BEST Marinara Sauce
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
Look no further for the BEST Marinara Sauce recipe EVER! You won’t find a more flavorful marinara sauce. It’s easy to make and is absolutely PACKED with flavor! Canning instructions are included so you can enjoy the fresh flavor of tomatoes all year long!
What is Marinara Sauce?
Marinara sauce is a popular tomato sauce that is an essential staple in Italian cuisine. It consists of tomatoes, garlic, onions, olive oil, and a variety of herbs and spices. It’s known for its bright and fresh flavor, is highly versatile, and is a key component in many Italian dishes such as chicken parmesan, eggplant parmesan, pasta alla norma, and spaghetti and meatballs.
Ingredients
It’s hard to beat a simple dish of fresh pasta topped with homemade marinara sauce. The key is using quality products and when you have those these simplest of dishes come to life. The Italians have relied on the best of the best tomatoes for centuries: Sun-kissed San Marzano tomatoes. They’re stronger in flavor and much sweeter than most any other variety. And for that reason it’s hard to replicate the flavor of the marinara sauces you find in southern Italy. Our tomatoes require the help of a few flavor boosts, a dash of sugar being one of them.
This marinara sauce is slow-simmered with a variety of herbs and seasonings for 2 hours. The end result is a delicious sauce you can either eat right away, freeze or can for long-term storage so you can enjoy the vibrancy of Summer all year long! This is the BEST marinara sauce for canning!
I am often asked if you can use fresh onions instead of dehydrated onions. I recommend dehydrated onions for two reasons 1) fresh onions are high in water and can dilute and interfere with the pH level of the tomato sauce (this is not important however if you are not canning the sauce and 2) dehydrated onions are especially suited to canning because their flavor is more concentrated and they contribute a better flavor long-term.
Can You Freeze Marinara Sauce?
Yes, this marinara freezes really well and there is no need to add lemon juice or citric acid. Put the cooled marinara sauce in freezer ziplock bags and lay them flat to take up less space or freeze the sauce in containers. It will keep for up to 6 months. Simply thaw and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Marinara Sauce Recipe
Select the best tomatoes you can find. The ideal tomatoes are ones that are very meaty with few seeds. Roma tomatoes fall into that category and are the most readily available and they, like other paste tomatoes like San Marzano’s, develop the best flavor when cooked down into a sauce. That said, you can use whatever tomatoes you have available and if they’re grown in your own garden so much the better.
Blanch the tomatoes for a minute in boiling water to loosen the skins. Peel the tomatoes and squeeze out and discard the seeds. Chop the tomatoes.
Place the tomatoes in a large pot with all the ingredients (except for the citric acid/lemon juice). Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours, stirring every once in a while. Adjust seasonings to taste. Discard the bay leaves.
Use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender and puree until desired consistency.
I use and recommend Cuisinart’s Immersion Blender, I’ve been using mine for 10 years and it’s still going strong.
The sauce is ready but the flavor is even better after a day or two.
You can either enjoy the sauce now, freeze it, or can it for future use.
How to Can Marinara Sauce
Before you fill the sterilized jars with the marinara sauce, add 1/4 tsp Citric Acid per pint or add 1 tbsp bottled lemon juice per pint (double those quantities for quarts). This is per USDA guidelines as a requirement for safe canning. Fill the hot marinara sauce into the jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp cloth. Screw on the clean lids and rims.
Next you’ll use a water canner to process the jars. This complete canning set has everything you’ll need. Place the jars in the boiling water canning and process for 35 minutes for pints and 40 minutes for quarts (wait for the water to return to a boil before you start the time). Turn off the heat and let the jars rest for 5 minutes before removing.
Adjustments for canning at high altitude:
- At 1,001 to 3,000 feet (305 to 914 meters) above sea level: increase processing time by 5 minutes.
- At 3,001 to 6,000 feet (914 to 1,829 meters) above sea level: increase processing time by 10 minutes.
- Above 6,000 feet (1,829 meters) increase processing time by 15 minutes.
Carefully remove the jars from the water canner and let them sit undisturbed for 24 hours. Check the seals. Stored in a dark, cool place the jars will keep for at least a year but for best flavor use within six months.
Enjoy!
For more fabulous canning recipes be sure to try our:
- Pickled Pepperoncini Peppers
- Pickled Jalapenos
- Pickled Okra
- Dill Pickle Relish
- Giardiniera
- Corn Relish
- Bread and Butter Pickles
- Sweet Pepper and Onion Relish
- Pickled Onions
- Pickled Carrots
- Pickled Banana Peppers
- Pickled Green Beans
- Pickled Asparagus
- Pickled Beets
Save This Recipe
Enter your email address and we’ll send it straight to your inbox!
BEST Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 pounds ripe tomatoes
- 1/2 cup dried/dehydrated minced onion (provides a great flavor boost and is especially suited to canning for long-term storage)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil * omit if canning (see note)
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
- 1 tablespoon dark balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon dried ground sage
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- citric acid or bottled lemon juice, if canning (per USDA guidelines as a requirement for safe canning)
Instructions
- Blanch the tomatoes for about a minute in a pot of boiling water to loosen the skins. Peel the tomatoes, squeeze out and discard the seeds. Chop the tomatoes.
- Place the chopped tomatoes in a large pot along with the remaining ingredients (except for the citric acid). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 2 hours, stirring every now and then. Discard the bay leaves. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender to puree until desired consistency is reached.You can use the sauce now (flavor gets better in a day or two), freeze it or can it for long-term storage.
- To can the sauce: Place 1/4 teaspoon citric acid or 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice in the bottom of each sterilized pint-sized jar (double the quantity for quart jars). Ladle the hot marinara sauce into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean with a damp cloth. Screw on the clean lids and rims. Place the jars in a boiling water canner and process 35 minutes for pints and 40 minutes for quarts. Turn off the heat and let the jars sit for 5 minutes. Remove the jars and let sit undisturbed for 24 hours. Check the seals. Stored in a dark, cool place the jars will keep for at least a year but for best flavor use within six months.Makes approximately 6 pints.
Notes
- At 1,001 to 3,000 feet (305 to 914 meters) above sea level: increase processing time by 5 minutes.
- At 3,001 to 6,000 feet (914 to 1,829 meters) above sea level: increase processing time by 10 minutes.
- Above 6,000 feet (1,829 meters) increase processing time by 15 minutes.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet September 8, 2017
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
Can wine be safely added to this recipe for canning?
Hi Shannon, my understanding is that you can (wine adds acidity), but to be certain I would try to confirm that through official canning guidelines sources.
Can I still can if I use some olive oil to sauté the onions? Love your recipe, just curious about the olive oil when canning and I’m the absent minded one who might instinctively use oil.
Hi Suzanne, many sources agree that some added oil is safe for canning, but the USDA guidelines say not to. So, it’s your call :)
Hello Kimberly, I like your Marinara Sauce recipe but it does not say if the pint jars need to be covered with an inch of hot water over top of jars. I need to know that. Thanks so much for your good recipe.
Hi Alice, yes, jars of any size require that as part of general canning procedure.
It wasn’t for us. It was thin and not flavorful. I wanted to like it.
Hi, if it was thin it was either because the wrong tomato type was used (paste tomatoes have far less water and more meat, making them ideal for sauce), or it simply needed to simmer longer to allow the excess water to evaporate which would result in both a thicker AND more flavorful sauce.
Can I use canned tomatoes to make this sauce, If not I will wait til there is a decent sale on fresh. It sounds really good and my daughter just asked today if I could make marinara sauce for her.
Hi Debbie, yes you can, a few readers have reported doing this with great results.
I’ve always heard that it’s safer to pressure-can tomato based sauces. Can this recipe be pressure canned? What are your thoughts on the idea that pressure canning is safer for tomato-based Items?
Hi Shannon, tomatoes are one of the few veggies that don’t require pressure-canning because of their high acidity content, but for safety they still have to be canned via the water-bath canning method. So while it isn’t “necessary” to pressure can tomato sauce, you certainly can do that if that’s you’re preference.
When it comes to any Tomato Sauce we do Open Kettle. HOT Jars, HOT Food, Place Jars on 1st towel. Turn upside down for 5 min. Turn right side up. Cover with a 2nd towel. Don’t move for 24 + hours. Then check the seals. and store in that Years canning Jars location.
Is there a conversion from lbs of tomatoes to cups of puree? I have a ton of frozen puree in 2 cup portions. I’m wondering how many cups you would use in place of 12 lbs of tomatoes?
Thank you!
Hello!
Could you clarify something please?
When it says in the instructions to leave the sauce for a day or 2 for better flavour us that before canning or freezing ans if so does it need to be stored in the fridge during this process?
Many thanks
Laura
Hi Laura, if you’re going to can it do so immediately. If you’re freezing it you can either wait a couple of days or freeze it immediately, it doesn’t matter. Whether it’s sitting in your fridge for a day or two before you eat it or if you wait a day or two after canning or freezing it to eat it, either way the flavors will continue to develop. Happy cooking!
hands down my favorite recipe for marinara! this it our go to every year when canning our homegrown tomatoes.
Yay, I’m so happy this has become a tradition, Jen, thank you so much! <3
I just pulled 9 gallon bags of tomatoes from the freezer. Both Roma and possibly Better Boy (cannot remember). 1) Is it ok to mix the two types for the sauce or is it best to only use the Roma? 2) Since these are frozen, how would I measure the weight or make adjustments for them being frozen? I believe if I run under water the skins will slip off. Thank you in advance. Cannot wait to try this. A little nervous about the sage flavor though!
Hi Renee, yes you can mix different types of tomatoes. Some are just much juicier than others and so the sauce will need to simmer longer to allow the excess water to evaporate. Just measure the frozen tomatoes the same way you would fresh. Happy cooking!
Such a great marinara I am impressed which seldom happens. :) I didn’t alter the recipe whatsoever.
About to make a double batch after saving the rest of my tomatoes from the garden in my freezer. Not only is home made extraordinarily better tasting but with the price of sauce in the store these days? This is the only way to go. Thank you so much for sharing such a great sauce.
Thank you so much, Regina, I’m thrilled that you enjoyed it and really appreciate the feedback! <3