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Best Recipe for Spaghetti Sauce for Canning with Meat: Pressure Canning Made Easy

This comprehensive guide walks you through making rich, flavorful spaghetti sauce designed specifically for safe home canning. Using fresh tomatoes, herbs, and (optional) meat, this recipe ensures shelf-stable, preservative-free sauce that lasts up to a year.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6 –7 quarts
Course: Canning
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 113
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 30 lbs fresh tomatoes about 90 medium
  • 2.5 lbs ground meat beef, sausage, venison, or turkey – optional
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup onions finely chopped
  • 1 cup celery or green peppers chopped (optional)
  • 1 lb mushrooms sliced (optional)
  • 4.5 tsp canning salt
  • 2 tbsp dried oregano
  • 4 tbsp parsley minced
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar or honey/maple syrup alternative

Method
 

  1. Prepare Tomatoes: Wash tomatoes, blanch 30–40 seconds in boiling water, transfer to an ice bath, peel, core, and quarter.
  2. Cook Base: Add tomatoes to a large pot and boil 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pass through a food mill to remove seeds and skins.
  3. Brown Meat: In a large skillet, brown ground meat 10–12 minutes. Drain, leaving 2 tbsp fat for flavor.
  4. Sauté Veggies: Add garlic, onions, celery or peppers, and mushrooms. Cook until tender (8–10 minutes).
  5. Combine & Season: Mix meat and vegetables into tomato pulp. Add salt, herbs, pepper, and brown sugar. Simmer gently.
  6. Simmer: Cook uncovered 35–45 minutes until sauce thickens and reduces by about half.
  7. Prepare Equipment: Sterilize jars, lids, and bands. Keep hot until use. Prepare pressure canner with water as per manufacturer instructions.
  8. Fill Jars: Ladle hot sauce into jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Remove bubbles, wipe rims, and apply lids finger-tight.
  9. Pressure Can: Process pints 60 minutes, quarts 70 minutes at 11 lbs (dial gauge) or 10 lbs (weighted gauge). Adjust pressure for altitude.
  10. Cool & Store: Let canner depressurize naturally. Cool jars 12+ hours. Check seals before storing in a cool, dark place.

Notes

Always use a pressure canner for low-acid ingredients. Never substitute table salt for canning salt. Store sealed jars up to 12 months in a cool, dark place. Refrigerate opened jars and use within 3–4 days.