Preserving Food and large gardens/orchards have been a way of life for my family for generations. Rows of jars lined canning shelves and freezers were full of food by summer’s end.

Tomato products have always be a favorite of many people, including myself to can. Pizza Sauce is a must at our house. This sauce is made without sugar and chock full of veggies. I love to make pizza using sourdough crust! In fact we rarely buy pizza since we prefer this homemade version.

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My family gifted me a Vitamix Blender for Christmas. Did you know with a Vitamix Blender you can blend raw tomatoes, skins, seeds, and all smooth? I washed the tomatoes, cut them into wedges, and blended them for 2 minutes. I had a smooth thick sauce to cook. That really is a time saver not to have to put the pulp through a strainer.

You may wonder what type of tomatoes I use when canning. I will use plum or regular tomatoes. Amish Paste is a favorite of many people to make sauce.

Amish Paste are a meaty tomato which produces thick sauce. I used a mixture of these and regular tomatoes to make this batch of pizza sauce.

Pizza Sauce, SF, DF, GF

• 12 quarts tomato juice (approximately 45 pounds)
• 1/4 cup butter or oil
• 4 large onions
• 2 green peppers
• 5 garlic cloves
• 2 jalapenos
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 4 teaspoons paprika, I used Smoked Paprika
• 5 tablespoons basil
• 5 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1/2 cup salt
• 5 tablespoons oregano
• 2 teaspoons red pepper
• 6 cups tomato paste
• Vitamix Blender, large stockpot, pint jars with lids and rings, Waterbath canner
• In a large stock pot, add 10 quarts of tomato juice and butter. In a blender jar pour 2 cups of tomato juice. Add 2 onions. Pulse unto the onions are finely chopped. Add to the juice in the stockpot. Repeat with the remaining juice, onions, peppers, and garlic. Simmer one hour. Add vinegar and spices. Simmer until thickened. Whisk in tomato paste. Fill pint jars within one inch of the top of the jar. Wipe the rim of the jar clean. Add lids and rings. Place into a Waterbath canner with water covering the jars by one inch. Bring the water in the canner to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes. Remove jars from canner and allow to cool for 24 hours. Remove rings and check for seal. Store in a cool area. 20 pints

As you can see, I just cut the tomatoes into wedges to blend them. I blend them raw which is a lot less of a mess.

If you blend the tomatoes for 2 minutes in a Vitamix, you will blend the pulp and seeds smooth. There is no need to strain the pulp. This will give a much thicker juice and you will not need to simmer it as long to thicken it.

I always add either butter or oil to my tomato sauce before I cook it. That will keep sauce from boiling over. When you boil raw tomato sauce it will foam, splatter, and cook-over making a mess on your stove. Butter or oil will keep the sauce from boiling over. After simmering for 20 minutes the foam will be cooked away.

When I began cooking this recipe, I decided we needed pizza for dinner. I made a Meat Lover’s Pizza with sourdough crust for my hubby and sons but made the pizza pictured below for me. It had garden fresh tomatoes, basil, and just a bit of homemade Italian Sausage on it. I didn’t have fresh mozzarella so I just used what I had. It was so delicious!

This post has affiliated links, if you purchase items through these links, I receive a small commission but your price doesn’t change. Your purchase help support this blog, keeps new recipes coming, and assist with our move to a mission outreach of our church. Below are a few of my favorites listed under the affiliate store I purchase them.

Amazon

This is the style Vitamix that I have. It was a learning curve on how to use it compared to a Ninja but I love it. It makes the smoothest smoothies and tomato sauce.

If you are doing a lot of canning, it would be wise to invest in a stainless steel canner. They will last a lifetime. The black and white specked Granite Ware canners chip and leak after a while.

I have bought mostly Ball Canning Jars to use. They can be reuse multiple times and last for years.

This canning tool set is so useful when preserving food. I have an old jar lifter that was my mother’s. It holds so many memories of canning as a young girl.

I often buy Tomato Paste by the gallon of I can find it. Otherwise I use these 12 ounce cans.

The Trim Healthy Mama Store has wonderful products. Here is my affiliate link if you wish to use it. Trim Healthy Mama Store

You will find many more preserving and canning recipes in the spiral bound 600+ page Around the Family Table Cookbook. All recipes are sugar-free and label with the correct fuel. Books can be purchased using this link.  We have now added additional items to our store… Sourdough Starter Kits and more. Buy It Now