The Best Spaghetti Sauce

   The Best Spaghetti Sauce  
 
      Today I am sharing the process I use now for processing tomatoes into tomato sauce (original NCHFP recipe calls this "spaghetti sauce without meat.")  I take my tomatoes, wash and core them. I then place them chopped in half or quarters into a large roasting pan, single layer and roast in the oven at 425 until soft & skins are blistering, stir occasionally to prevent sticking/scorching (about 30-40 minutes,) I let the tomatoes cool down enough for me to handle and then I run them through my Food Mill which then removes the skins and seeds (its often been debated if the seeds being left in a sauce would contribute to a bitter taste, I do agree that in some tomatoes - this can be the case so, I now remove all the seeds and skins before saucing.)  On the stove top, saute your onions, garlic, celery or peppers, and mushrooms (if desired) in vegetable oil until tender.
     Combine sauteed vegetables with tomatoes and add remainder of spices, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered, until the initial volume is reduced by nearly one-half (I use two large stock pots and cook down for about 9 hours. Remember to stir frequently to avoid burning.) Once cooked down, I combine the two pots into one, check for seasonings/taste one last time, and get ready to Pressure Can *this is a Pressure Can only recipe. 
     Please remember too - that you cannot increase the proportions of onions, peppers, fresh garlic or mushrooms in this sauce (its a safety issue). I do like adding in a little bit of dried sweet basil into my sauce (dried spices are a 'free' item that you can adjust to suit your own taste.) 
      Fill jars, leaving 1-inch headspace

• Pints get pressure canned 20 minutes
• Quarts get pressure canned 25 minutes
• Pressure can according to Your Canner TYPE and ALTITUDE! 

Yield: 9 pints or approx 5 quarts 

Ingredients: 
30 lbs tomatoes
1 cup chopped onions
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped celery or green pepper
1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional)
4-1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp oregano
4 tbsp minced parsley
2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil *for sauteing 

Recipe by: NCHFP 
Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home

Kitchen Note: 
Don't toss those tomato skins! Dehydrate them and powder them!
​See this link to Serious Eats on the "How-To"
(click link) www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/08/tomato-powder-from-tomato-skins.html