Easy Canning | Preserving Homemade Pizza Sauce
In our household, homemade pizza night is a loved tradition. It’s something I did with my family growing up, and now I continue it in my own home. Most of the ingredients, like fresh ripe tomatoes, are gathered from our garden on the day of making the sauce. Tomatoes are a staple crop in our garden, as they form the base for many of our fall and winter dinners. In this post, I’ll share our special pizza sauce recipe and guide you through the water bath canning process to preserve it.
Pizza Sauce, A History
Pizza sauce has its roots in Italy, where tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and herbs create a flavorful base for traditional pizzas. This simple yet rich sauce is the foundation of many classic pizzas enjoyed around the world today. Using fresh tomatoes, especially Roma tomatoes or San Marzano tomatoes, ensures the best flavor.
Most of the herbs used in traditional pizza sauce, such as basil, oregano, and rosemary, are also native to the Mediterranean region. The rich culinary history of this area is something I’d love to experience firsthand someday.
Fun Pizza Facts
- World’s Favorite Food: Pizza is one of the most popular foods worldwide.
- First Pizzeria: The first pizzeria, Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba, opened in Naples, Italy, in 1830.
- National Pizza Month: October is celebrated as National Pizza Month in the United States.
Water Bath Canning Pizza Sauce
When we first started making homemade pizzas, I used pint jars to store our sauce. However, we often found ourselves wasting the leftover sauce. With just four of us, a half-pint, or jam jar, is the perfect size for our family, ensuring we use every drop.
I use more herbs than most recipes because a rich flavor is important to me. I don’t want the sauce to taste like tomato soup; I want it to have heart and a kick. Garlic powder and fresh garlic bulbs are key to this great sauce.
Water Bath Equipment Needed:
- Half-pint (jam) jars with lids and screw bands
- Large pot or boiling water canner
- Jar lifter
- Canning funnel
- Ladle
- Bubble remover tool
- Clean cloth
The Joy of Homemade Pizza Sauce
By making and canning our own pizza sauce, we always have a delicious, homemade base ready for our weekly pizza nights. (This is my staple pizza crust recipe) Maybe you’re an experienced canner or just starting out, either way, this recipe is straightforward and rewarding. Enjoy the rich flavors of homemade pizza sauce and the joy of pizza night with your loved ones!
Sauce all year long
By preserving our tomatoes through water bath canning, we ensure that we always have the perfect amount of sauce ready to go. Try this recipe and enjoy the satisfaction of making and preserving your own pizza sauce, tailored perfectly for your family’s needs.
Printable Recipe Card
Water Bath Pizza Sauce Canning Recipe
Ingredients
- 15 lbs. ripe tomatoes Roma or San Marzano recommended
- 6 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 large onions minced (about 4 cups)
- 4-10 garlic cloves minced
- Garlic powder 1 Tbsp
- 1 Tbsp. freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 5 Tbsp. ground parsley
- 3 Tbsp. ground oregano
- 2 Tbsp. ground basil
- 1 Tbsp. rosemary
- 2 tsp. sea salt I prefer Redmond’s Real Salt for its nutritional value
- Bottled lemon juice – 1 tablespoon per pint jar
- Red pepper flakes to taste optional for a kick
Instructions
- Prepare the Tomatoes: Wash and core the tomatoes. I don't peel my tomatoes, as I find the skins blend well once cooked and blended.
Cook the Base: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add minced onions and garlic, cooking until soft and fragrant.
Combine Ingredients: Add tomatoes, black pepper, sugar, parsley, oregano, basil, rosemary, sea salt, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
Simmer: Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for at least 12 hours, stirring occasionally. This long cooking time ensures a thick sauce. I like my sauce thick and hearty, unlike some recipes that suggest cooking for just 2 hours. Be sure not to judge the taste of the sauce until it simmers down a bit. The concentration of the ingredients will make the flavors stronger once the water evaporates. I always adjust the seasoning just before canning.
Blend: After the sauce has cooked down, use an immersion blender to achieve a smoother texture. Be careful, as the sauce can bubble and pop once it's blended. - Sterilizing the Jars
Wash: Thoroughly wash jars, lids, and screw bands in hot soapy water.
Sterilize: Place jars in a boiling water canner filled with water. Boil for 10 minutes. Keep hot until ready to fill.
Filling the Jars
Add Lemon Juice: Add 1 tablespoon of bottled lemon juice to each half-pint jar.
Fill Jars: Use a funnel and ladle to fill jars with hot sauce, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace.
Remove Air Bubbles: Remove air bubbles and wipe jar rims with a clean cloth. - Sealing and Processing
Seal Jars: Place lids on jars and screw on bands until fingertip tight. - Process in Water Bath: Lower jars into boiling water bath, ensuring they are covered by at least 1 inch of water. Process for 35 minutes.
- Cool and Store: Remove jars with a jar lifter and place on a towel to cool overnight. Check seals once cool, remove screw tops, date, and store for a year. Place any unsealed jars in the refrigerator and use within a week.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This is more than just a basic tomato sauce—it’s the best pizza sauce for preserving at home. It has great flavor thanks to fresh garlic, homegrown herbs, and a long simmer that gives it a rich, bold taste. It’s thick enough to stay put on your pizza dough and packed with flavor that beats any store-bought sauce.
We’ve tailored the batch size to fit 25 half-pints, which is the perfect amount for pizza night with no waste. Try it when making Neapolitan-style pizza, flatbreads, or in your Friday night homemade pizza tradition. This sauce delivers every time. And it’s a great way to use up pounds of tomatoes during tomato season—especially if your tomato plants are overflowing.
Even if this is your first time canning, this recipe is a simple way to get started. You don’t need a pressure cooker or fancy tools—just a hot water bath canner, some mason jars, and the right ingredients. It’s the easy way to build your pantry with delicious pizza sauce you’ll use all year long.
Note On Tomatoes: A Closer Look at the Sauce and Canning Process
- Our family’s pizza sauce starts with fresh tomatoes—Roma or San Marzano varieties are best thanks to their dense flesh and low seed count.
- To achieve that thick, spoonable consistency, we simmer the sauce slowly over medium heat in a large pot. If we want it extra smooth, we’ll run the cooked tomato mixture through a food mill to remove any remaining skins and seeds. We always finish with an immersion blender to make the texture just right.
- We prefer half-pint mason jars for storage—they’re the perfect size for our Friday night pizza tradition. Jars are sterilized in a boiling water canner before filling, then kept hot until the sauce is ready.
Safe Canning Tips
For safe water bath canning, bottled lemon juice or citric acid is essential. It ensures the proper acidity needed for long-term preservation. I use a funnel to ladle the hot sauce into jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace, then seal with lids and screw bands.
During processing, jars must be fully submerged in water—at least one inch above the top. They are processed for the recommended time, then remove and cool on a towel at room temperature. Once cooled, any unsealed jars go into the fridge for quick use, while the rest are dated and stored in a dark pantry.
Very rarely do I have a jar not seal. You can also place the unsealed sauce into a freezer safe container and freeze until ready to use.
More Than Just Pizza
This homemade pizza sauce isn’t just for pizza night. It makes a delicious base for spaghetti, marinara, or even dipping sauce. For beginners, this is a great first recipe to try—just follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation’s guidelines and use tools like a jar lifter and funnel to keep the process safe and efficient.
Making our own pizza sauce recipe from our garden’s tomato harvest, which includes a variety of tomatoes, ensures we capture the best flavor.
The process of canning this sauce is a labor of love, resulting in jars of pizza sauce that make our homemade pizza nights special. Using fresh herbs like basil and parsley adds a vibrant taste. There is a satisfaction that comes with seeing rows of mason jars filled with home-canned pizza sauce line your shelved.
By preserving the sauce in a jar size that’s best for our family, we have the perfect amount ready for each pizza night. This reduces waste and makes our homemade pizza experience more enjoyable. Try this easy homemade pizza sauce recipe and join us in celebrating the joy of making and preserving your own tomato products.
FAQ: Homemade Canned Pizza Sauce
Can I water bath can pizza sauce with garlic and herbs?
Yes—safely water bath canning tomato products with garlic and herbs depends on adding the right amount of bottled lemon juice. This recipe includes the correct acidity for safety. Always use bottled lemon juice, not fresh.
Why do I need to add lemon juice to the jars?
Tomatoes vary in acidity, and adding 1 tablespoon of bottled lemon juice per half-pint ensures a safe pH level for water bath canning. It’s a non-negotiable step, even if your sauce tastes acidic.
Can I pressure can this pizza sauce instead?
Absolutely. If you prefer to pressure can, you can do so—just adjust for time and PSI based on your altitude. But the recipe is fully designed for the water bath method and works perfectly as written.
What kind of tomatoes are best for this pizza sauce?
Roma or San Marzano tomatoes are ideal because they’re meatier and have fewer seeds. They result in a thicker, richer sauce without needing as much cook time.
Do I have to peel the tomatoes first?
Nope! We don’t peel them. After simmering and blending with a stick blender, the skins blend right in. If you prefer ultra-smooth sauce, you can run it through a food mill.
Can I add meat or cheese before canning?
No. For safety reasons, never add meat, cheese, or dairy when water bath canning. Add those later when using the sauce for meals.
How long does the sauce last once canned?
Properly sealed jars stored in a cool, dark place can last at least 12 months. Label your lids with the date, and always check seals before opening.
Can I use this sauce for more than pizza?
Definitely! This sauce works great as a base for marinara, spaghetti, or even as a dipping sauce. It’s a versatile pantry staple.
For more ways to can tomatoes, check out these posts:
Canning Tomatoes Whole or Halved
And to follow along with our homestead in real time, make sure we’re friends over on Instagram.
Happy Canning!
