoes and I don't react like this. I don't have a can close by to compare the sodium content though.

I'm going to have to make some homemade canned/jarred tomato sauce - ASAP!!! Anyone want to come over and teach me how?

 

[buckytom]

elfie, i'll be there in a second with a load of jersey tomatoes.

are you thinking of water bath canning, or steam/pressure canning?

 

[kitchenelf]

Water bath canning I guess though I think my pressure cooker will can too - it has that ring that sits on the bottom. I'll have to find my manual

 

[buckytom]

water bath canning sauce is pretty easy. the trick is getting the head room right. i also add a squeeze of lemon on the very top, just before putting on the lids to increase the surface's acidity.

also, remember that you can't add any meat if you want to use this method. you have to pressure can if you add meat or animal fat to the sauce.

 

[kitchenelf]

I don't mind not adding meat - I just want some canned tomatoes to then make anything. So...are you going to provide a recipe of some sort? The lemon on top would be wonderful IMHO.

When I say recipe I mean detailed instructions and maybe you on the phone while I'm doing this! I AM going to do this - my eyes are so puffy!!!

OR, you could find Barb and James just follow them down - They're closer to you than me right now! And as you pass Vera's place pick up some of that peach pie please!

 

[buckytom]

when are you doing this? now?

it's almost 1am, woman. and froggy eyes need their beauty sleep.

j/k. i'm tied up tonight until 4-ish (have to do routine maintenance on a control room in a few minutes) and all day monday with contractors, but i could call you sometime on tuesday. lemme know.

oh, yeah, gotta pm barbara.

 

[kitchenelf]

I am most definitely NOT doing this now. LMAO on the "froggy eyes"!!!! I look like a big fat toad!!!

I need to get my tomatoes first - Farmer's Market is on Wednesday...I will PM you way ahead of time...thanks! What else do I need besides tomatoes?

I'm off to bed pretty soon - froggy eyes do need some beauty sleep but I think the 6 hours I'm going to get won't help at all!

 

[buckytom]

ok, so, how basic are we talking? a thin, pure tomato sauce like hunt's? or something chunkier, like garden style?

the thinner sauce is just tomatoes, evoo, and herbs, and a little sugar.

garden style has onions, green bell peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini, and whatever else you fancy in it.

 

[kitchenelf]

The thinner sauce for sure...more marinara-ish..with some tomato chunks in there too...and maybe some garlic? Then when I cook it I can thicken it up if need be.

 

[MostlyWater]

do you think canned tom. have less sodiumn than an already prepared sauce ?

 

[Katie H]

Water bath canning I guess though I think my pressure cooker will can too - it has that ring that sits on the bottom. I'll have to find my manual

Canning tomatoes/tomato sauces is quite easy, Vicky. I use a water-bath canner even though I have a nice big pressure canner. I wouldn't recommend using your pressure cooker UNLESS the instruction booklet says it can be done.

When I can my tomatoes/sauces, I fill the jars to within about 3/4-inch of the top wipe the rim, place the lids and rings on and gently tighten the rings down. Don't screw them down hard.

Put them in the canner that has come to a rolling boil, making sure the jars are covered by at least 2 inches of water. Cover the canner and bring back up to a rolling boil. Begin timing when water returns to the boil for size of jars used, making sure the water is gently boiling. When done, carefully lift jars out and place on a rack or a thick towel to cool. After they've cooled, firmly tighten rings. Check to see that all lids have sealed before storing.

I always begin with clean, sterilized jars and lids that have been sitting in boiling water.

You might want to give my oven-roasted tomato sauce a whirl. It's easy as pie. Tomato pie, that is.

 

[Constance]

I was just about to suggest an oven roasted tomato sauce...ya beat me to it Katie!
You will be amazed at the flavor you'll get from roasting the tomatoes!

 

[Alix]

do you think canned tom. have less sodiumn than an already prepared sauce ?

She's talking about canning her own so she will control the sodium content in that for sure. But the commercially prepared canned tomatoes do have far less sodium than an actual sauce. Just check the labels. Or do you guys not have a nutritional % breakdown there? We do here.

 

[DramaQueen]

I do things the easy way. Tomatoes are in season right now and you can't make better tomato sauce than with fresh seasonal tomatoes. I makemy sauce this way , finely chopped garlic, finely chopped onions, sauteed in olive oil. Add chopped tomatoes, a little dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 10 minutes. I freeze this sauce in 1 cup Rubbermaid freezer containers. When I make eggplant parmesan, or anything else that calls for tomato sauce for that matter, I just take out 1 or 2 containers. No muss, no fuss and this freezes exceptionally well. The sauce tastes like fresh picked tomatoes because it isn't cooked to death.

Since this is a rich, intense, basic tomato sauce, I can add meat or whatever else I want when I decide what I'm making with it. AND if you want the ultimate sauce, roast the tomatoes first as others have suggested.

 

[bethzaring]

I always pressure can my tomato sauces, because I add so many onions, garlic, hot and sweet peppers, parsley, celery, maybe a carrot or two.... I canned some pints yesterday, 20 minutes at 11 pounds pressure..and if I am lucky to get enough tomatoes to can quarts, process them for 35 minutes at 11 pounds pressure.

I recommend picking up a copy of Ball's canning guide, 'bout $5. and they have pictures

 

[velochic]

I can a lot. You have been given some erroneous information here. You should follow current USDA guidelines on canning... National Center for Home Food Preservation | USDA Publications.

(Yes, you control the sodium content when you can homegrown vegetables.)

 

[pacanis]

I do things the easy way. Tomatoes are in season right now and you can't make better tomato sauce than with fresh seasonal tomatoes. I makemy sauce this way , finely chopped garlic, finely chopped onions, sauteed in olive oil. Add chopped tomatoes, a little dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 10 minutes. I freeze this sauce in 1 cup Rubbermaid freezer containers. When I make eggplant parmesan, or anything else that calls for tomato sauce for that matter, I just take out 1 or 2 containers. No muss, no fuss and this freezes exceptionally well. The sauce tastes like fresh picked tomatoes because it isn't cooked to death.

Since this is a rich, intense, basic tomato sauce, I can add meat or whatever else I want when I decide what I'm making with it. AND if you want the ultimate sauce, roast the tomatoes first as others have suggested.

That does seem simple enough, but what makes it tomato sauce? It looks from your recipe that it would just be a bunch of veggies cooked in EVOO. Does this produce "red gravy", or tomato sauce? Do you blend it before you freeze it?

 

[kitchenelf]

do you think canned tom. have less sodiumn than an already prepared sauce ?

Read Post #1

 

[DramaQueen]

That does seem simple enough, but what makes it tomato sauce? It looks from your recipe that it would just be a bunch of veggies cooked in EVOO. Does this produce "red gravy", or tomato sauce? Do you blend it before you freeze it?

Is there a difference between red gravy and tomato sauce? Italians call it gravy, everyone else calls it sauce but it's the same thing. I have a feeling you're talking about something more in the line of a liquid rather than a thick sauce. I don't use liquidy sauce for anything but if you do you might want to run this through the blender adding a little chicken stock to liquify it. I prefer using a thicker sauce, especially for eggplant parmesan, which I happen to LOVE. Calories and all.

 

[pacanis]

I'm thinking of something red, thick and can be poured. That's what I think of when I think of tomato sauce, chunky or smooth. Your recipe sounds great, but doesn't sound like it would be a red sauce, or gravy.
If I bought something in the store labeled tomato sauce, and out came veggies, including tomatoes, that had been sauteed in EVOO, I would think they labeled it wrong.

Maybe I should search; homemade tomato sauce from scratch. There must be something that produces a red sauce, other than cooking tomatoes and canning or freezing them.