Zesty Pizza Sauce- Makes 24 4oz jars
Ingredients:
15 lbs fresh tomatoes
3 large onions, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons peppercorns, cracked
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons oregano
4 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons rosemary
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (for EACH jar)
Directions:
Take a pot of hot water, bring to a boil. Add tomatoes 6-7 at a time for about a minute or until the skin begins to crack. Immediately put them into a cold water bath. Remove the skin and core, them chop the tomatoes into quarters and place in a large bowl. Continue until all are skinned, cored, and chopped. Use a food mill or food processor to puree the tomatoes.
Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent and tender, add tomato mix. Stir well, add remaining dry ingredients. Stir. Bring pot to a boil, reduce heat. Simmer on medium low for 2-3 hours to reduce by half for a thicker sauce, stirring occasionally. Once it has reached desired thickness, remove from heat.
Prepare jars, rings, and lids by heating them in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Remove jars and lids and place on dry towel. Add lemon juice to each jar, then fill each jar with pizza sauce, leaving 1/2-inch of space at the top. Wipe jar rims with a clean, damp cloth, place lids onto jars, and screw on rings.
Place filled jars in a hot water bath. Return water to a simmer, adding more water if needed to cover the jars by at least 1/2 inch. Bring water to a boil. Cook at a steady boil to process the jars until fully sealed, about 25 minutes. Turn off heat and let jars rest 5 minutes before removing and cooling on a clean, dry towel placed on kitchen counter or table. Check that the lids have sealed, and store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.
