The Best Tomato Sauce (in my humble opinion)

Yes, it is full on canning season here.  My dining room currently looks like I raided the farmer's market.  Which I kind of did....But anyway.

Last year, my friend Erin told me about this amazing tomato sauce her mother makes.  Her mother is and absolute genius when it comes to making something out of nothing, so when she told me about this great stuff her mom made when she visited last summer, I knew I had to try it.  There is no going back for me now.  This sauce is a staple in my pantry.  I have searched the world over (you know, Pinterest) and not found another recipe like this one.

Like a lot of recipes that are handed down in families, it is rather loose in its measurements.  The amounts of the ingredients can be adjusted to personal taste or what you have available.  I have found that while tomatoes are precious to gardeners, zucchini is abundant and can be had for almost nothing.

Henceforth, I put zucchini in my sauce to add bulk and stretch the tomatoes.

Here's how I make my version of Beth's Amazing Change Your Life Tomato Sauce:

25 lbs tomatoes

5 medium size green bell peppers

2 good sized onions

5 ribs celery

1/2 of a big zucchini (about 3 cups of shreds)

salt

Blanch, peel, core and de-seed the tomatoes.  Yes this is a lot of work, but it saves hours of cook time trying to boil out all the extra liquid. My tomatoes reduced from 25 lbs down to 15 lbs once all the extra parts were removed.

Roughly dice peppers, onions and celery. 

Shred zucchini, skins, seeds and all

Dump it all into a big pot.  Probably the biggest pot you have.  This makes a lot.

Bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring often so it doesn't burn on the bottom, until it looks sort of thick.

Turn off the heat and either puree with a stick blender, or pour in batches into a blender or food processor.

Return to giant pan and cook it down some more.  Once it's as thick as you want it, pour into hot quart jars.

Put 1/2 teaspoon of salt in each quart jar before putting the lid on.

Process in a water bath canner for 45 minutes.

Makes 7 1/2 quarts.

You can certainly make this in a smaller quantity.  I went big because as you may have gathered, we really like this stuff.

This sauce makes a perfect base for spaghetti sauce (add a little garlic & Italian Seasoning)

Chili (add your favorite chili seasoning)

Goulash (add a bit of paprika)

Tomato soup (add a bit of hamburger, garlic, and some cheese tortellini)

 Thank you Beth and Erin for teaching me so much about canning.  I don't know what I'd do without your wisdom :)