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!
@daringgourmet.com I made some chili sauce and tomato juice with some Fresh tomatoes and I would like to make this sauce with some of the leftover tomato purée I have. Do you have any ideal how many cups of purée 12 pounds of tomatoes make? I don’t want to take any chances of the sauce getting bad but I also don’t want to work up any more fresh tomatoes. Is it possible to use the purée I have?
Hi Lisa, you can use the puree, yes, but I don’t know what the equivalent is. I Googled that question and it says that 10 pounds of tomatoes produces 19 cups of tomato puree so provided that’s accurate, you can use that as a gauge: https://www.howmany.wiki/wv/How-many–cup–of–tomato+puree–in–10–pound
My daughter and I are using this recipe to can, several batches, of her garden tomatoes. We’re saving the batch of her San Marzano tomatoes for last. We froze the tomatoes as they ripened. The skin comes off as they thaw. We put everything, but lemon juice, in a crockpot and let it cook all day. We pressure canned ours. We did cut the salt down to almost 1 tablespoons. Delicious sauce!
I’m so glad it was a hit, Cindy, and thank you for that info and feedback!
I haven’t canned it yet as I want to let it refrigerate and meld flavors first. However it is yummy now. Things I did that were different:
1. I used leftover sauce from canning my roasted San Marzano sauce the other day, which is already very thick.
2. I sauteed the garlic in the oil first to bring out the flavor
3. I added about a teaspoon of molasses instead of brown sugar for a richer flavor profile and less sweetness – figure the Balsamic was already sweet.
4. I only used about 1/4+ tsp. of fennel seeds as they have such a strong flavor.
5 I added 1/4 tsp. each of savory and marjoram
6. I didn’t blend it down as I like texture in a marinara.
Looking forward to making lasagna, spaghetti, and pizza with it this winter.
Can we just add the lemon juice to the entire sauce batch instead of individually adding it to each jar?
Hi Chantelle, this is per official canning guidelines which states that the lemon juice must be added to each individual jar, not the whole pot, and that bottled lemon juice (not fresh) must be used.
I am planning on using a slow cooker for this recipe then freezing. Any changes you think I should make.
Hi Joanne, no changes, just be sure to leave the lid off while it’s simmering so that the excess liquid can evaporate.
How long would I leave it in the slow cooker on low or high? Thanks!
I’m just getting ready to make this sauce, it sounds amazing and I can’t wait!
My question is; if dried onion is superior to fresh onion for long term storage, would it follow that dried garlic would be preferable to fresh garlic? And if so, how much dried garlic is equal to 6 cloves?
Hi Dayna, I prefer dried onion for this recipe because of its flavor; in the case of garlic fresh is the winner.
I have the SAME question!!! Does anyone have the amount of chopped tomatoes needed for this recipe ina CUPS MEASUREMENT?? That would be a GREAT help!
Usually it’s 4-1 with fresh to dried. so 2 cups
Is it 12 lbs of tomatoes before or after skinning/peeling? I ask because I freeze my tomatoes without seeds and stems until September when I can process my entire summer harvest into tomato sauce/marinara sauce and I want to know how much to use/measure out for this recipe.
Hi Sonali, that’s 12 pounds before skinning. Happy cooking!
I have the SAME question!!! Does anyone have the amount of chopped tomatoes needed for this recipe ina CUPS MEASUREMENT?? That would be a GREAT help!
Sorry, Didn’t mean to ask this question on the “dried onions” question.
Did you find an answer? I’m having the same issue
This is the best marinara sauce! My mom dropped off several pounds of tomatoes from her garden and I had to figure out what to do with them. Husband says the marinara is way better than the store bought stuff 😊. Now have to hunt down more tomatoes so I can make more to get us through the winter months. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Yay, I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it, Jessica, thank you! :)