And pureeing the squash would only compound the problem as it would change the density of the sauce. Change the density and a different processing time is needed and that processing time would be just a guess. Not to mention that canning summer squash and zucchini are not recommended: Why is canning summer squash or zucchini not recommended? Recommendations for canning summer squashes, including zucchini, that appeared in former editions of So Easy to Preserve have been withdrawn due to uncertainty about the determination of processing times. Squashes are low-acid vegetables and require pressure canning for a known period of time that will destroy the bacteria that cause botulism. Documentation for the previous processing times cannot be found, and reports that are available do not support the old process. Slices or cubes of cooked summer squash will get quite soft and pack tightly into the jars. The amount of squash filled into a jar will affect the heating pattern in that jar. It is best to freeze or pickle summer squashes, but they may also be dried. NCHFP Guidelines There are safer ways to provide the roughage her family needs. ;) Sorry but this is just one more example of trying to force the safety requirements to change to fit the recipe instead of the other way around. ;) And please note Ken's point that many books are badly outdated. Dave

A safe recipe for canning? Sorry, no. Like the other posts here on spaghetti sauce, it is a cooking recipe, not a canning recipe and the #1 rule of safe home canning is that you cannot safely can your own recipes. This one contains no acid to control the pH other than what might have been added by the commercial canning company to the canned tomato products. And it has lots of additional low-acid ingredients that would require additional acidification to can safely. Processing time, if all other problems were resolved, would just be a guess. And, there is the issue of re-canning previously canned products, which is also not recommended. Dave

I would just like to add that even though you may not be a wine drinker or even like wine, using a wine let's say, "most people" wouldn't drink is going to adversely affect the flavor. I once used "cooking wine" and after watching a bevy of cooking shows and being constantly told, "use only a wine you would drink", I soon came to discover the method to that madness. I consider myself a pretty good cook and in those days (some 20 years ago)I was starting to branch out into more complex recipes. I also was not much of a wine drinker and definitely not an aficionado. I asked a number of different people for advice on which wines to use. A decent (doesn't have to be expensive) wine, will make an excellent dish. A funky, substandard wine can kill a dish. I wish I would have had this resource (GardenWeb) back then which would have saved me a lot of blah or even worse results in my cooking adventures with wine! Good luck with your sauce! I have had some fantastic results using wine, brandy and liqueurs in my jelly, jam, and preserve making adventures!

I agree it's extra work but sometimes it's more manageable to deal with a smaller batch of tomatoes than a full 30 pounds, depending upon your kitchen and your experience. There might also be a space consideration. How much extra room does your freezer have? If you are up to doing the entire batch at once and there's enough freezer space to accomodate the tomatoes, then Dave's suggestion is a more efficient one. Carol