Best Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

I know this is a bold statement, but this is THE BEST homemade spaghetti sauce I have ever tasted. And it’s incredibly easy to make! Made from garden fresh tomatoes, onions and a variety of herbs, this spaghetti sauce is so good that you will never be able to go back to store bought spaghetti sauce.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

How many times have you bought spaghetti sauce at the store only to end up adding tons of extra ingredients just to make it more flavorful and not bland and gross? I know I’m not the only one here. My neighbor shared this spaghetti sauce recipe with me a few years ago, and I have been hooked ever since! I am not kidding when I say, I will NEVER go back to store bought spaghetti sauce again. This homemade spaghetti sauce made from fresh tomatoes is honestly the most delicious spaghetti sauce I have ever tasted.

Every fall when our garden tomatoes are in full swing and I have a plethora of tomatoes, it’s time to make homemade spaghetti sauce. I can this spaghetti sauce recipe, but if canning isn’t your thing, you can make this and freeze it too! It’s so versatile and so dang good!

The Cowboys’ Rating: 10/10

Every time I make a new recipe, I have my family rate the recipe out of 10. By the time, these recipes make the blog, they’ve been tried and tested by some of my hardest tiny critics!

What Ingredients Are in Homemade Spaghetti Sauce?

• Fresh Garden Tomatoes – I have used a variety of different fresh tomatoes, and they are all good for this recipe. Any type will do, just make sure that you have a half of a bushel of fresh tomatoes.
• Onions – I use white or yellow onions for this recipe.
• Garlic Salt – Garlic salt is actually a mixture of ground garlic and kosher salt. It has wonderful flavor and adds so much to this spaghetti sauce.
• Oregano – Because I want a very flavorful and savory spaghetti sauce, I add lots of herbs that complement the tomato sauce so well. Oregano is one of my favorites because it not only tastes great but also smells so good as well.
• Basil – Basil always, always goes well with tomatoes. It has a distinct, yet almost peppery flavor. What I’m saying is this: tomatoes and basil are basically meant for each other. Together they have the best flavor so don’t forget the basil!
• Bay Leaves – Bay leaves have a great way of adding some warmth to sauces. I love adding bay leaves to enhance the flavor in this spaghetti sauce.
• Salt – Salt has an important role here. Not only does salt adds so much flavor, but it also decreases the water activity and leads to a thicker sauce.
• Pepper – I think that adding pepper makes all the other flavors a little bolder. I could be wrong, but a little bit of pepper really tops off this spaghetti sauce.
• Sugar – To cut down the acidity in this spaghetti sauce, it’s important to add sugar. Adding sugar also enhances flavor and adds a hint of sweetness.
• Cooking Oil – This is used for sautéing the onions. Any cooking oil will do here.
• Tomato Paste – Tomato paste is important for thickening your spaghetti sauce. If you don’t add in tomato paste, your sauce will be very watery and not have the right consistency.
• Lemon Juice – Lemon juice is important for preservation during canning. Not only does it lower the PH balance, but it’s also said to help prevent any bacteria from growing in the cans. I feel better adding it in, just in case.
• Canning Jars or Freezer Ziploc Bags – I use quart jars for this recipe. I usually get between 13-15 quarts. If you are wanting to freeze this recipe instead of can it, you would just need some freezer Ziploc bags in your desired size.
• Canning Lids – My favorite canning lids are from Ball. You can find them here.

Tools You’ll Need

• 2 Large Stock Pots
• Water Bath Canner
• Strainer with Handle
• Tomato knife or paring knife
• Cutting board
• Food Processor
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Large Mixing Spoon
• Canning Supplies

When I make my homemade spaghetti sauce, I actually make it in my garage or outside. I set up a huge table and cover it with a disposable tablecloth, then I do all of my cutting and prep work on this table. When I am ready to start blanching the tomatoes and cooking the spaghetti sauce, I will set up my Camp Chef Stove and cook on my Camp Chef Stove. I like to do this outside because it can be quite a mess. I also feel like using my Champ Chef Stove really make the process go quicker because it heats up quickly. However, you can definitely do this in your kitchen as well!

How to Make Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

1. Start by filling the large water bath canner with water. Bring water to a boil over high heat.
2. While water is heating, fill a large stock pot with cold water and set aside.
3. Pour the oil in a separate large stock pot, and heat over medium heat.
4. Peel the onions and cut into large chunks and place in a food processor. Pulse until the onions are very small.
5. Place the onions in the oil and sauté for 10-15 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent, stirring frequently.
6. When the water begins to boil, it’s time to blanche the tomatoes. Submerge a few tomatoes in the boiling water (about 5-6 at a time). When the skin of the tomato splits, immediately remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and place them in the cold water. Repeat this process until all the tomatoes have been blanched and start to split.
7. Once the tomatoes are blanched, take a knife and cut the skins and the center core from the tomatoes.
8. Place the peeled tomatoes in a food processor and puree or pulse until there are no longer any large chunks of tomatoes.
9. Pour the pureed tomatoes into the large stock pot with onions.
10. Add in spices, sugar, salt, and tomato paste and stir until well incorporated.
11. Bring the spaghetti sauce to a boil, then turn heat to medium. Cover and cook 2 hours. Stir spaghetti sauce frequently to avoid burning on the bottom.
12. Wash and prepare quart jars.
13. When spaghetti sauce has cooked for a minimum of 2 hours and has a nice, thick consistency, remove from heat and fill jars immediately.
14. Using canning tools, fill each jar with spaghetti sauce leaving 1/4″ from the top.
15. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to each jar.
16. Once the jars have been filled, wipe the top of the jar with a paper towel to remove any sauce that may have gotten on the rim of the jar. Place the lids on and hand-tighten the rings.
17. Let the jars cool for 30 minutes, then place in them in the water bath canner.
18. Once the jars have been placed in the water bath canner, fill the canner with water until the jars are completely covered with at least 1″ of water. (I like to place my finger on the top of the lid and if the water comes to my first knuckle, then it’s enough water.)
19. Cover and bring the water to a boil and boil for 45 minutes.
20. When the time is up, using jar tongs (canning tools) to lift each jar out of the boiling water and set aside. Do not touch or move the jars after they have been removed from the water bath for 24 hours.
21. Once the jars have cooled completely, check to see if the jars have sealed properly by lightly pressing down in the center. If the lid clicks or pops up and down – it did not seal.
22. If it did not seal properly, store the spaghetti sauce in the fridge.
23. Store jars of spaghetti sauce in a cool, dry place.
24. Shelf stable for up to 2 years.

Freezer Directions

1. Once the spaghetti sauce has cooled completely, fill desired freezer Ziploc bags with spaghetti sauce.
2. Push any air out of the bag and seal.
3. Place in the freezer.
4. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to Store Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Once this spaghetti sauce has been made, it is good for up to 2 years! (although I have to confess that I had some in my pantry that was older than 2 years that we ate, and it was still good!)

For freezer friendly spaghetti sauce, it is good in the freezer for up to 3 months. After that, it is more susceptible to freezer burn.