Simple, easy to cook meals with minimal preparation and cleanup are ideal in a survival situation. Pasta cooks quickly with just heat and water, and it can last for decades if stored properly. Canned pasta sauce doesn’t last a lifetime, but it’ll retain peak flavor for about 2 years after canning, and will be perfectly fine to eat for at least 5 years, likely much longer.
The addition of a flavorful and hearty pasta sauce not only adds variety to your pasta, it also adds much needed calories and nutrition. Rather than canning up a simple light low calorie marinara, I like to make a hearty sauce that transforms simple pasta into a feast just by popping open one shelf stable jar. Even if you have nothing else at hand, just a single quart jar and a pound of pasta is a full satisfying meal for four adults in an emergency.
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Consider adding mushrooms, onions, peppers or other vegetables to your sauce to increase the nutrient content. Sauté vegetables briefly in olive oil to improve their flavor, and ensure that you’re incorporating a bit of olive oil into the sauce for both flavor and calories. Also consider adding in half a bottle of a full flavored dry Italian wine.
Pasta Sauce Canning Safety
Pasta sauce can safely be canned using the water-bath method if you take the necessary steps to ensure that there’s enough acid in the sauce. While most people think of tomatoes as an acidic food, they’re actually much less acidic than most fruits that are being water-bathed canned. Your average tomato is right on the borderline for acceptable pH level, and once you add in other high pH ingredients like onions and mushrooms, the sauce will have to be acidified to ensure safe canning.
Most canning instructions will have you put a tablespoon of lemon juice into the bottom of jars before filling. The lemon juice acidifies the sauce, and ensures that it’s within the acceptable range for water bath canning. The juice is put directly into the jar because it’s hard to estimate exactly how much sauce you have in your sauce pot, and it’s safer to directly add a tablespoon to each pint jar or 2 tablespoons to each quart. I prefer to add balsamic vinegar instead of lemon juice because the flavor in the balsamic vinegar complements the sauce.
If you’re worried about whether or not your recipe is acidic enough and don’t want to change the flavor by adding additional acid, pressure canning is a sure fire way to sterilize just about any pasta sauce recipe. Keep in mind that any recipes that contain meat must be pressure canned, as you cannot water-bath-can meat products. But to be sure your food is safe for consumption, you should check the government’s instructions and recommendations.
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How to Water-Bath Can Pasta Sauce
Fresh or canned tomatoes are both acceptable for home made pasta sauce. If you’re using fresh tomatoes, they should be peeled and seeded. The peels and seeds cause the sauce to be bitter and will give it an off flavor over time as it’s stored in your pantry. Peel the tomatoes by dropping them into boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds and then removing them into a sink full of cold water. The heat shock will make it very easy for you to slide the skins off with your fingers.
Once the tomatoes are peeled, slice them in half along their equator to expose all the seed pockets. Hold them over a bowl and squeeze the tomatoes half in your hand to squeeze out the seeds. Chop the remaining tomato into chunks and put it in a pot.
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If you’re making a smooth marinara instead of a chunky sauce, using a home food mill saves a lot of time and effort. Chop the tomatoes with skins and seeds intact and process them through your food mill which will separate out the skins and seeds for you, leaving nothing but smooth tomato sauce.
Add the tomatoes to a large pot and simmer with herbs, spices, salt, red wine and sautéed vegetables of your choice. Cook on low until the sauce reaches a serving consistency. Cooking time will vary based on the type of tomatoes used. For a shorter cook time and higher yield, choose roma or sauce tomatoes which have a lower water content.
Ladle the sauce into jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Attach lids and bands, and process in a water bath canner 35 minutes for pints and 40 minutes for quarts.
Allow to cool, and remove canning rings for storage.
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Choosing a Recipe
Taste in sauce varies dramatically from family to family. Try out a few different recipes for home use without canning them and once you’ve found a version you enjoy, increase the batch size, add enough acid for safe water bath canning and get to preserving. For a place to start, try this recipe below:
Pasta Sauce Recipe for Canning
Yield: Roughly 9 Pints
- 30 lbs tomatoes (peeled, seeded and chopped)
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chopped celery or green peppers
- 1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 4-1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp oregano
- 4 tbsp minced parsley
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1-2 cups dry red wine
- 1 T lemon juice or balsamic vinegar for each pint canning jar
Add peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes to a large pot and simmer. 
In another pan, sauté onions, garlic, peppers and mushrooms until browned. Add sautéed vegetables to the tomatoes, along with remaining herbs, spices, salt, oil and wine.
Simmer on low until it reaches the desired consistency. Process for canning.
And here’s the finished product:
Don’t forget to give yourself a big pat on the back. This is a lot of work, but nothing better than popping the seal and enjoying the fruits of your labor or even sharing them with friends and family!
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I don’t use wine in my cooking; I use Concord grape juice or white grape juice instead. It seems to work just as well; but is its acid level still ok for water bath canning for pasta?
For white wine you can use white cranberry juice.
My husband adds grape jelly to his spaghetti sauce (which is raved about by all who taste it).
Martini – I was curious if the grape jelly that your husband uses for his spaghetti sauce was to replace another typical ingredient? Also, does he add any dry red wine as well, or just the grape jelly? Thank you!
I make may sauce with paul newman sauce , stewed canned tomatoes, tomato past and seasoning.
lazy cook, but is very good.
can I safly can this with hot water bath. if so how long will sealed jars last.
you seem to be advocating a unproven water bath canning method. please change method to pressure canning as outlined in the National Center for Home Food Preservation!!!
These are old-time recipes. Your grandmother and older relatives would have done it this way on a coal or wood stove. If you are in a SHTF situation, you might not have the luxury of electricity for pressure canning. You still have to eat, and I doubt that anyone from a government agency will be checking to see if you are using APPROVED cooking or canning methods! This is a SURVIVAL article.
The only thing that matters in food preservation is safety from botulism. If you want to can foods without doing it safely, may I suggest dehydration instead? You can do it with almost all foods but without any botulism danger. Remember, people may look up to you as the person with all the answers. Don’t risk their lives assuring them that your methods or their methods are fine when they avoid good food safety techniques…
Rich….. I have NEVER used electricity for pressure canning. If you have wood, coal or gas means of water bath, you can pressure can!
Tomatoes are acidic and can be canned in a water bath. In the old days they put hay in a big boil pot filled jars with tomatoes minus lids put them in the hay to keep them upright and cooked that way then put lids on and stored . Some may say you cant do this you cant do that well oh our grandparents lived thru it . I myself do water bath canning other times i dont i just cook the food in a pot say for example chutneys , yes even veg chutneys as a lot of vinegar is added it is acidic , i boil my jars and lids add the food to it let seal then i eat it ! have not had any poison yet . Take green beans non acidic okay well one can make it acidic add a little vinegar to each jar and boiling water bath it . again never hurt me ! I have canned foods that is yrs old i canned i still eat and yes i can a lot . So do your research on what they did in the old days and you will learn a lot,
is a “water bath canner” a piece of equipment i need to buy?? i’ve never done research on making homemade pasta sauce before
You can pick one up at Wal-Mart for $20-30. It will last very many years. To do non-acidic foods; other vegetables, potatoes, meats, meat broths, etc. you need a pressure canner, which is more costly, but worth it.
My aunt and grandma have been water bath canning for years. Neither have ever owned a pressure canner. We’re all still alive. This is prefect if all you have is a fire to boil water or no power to use a pressure canner. If everything goes down, people that survive are the ones that can live without the luxury of things like that.
You CAN pressure can over a wood fire! It would have a bit of a learning curve, but can be done!
I am horrified at how many people just wing it when they are working with preserving food. Wow.
What about it is winging it? Water bath canning was around long before pressure was. There is nothing wrong with this method at all. We have been doing it for as long as I can remember and probably longer. I’m also food safety certified so I do know a thing or two about food safety. You have every ability to do things the way you feel comfortable but that doesn’t mean other people want to do it the same way. Both methods are acceptable if you know what you’re doing and can do it properly.
I am still so sad you all feel you are exempt from science. Bosulism spores are NOT killed in a water bath. Mayo Clic reminds us: Signs and symptoms of foodborne botulism typically begin between 12 and 36 hours after the toxin gets into your body. But, depending on how much toxin was consumed, the start of symptoms may range from a few hours to a few days. Signs and symptoms of foodborne botulism include:
Difficulty swallowing or speaking
Dry mouth
Facial weakness on both sides of the face
Blurred or double vision
Drooping eyelids
Trouble breathing
Nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps
Paralysis”
If you went a day or two without symptoms, and then had common symptoms like abdominal cramps or facial weekness, only happening after everyone was asleep and the dictor said it looked like a stroke, it would be easy to miss botulism altogether. Treat food preservation seriously. Again, if you want to do things your own way, at least have the decency not to serve improperly processed foods to anyone except your own family. I would not be a happy camper if you told me you had canned the food I just ate in an inappropriate way. Remember you are not exempt. You have escaped this far, that doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen in the past or that it won’t happen in the future unless you do it properly.
years ago, on the ranch, I canned only with the water bath method as we couldn’t even afford a pressure canner.
I was told, by the Wyoming Food and Safety, that it was recommended to use only a pressure canner, but as long as I canned properly with a water bath method, I should be ok as long as I pre-boiled low acid foods such a green beans, for a bull 15 to 20 minutes first.
Not sure if it made a dif or not, but I always followed that procedure. We are all still here ……:)
Ps see here
https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/communication/home-canning-and-botulism.html
What it all comes down to is you have your way of doing things and as much as you would like to only believe your way is right, it isn’t. People water bath can all the time. I get and understand that there are things you are able to can that requires a pressure canner. But for what we are doing… Salsa, pasta sauce without meat, pickles, applesauce – those are perfectly fine with the water bath. Now if I decided to can beef stew I would invest in a pressure canner, but since I just buy it canned at the grocery store I choose to go that route. But we cook everything we can prior and for many many years everyone has been fine. You need to put your opinions out as another option, not the only way as you are possibly scaring people away from canning, when you can easily walk into a Walmart or fleet farm and buy what you need to water bath can foods. It’s doing research and learning what you need to do it safely and what you can water bath can VS. needing a pressure canner.
My husband’s cousin got botulism from store-bought chicken soup. When taking the lid off the can, she got a bit on her finger. She licked it off & got botulism. She almost died. She was in the hospital for several months.
Botulism is nothing to ignore. It is deadly & could kill an entire family with just a little bit of product. It’s not worth taking a chance, in my opinion .
It isn’t something to ignore but at the same time the statistical chances of that happening are fairly slim. I’ve licked canned food off my finger many times as well as the actual can lid sometimes! You can’t live in fear of everything in life tho, because what would life be of you did? My family and I enjoy spending the day together canning salsa, pasta sauce, applesauce and we have now and have always water bath canned. If I were to start canning meats and such I would buy the pressure canner, but for what we do…it’s fine. Follow instructions and be safe about it.
First off, let me elaborate on my previous message. I do not think I am, or should be exempt, from using wisdom and safety. I merely meant that we didn’t have financial means at the time to get a pressure canner….(yes, we really lived on tight means). However, today I water bath only fruits.
Is it safe to.go ahead and process a 1/2 filled pint bottles along with the pints? Hate to throw it out, suppose I could freeze it, but assume a half filled properly processed jar is safe??
No.
If you have any part filled jars of the specific foods you have processed – don’t bother doing the full hog, just seal and place in the fridge once cool enough to do so. Its unsafe to process and store incomplete jars as the air space in the jar is too much.
I water bath my preserves, been doing that for so long now its ridiculous. I do take a short cut though – when my pot is boiling and ready to put filled jars in, I pre-heat in the microwave with no lid on till the liquid contents are boiling. I do it on 30% for as many minutes as is needed.
I have been doing this for over 40 years and I am still here, so are all my children and my husband who is now 82.
I’ve read several places about adding lemon juice to the pasta sauce jars. I also like the balsamic vinegar idea. Does it need to be a particular acidity? Balsamic is my favorite vinegar so I was happy to read it.