Granny's Sauce

This time of year I am asked over and over again for my Granny's tomato sauce recipe. I have decided to put it on here, and then when one needs it, they need only stop by to look it up :) I am posting the recipe today, but I will post step by step photos in a day or two so check back.

Now, a few things.
1. This sauce is FABULOUS. If you have made it before, or been lucky enough to have dined at my home when I have served it in some fashion, please leave a comment. Let the world know that I amnot the only one out there who sings it's praises.

2. This is really an all-purpose sauce. It consists of tomatoes, onions, green peppers, celery, garlic, parsley, sugar and salt. It can be used for chili, spaghetti, soup or salsa. For the former, you simply pour it in- maybe add a can of tomato paste. For the latter, I usually open a jar of sauce, add some chopped jalapeno and cumin. Sometimes toss in a can of (rinsed) black beans and some white shoepeg corn. It's so much more versatile to make 10 quarts of this sauce than to make 10 quarts of salsa.

3. It's a lot of work, but it's not crazy hard work, and it does take time. And I often do it over a period of 2-3 days if time is an issue. I sometimes wash and peel, and core all tomatoes one day, then refrigerate them and the next day, chop veggies, cook it down and put in jars. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

4. DISCLAIMER! This is my Granny's recipe that she has used for who knows how many decades. I myself have used it every year for 15 years. In this particular recipe, you do not use a boil water process method. You simply put them on a cookie sheet and put them in an oven for 20 minutes or so. However, you will not see this method used or recommended much at all. Some consider it unsafe, though I question wheter they have actually done it. I have read about it in many forums and it is considered dangerous and even unhealthy. If you read through the comments though, people who HAVE done it (most for over 50 yrs) will say "phooey". The Ball Canning Guide used to have it in their yearly cookbook. It makes sense to me that they may want you to ues the waterbath method as it encourages us to purchase water canners, special tools, gadgets and accessories. You don't need these for oven canning. So- use whatever method YOU prefer for the actual processing. I'm simply sharing how I do it. And for the record- I have NEVER had a jar break, not seal, or become tainted over the course of the year or two it may have sat upon my shelf. Never.

5. It's cooking, not baking, so feel free to add more onion, more sugar, less salt, less peppers whatever you like. The celery really needs to be in there for a crisp, fresh flavor, but you may want to grind it really fine (I do). Don't be anal about amounts. Go with the flow!

The Recipe:


Granny Jo's Tomato Sauce


25 peeled tomatoes (will follow up with directions on how to do this)
4-5 stalks celery finely chopped
3 onions chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped (I use minced from a jar sometimes)
1 green pepper chopped fine
Parsley (flakes or fresh)
1 cup sugar
2-4 TBSP salt

Chop tomatoes and place in pot. (I dont chop mine, I squeeze the juice out and discard it,then use a food processor and pretty much puree mine. Make it as chunky as you like.) Add the remaining ingredients and boil the hell out if it. I usually cook mine 1-2 hours. Let some of that water evaporate- it will give you a thicker sauce. That's why I squeeze the juice out of my 'maters as mentioned earlier. Then turn oven to 250. Fill HOT & CLEAN jars (I always have mine in the dishwasher ready to go) with sauce, cover with lids (that are soaking in hot water), then screw on bands and place on heavy duty cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. OR process in cool packer 10 minuutes. Let sit on countertop for a few hours and listen for the "pings" of the lids!

Let me know how it goes!!