Fresh Tomato Sauce
What better way to capture the flavor of summer (to be enjoyed months from now as the weather starts to cool down) than with your own fresh tomato sauce, made with plump, peak season maters? Jarred, grocery store brands simply cannot compare to the vibrant tomato flavor this sauce delivers. The recipe here is for canning a very basic salted sauce—which can be used as the base for pasta/pizza sauce or tomato soup—as you’ll want to wait until you’re ready to pop the seal and cook with your sauce to add in aromatics and seasonings like garlic, onion, and herbs. It’s important that you closely follow the recommended directions for canning tomato products in order to avoid the risk of botulism. You can find citric acid on the baking aisle or where canning products are located in the grocery store; however, you can also substitute bottled lemon juice in place of the citric acid (1 tablespoon of juice per pint-sized jar).