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Publication #FCS8186

Selecting, Preparing, and Canning: Standard Tomato Sauce1

United States Department of Agriculture Extension Service2

Quantity: For thin sauce--An average of 35 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 21 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 53 pounds and yields 10 to 12 quarts of sauce--an average of 5 pounds per quart. For thick sauce--An average of 46 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 28 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 53 pounds and yields 7 to 9 quarts of sauce--an average of 6-1/2 pounds per quart.

Procedure: Prepare and press as for making tomato juice. Simmer in large-diameter saucepan until sauce reaches desired consistency. Boil until volume is reduced by about one-third for thin sauce, or by one-half for thick sauce. Add bottled lemon juice or citric acid to jars (See FCS 8182 for acidification directions). Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart to the jars, if desired. Fill jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process. Recommended process times are given in Table 1, Table 2, and Table 3.

Tables

Table 1. 
Table 1. Recommended process time for Standard Tomato Sauce in a boiling-water canner
  Process Time at Altitudes of
Style of Pack Jar Size 0 - 1,000 ft 1,001 - 3,000 ft 3,001 - 6,000 ft Above 6,000 ft

Hot

 Pints 35 min 40 45 50
Quarts 40 45 50 55

*After the process is complete, turn off the heat and remove the canner lid. Wait five minutes before removing jars.
Table 2. 
Table 2. Recommended process time for Standard Tomato Sauce in a dial-gauge pressure canner
  Canner Gauge Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
Style of Pack Jar Size Process Time 0 - 2,000 ft 2,001 - 4,000 ft 4,001 - 6,000 ft 6,001 - 8,000 ft
Hot

Pints or

Quarts

 20 min 6 lb 7 lb 8 lb 9 lb
15 11 12 13 14

*After the canner is completely depressurized, remove the weight from the vent port or open the petcock. Wait 10 minutes; then unfasten the lid and remove it carefully. Lift the lid with the underside away from you so that the steam coming out of the canner does not burn your face.
Table 3. 
Table 3. Recommended process time for Standard Tomato Sauce in a weighted-gauge pressure canner
  Canner Gauge Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
Style of Pack Jar Size Process Time 0 - 1,000 ft Above 1,000 ft
Hot

Pints or

Quarts

 20 min 5 lb 10 lb
15 10 15
10 15 Not Recommended

*After the canner is completely depressurized, remove the weight from the vent port or open the petcock. Wait 10 minutes; then unfasten the lid and remove it carefully. Lift the lid with the underside away from you so that the steam coming out of the canner does not burn your face.

Footnotes

1.

This document is FCS 8186, a series of the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Publication date: May 2003. Reviewed: June 2008 and March 2011. This document was extracted from the Complete Guide to Home Canning, Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. It was originally published on CD-ROM as part of HE 8149, Guide 3: Selecting, Preparing, and Canning Tomatoes and Tomato Products. Please visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu

2.

Reviewed for use in Florida by Amy Simonne, assistant professor, Food Safety and Quality, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean.