Tattler Lids and Tomato Sauce, with Recipe.

After a busy morning and early afternoon yesterday I wanted to "put up" a batch of meatless spaghetti sauce.  I purchased a large quantity  of # 5 28 oz canned tomatoes recently and would like to have them turned into sauce before the warm weather gets here. These cans were 66 cents each. Normally I would be doing this at the start of the winter not the end. 
My family requires 75 quarts of sauce a year. Some have meat and some don't.  Right now I am at 45 in my pantry along with a bunch of pints.  Having a years worth on hand just works for my family and our system of cooking.

I hope to have a garden that turns out tomatoes this year and I won't be looking for sales on canned products, but if that doesn't work I will resort to the old faithful method of using canned.  Now you might think this is kinda gross using canned tomatoes and reprocessing but it is not, it is delicious and tastes very fresh!  If it is telling, I get asked for this recipe a lot and I have been making it 20+ years.

Here is my recipe, you can tweak this to your tastes - this is not a spicy sauce.  You can add meat if you like I do both and it comes out great.  Just remember the process time with meat is much longer.

Use Organic tomatoes if you can

For a single meal, yielding about 1 quart sauce"

1 small onion sliced
1 8oz ish container of sliced mushrooms
Saute Mushrooms and Onions
Then add:
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
Add To taste:
 Basil - I use a lot
Onion powder - yes even though there are freesh onions in this about -  1 tsp
Fresh ground pepper - crank it out about 10 seconds
Tyme- pinch
Rosemary- pinch
1 clove garlic crushed
1 Tbs Parmesan grated cheese ( at least)
2 tbs Olive oil or dollop of Butter/Ghee
And my secret ingredient: Orrington farms Chicken stock about 1 TBS

Bring this to a boil and then turn it down to low - it will be ready to eat in 30 minutes or you can let it cook on low for hours - just don't cook it all day! 

For a large batch, I load up my 21 quart Stock pot:

8-10 onion sliced - I use a food processor for this
8-10 8oz ish containers of sliced mushrooms
Saute Mushrooms and Onions in the large Stock pot  - add a bit of salt and 1/4 cup olive oil
Then add:
9 cans crushed tomatoes
9 cans diced tomatoes
Add To taste:
Dried Basil - I use a lot- 1/2 cup
Onion powder - yes even though there are fresh onions in this about -  1/4 cup
Fresh ground pepper - crank it out about 25 seconds
Tyme- 3 Tbs
Rosemary- 3Tbs
8-10 cloves garlic crushed
1 /2 container  Parmesan grated cheese or 8 oz fresh shredded
1/4 cup Orrington farms Chicken stock about 1 TBS

Cook till heated through and fill jars - this will make about 18-20 jars 
Process 25 minutes in pressure canner I do 10# for my elevation

An interesting thing about this batch, I am a newbie to using Tattler Lids, and yesterday I did all but 3 of my jars with the Tattlers ( I kept a few with regular lids - I make a little care packages with a jar of sauce, bag of good pasta an loaf of bread for family and friends Tattlers are a little expensive and I don't want to send them out.)   

I ran three canners one after the other to get the batches done.  The second batch, I had a jar blow, right in the center.  I took the Canner off the stove and I heard it 10 minutes into the cooling depressurizing process.  When I opened the canner, ewww what a mess, the top of the lid, ring and all just blew off along with half the jars content. I have no idea why!  

I also had 4 seal fails which is a pretty high ratio in my book.

This morning I am reprocessing the 4 fails with Tattlers - a first in my Carey Canner.  I will soon know if these sealed.  

I have been using the Orrington farms Base for a long time and I am very happy with it, I also make a rice pilaf using it - it is very versatile and a allergy safe product for me. 

I usually purchase this at walmart, about 2.50 a jar and it last a long time.

I am not big into additives but this one is pretty good and not too bad  for a processed product.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you give this recipe a try, it is very yummy!

Ginny M

And always practice safe canning - do you home work and know the science behind

 food preservation!