Easy Canned Tomato Sauce

This easy canned tomato sauce made in the slow cooker is a simple yet delicious recipe that delivers rich, homemade flavor with minimal effort. This slow cooker tomato sauce, made with fresh tomatoes and herbs, is perfect for beginner canners and creates a flavorful base for any recipe that calls for tomato sauce.

Canned Tomato Sauce

It’s that time of year when our garden tomatoes are in full swing and I have a plethora of tomatoes. If you’re anything like me, you’ve already canned salsa, spaghetti sauce, and vegetables and now you’re getting real burnt out of canning. But you just can’t let all those tomatoes go to waste. So, you try to figure out what to make and then you find this recipe of mine for easy canned tomato sauce.

I can’t even tell you how simple this recipe is, yet it’s packed with huge flavor. You literally cut up a bunch of tomatoes, herbs and spices and throw it in the slow cooker and forget about it. When it’s simmered all day, you blend it up, skins and all, pour it in cute little jars and water bath it for 20 minutes. It is definitely THE easiest thing that I can each year.

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 Canned Tomato 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 4 quarts (16 cups) of chopped tomatoes.
• Onions – I use white or yellow onions for this recipe.
• Garlic Cloves – Garlic always adds rich flavor to recipes. I peel the cloves and roughly chop them up and add them to the slow cooker.
• Oregano – 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.
• 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.
• 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 the 8 oz. half pint jars for this recipe. I usually get between 10-12 half pints. 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

• Slow Cooker
• Water Bath Canner
• Tomato knife or paring knife
• Cutting board
• Blender
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Half Pint (8 oz) Canning Jars
• Canning Supplies

Canned Tomato Sauce Recipe

1. Chop tomatoes and onion into medium sized chunks and transfer to slow cooker.
2. Peel garlic and roughly chop. Add to slow cooker.
3. Add in oregano and basil.
4. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
5. When done, remove lid and let cool for 15-20 minutes.
6. Transfer sauce to a blender and add kosher salt.
7. Blend until sauce is completely pureed and there are no remaining chunks.
8. Prepare your jars. Make sure your jars are clean and sanitized and remove all lids.
9. Pour tomato sauce into jars making sure not to fill too full.
10. Add 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice to each jar.
11. Wipe around the rim of the jar with a paper towel to remove any tomato sauce that might have splashed on the rim.
12. Place new, clean lids on each jar and screw the rings on finger tight.
13. Transfer the jars to a water bath canner.
14. Fill the pot with water just until the water line is about 1/2″ above the tops of the jars.
15. Place pot on the stove and turn to high heat.
16. Once the water starts a full rolling boil, place the lid on the pot and set the timer for 20 minutes.
17. When the timer goes off, immediately turn off the heat and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
18. Remove the lid and carefully remove each jar with the proper canning tools and set aside to cool.
19. Let sit for a few hours undisturbed until jars have completely cooled.
20. Label and store in a cool, dry place.

freezer friendly directions

1. Once the tomato sauce has cooled completely, fill desired freezer Ziploc bags with 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 Canned Tomato Sauce

Once this tomato 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 tomato sauce, it is good in the freezer for up to 3 months. After that, it is more susceptible to freezer burn.