Canning oven-roasted marinara sauce

Oven-roasting is my favorite way to turn a pile of garden tomatoes into marinara: the roasting does most of the work, and your kitchen will smell amazing ;) Here’s exactly how I make it and can it in a water bath.

Mix of freshly harvested tomatoes from the garden

Why oven-roasted marinara?

Oven-roasting tomatoes isn’t just for fancy chefs or people with too much time on their hands. It’s for everyone who wants to take their marinara sauce from “meh” to “holy moly, what is this magic?” Plus, your kitchen will smell so good, your neighbors might just invite themselves over.

What you’ll need

Ingredients

• 10 pounds of ripe tomatoes (I use a mix of Roma, round and cherry tomatoes from my garden)

• 1 medium onion, chopped (about ¾ cup)

• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1½ teaspoons dried oregano

• 1 bay leaf

• Black pepper to taste

• 1 tablespoon sugar (optional, to soften the tartness)

• Bottled lemon juice: 1 tablespoon per pint jar (or ¼ teaspoon citric acid)

• Cooking spray for the onion pan

  
  

Makes about 4 pint jars.

My recipe is a half batch of the tested Ball Oven-Roasted Marinara (from the All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving), without the wine.

Equipment

• Rimmed baking sheets

• Large pot

• Food mill

• Pint mason jars with new two-piece lids and bands

• Water bath canner with a rack, or a large stockpot

• Jar lifter

• Canning funnel

  
  

How I make it

1. Prepare the tomatoes

Start by washing your tomatoes. Cut them in half and remove the cores.

2. Roast the tomatoes and onion

Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Arrange the tomato halves cut-side down on rimmed baking sheets (no oil needed). The onion and garlic go on their own pan with a light spray of cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for about 30 minutes, or until the skins wrinkle and they look like they’ve been sunbathing too long.

3. Mill the tomatoes

Let everything cool slightly. Press the roasted tomatoes through a food mill to strain out the skins and seeds, then pour the purée into a large pot and add the roasted onion and garlic.

4. Simmer and season

Add the oregano, bay leaf and sugar (if using) and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes to an hour, until it’s as thick as you like. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then take out the bay leaf.

5. Get the jars ready

While your sauce is simmering, wash your pint jars and keep them hot until you fill them. Get your new lids and bands ready, too.

6. Fill the jars

Add 1 tablespoon of bottled lemon juice (or ¼ teaspoon of citric acid) to each hot pint jar, then ladle in the hot marinara, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Remove any air bubbles with a non-metallic utensil, add more sauce if needed, and wipe the rims with a clean, damp cloth. Place the lids on and screw the bands on fingertip-tight (not Hulk-tight).

7. Process in a water bath

Place the filled jars on a rack in your water bath canner with at least 1 inch of water over the tops. Bring it to a rolling boil and then start the timer: 45 minutes for pints if you’re between 1,001 and 3,000 feet (I’m at 2,273 feet, so 45 minutes it is). Below 1,000 feet it’s 40 minutes, and above 3,000 feet it’s longer, so check my altitude chart.

8. Cool and store

Turn off the heat, take the lid off the canner and let the jars sit in the water for 5 minutes. Then lift them out with a jar lifter (or a medieval torture device, your choice) onto a towel on the counter and let them cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours, then check the seals. Take the bands off, then store the jars in a cool, dark place. For the best flavor, use them within a year. Any jar that didn’t seal goes in the fridge, and so does an open jar.

Listen for the sweet sound of lids sealing! Label your jars with the date, but let’s be honest, you’ll be eating it straight from the jar by next week ;)

Finished sauce, right out of the canner

Tips and tricks

• Tomato variety: Roma tomatoes are ideal because they’re meaty and don’t cry as much as other varieties, but I happily use a mix from the garden.

• Roasting time: Adjust roasting time based on your patience level. Longer roasting equals more intense flavor (and more time to catch up on Netflix).

• Safety first: I stick to the tested amounts of onion and garlic and the lemon juice in every jar; that’s what makes it safe for the water bath (here’s why that matters).

• Olive oil: Love olive oil in your marinara? Stir a spoonful in when you open the jar ;)

• Fresh basil: I tear some in when I heat a jar up.

• More veggies: Want peppers or mushrooms in your sauce? That’s a pressure-canner sauce, like my canned garden ragu.

  
  

Happy canning!

Canning oven-roasted marinara sauce is like a marathon with more tomatoes and fewer medals. It’s a labor of love that pays off with every delicious spoonful. So, put on your apron, crank up the oven, and embrace the madness. Your taste buds will thank you.

More tomato sauces from my pantry: my Italian passata and canned garden ragu.