Pasta Sauce for Canning

Bridget Elaine's Note:

This is an all purpose pasta sauce my family makes every summer and enjoy all year. Don't be intimidated as each batch not including cooking time requires about an hour of your time.

• Total Time: 3 hrs
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 12-14

Yield: 12.0 quarts

• 5/8 bushel roma tomato
• 3 lbs white onions (chopped)
• 6 cups bell peppers (chopped)
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 2 cups olive oil
• 4 (8 ounce) cans tomato paste

Directions:

1. You will need 12 to 14 quart size mason jars with lids and rings, sanatized and ready to go.
2. Place olive oil, onions and peppers in a large pot and cook till tender.
3. Wash tomatoes and cut in quarters.
4. Place tomatoes into several large pots with a cup of water in each on and cook till soft.
5. Once tomatoes are soft run them through a food mill and put juice into a large pot ( 20 qt works well).
6. Once onions and peppers are soft drain he juice and oil from them and reserve liquid for future batches.
7. Once the peppers and onions are drained place them in the juice from the tomatoes.
8. Add the Garlic, Sugar, Salt, Oregano, and Basil. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes or so.
9. Add the Tomatoe paste and cook for a half hour more.
10. Place the jars in your oven on the lowest setting.
11. Place the lids in a pan of simmering water.
12. Fill jars one at a time and lid right away.
13. Place the jars on a counter and cover with a towel and do not distuirb for 24 hours.
14. Enjoy all year long.
15. For those of you who don't want to use the above canning method you may use whatever method you like. This is the way we do it and we never have any problems.