they puree the tomatoes, plus they have the ability to cook it down into thicker sauce than the average home canner.

Spices, don't you love when they only list that. What spices???? What about people that might be allergic to a certain spice.

I see so I would need to puree the tomatoes to get the type of consistency I need. Thank you I was always wondering about that. I think I may need to invest in some type of food mill or something.

I have always wondered about the spices as well

There are several pizza sauce canning recipes available both in the Ball books and on NCHFP - specific spices and all. But yes, they all call for pureeing the tomatoes and for that some sort of tomato mill or similar equipment is required.

Some use a blender or what is called a Foley Food Mill is likely the least expensive but Victorio or similar tomato mills give better results as they remove all the skins, cores and seeds.

Dave

This post was edited by digdirt on Tue, Oct 15, 13 at 19:55

I used "Mrs. Wages" Pizza Sauce mix this year.
A package cost about $3 US and makes 5 pints of sauce.
Start with about 6 pints of fresh tomatoes, turn that into juice and cook down some. Follow the instructions on the package for the rest. I then canned it in 8 oz jars, One jar will sauce a 14" pizza. (10 pizzas per batch of sauce) Taste equal to most store bought sauce.

Someone who knows better, please correct me if I'm wrong. A typical pizza sauce is very thick. Is this too much for a home canner in a BWB? Are the approved ones more on the runny side, then boil down before use?

Alyssa Lee--whether you can a recipe (or buy tomato paste and spice it yourself), you will be able to find tons of recipes for the spices needed in pizza sauce. Basic place to start would be garlic powder, oregano (powder is better for pizza sauce to me) and some other Italian spices--basil, parsley,or go with a blend. Google will show you bunches of recipes, but until you have the equip to make your own puree, just play and come up with what you like best. Tomato paste is much cheaper than the flavored, and you'll be able to personalize it more. Oregano is the main flavor I associate with pizza sauce.

As for equip--decide how much it will be used. I have a Squeezo strainer (similar to the Victorio Dave mentioned) and wouldn't be without it for making tomato or applesauce. But, it's spendy to buy (mine came from DH's grandma) so unless you'll be doing lots, it may not be worth it.

A typical pizza sauce is very thick. Is this too much for a home canner in a BWB?

You mean more like tomato paste than tomato sauce? Mine isn't. Best description I can think of is mine is a bit thicker than standard tomato sauce but not nearly as thick as standard tomato paste. You can stand a spoon up in tomato paste.

I usually use the Italian Tomato Sauce recipe in the BBB but cook it until a tablespoon full has no water ring form around it. Make sense?

Dave

Pizza sauce is just the same thickness as spaghetti sauce. It is just plain tomato sauce with Italian herbs, pepper,

If you have a stick blender you do not need anything else to make your own traditional pizza sauce, from canned or fresh tomatoes. But you will need to strain the pulps out. Actually, you can use diced tomatoes too. Or blend it with a stick blender and add seasoning. Also you can use thin slices of fresh tomatoes, sprinkle with Italian seasoning(Oregano, Basil, Marjoram Thyme ). Or any combination the you like.

As far as equipment, you need to decide how much canning you are planning on doing in the future. Foley mills have been around ever since I started canning, back in the 60s, and CAN last a lifetime, but they will rust if not dried completely (don't just air-dry). Keep the parts in parts, not complete. foley mills are less than $25.

If you have a Kitchenaid stand mixer, you could get the fruit strainer/juicer, less than $100 after the mixer.

Dave,

Thank you. That sounds like what I would be used to--thicker than tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce, but thinner than paste. I just didn't know if that could still be canned, since it was thicker than sauce. It's as long as it moves freely in the jar? I do understand your test about the 'water ring'.

I was canning last week and had a little left over, so added "some spices" and cooked it down and used it for pizza sauce. My husband LOVED it! So I made more, just cooking it down as much as I could, leaving the seeds as I don't have a mill, and I froze mine as I wasn't sure about the BWB. Going to make more this weekend.