Dave is correct. Using canned tomatoes is not recommended if fresh are called for. They will not be the same in density, as they are already cooked and more dense. You should follow a safe, tested recipe for all homecanned foods. Using your own recipes is not an advised thing to do. You don't know the ph level of your recipe, nor the density. Both are important factors when canning. Elizabeth Andress from NCFHFP, who wrote the USDA guidelines has advised us from using previously canned tomatoes in canning sauces, unless the recipe specifically calls for doing so. Freezing your own sauce using canned tomatoes would be the safe way to go.

Of course you don't acidify beans or meat. They would be unpalatable. However because they aren't acidified you do have to process them for far longer times than tomatoes. You want to process your tomatoes for 75-90 mins. in a pressure canner like meat? Go for it. The goal is a safe AND an edible end product. what is the reason for additional acidification for tomatos , which is already high acid. Tomatoes are NOT high acid. For purposes of canning they are borderline low-acid. All of the research done since the mid-1970s on tomatoes and their canning requirements is available to all in the NCHFP publications on their website. You only have to go and read it. Additionally in PCing harmful bacteria, even including botulism bacteria/spores are killed. Only if processed for a sufficient length of time and that amount of time varies with each food. You want to eat a jar of chicken or beans that was only pressure canned for 10 min. and hope that all the spores were killed and that there are no cold pockets or insulated spores left in it? Good luck. The rest of us have more sense than to argue with all the research just for the sake of arguing. Dave

Carol, I agree. I would truly leave out that oil. Yes, you would still add the bottled lemon juice since you are adding other ingredients. I think that much garlic is too much, also. This one has 20 lb. of tomatoes and only 8 cloves of garlic. Plus, only 1 T. of oil. Canning your own recipes is not suggested due to safety issues, it can put you at a risk for botulism. I would not can what you are telling us, but freeze it instead. I think it is best if you stick with the recipe from Ball Blue book that has basil in it if you wish to can one . Basil-Garlic Tomato Sauce Ingredients 20 pounds tomatoes 1 cup chopped onion 8 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 cup finely minced fresh basil Bottled lemon juice Instructions Prepare Ball® or Kerr® jars and closures according to instructions found in Canning Basics. Wash tomatoes; drain. Remove core and quarter tomatoes; set aside. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until transparent. Add tomatoes. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Put tomato mixture through a food mill or strainer to remove seeds and peel. Combine tomato purée and basil in a large saucepot. Cook over medium-high heat until reduced by one-half, stirring to prevent sticking. Add 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice to each pint jar. Carefully ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe rim and threads of jar with a clean damp cloth. Place lid on jar with sealing compound next to glass. Screw band down evenly and firmly just until a point of resistance is met-fingertip tight. Process 35 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Yield: about 7 pints. For altitude adjustment increase processing as indicated below: 1,001-- 3,000 ft.....5 minutes 3,001-- 6,000 ft...10 minutes 6,001-- 8,000 ft...15 minutes 8,001- 10,000 ft...20 minutes Nutrition Information Per 1/2 Cup Serving: Calories 73 Protein 3g Carbohydrate 15g Fat 1.5g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 28mg Potassium 702mg % USRDA: Protein 6% Vitamin A 21% Vitamin C 102% Thiamin 12% Riboflavin 9% Niacin 10% Calcium 2% Iron 8%

<My question is did I add enough vinegar? I know that I would have needed twice that much had I been using fresh tomatoes but the canned Marzanos already have citric acid added to them so I estimated that another half cup would be sufficient to lower the ph enough to make up for the non-acidic vegetables that were used.> Sorry but there is no way to know for sure without testing the pH. It is just guess work. The citric acid covered the tomatoes in the cans but it doesn't provide any coverage for other added vegetables. And since the sauce will likely be consumed without any further cooking to destroy any possible toxins, it is vital that the pH level be low enough. The NCHFP approved recipe calls for Hot Sauce 8 cups (64 ounces) canned, diced tomatoes, undrained 1½ cups seeded, chopped Serrano peppers* 4 cups distilled white vinegar (5%) No onions and no garlic. The NCHFP Chili Sauce recipe calls for 5 lbs tomatoes (as purchased) 2 lbs chile peppers (as purchased) 1 lb onions (as purchased) 1 cup vinegar (5 percent) Other hot sauce recipes I looked up all call for at least 1 cup and some call for 2 1/2 cups (one even calls for 3 cups). So best guess is that you are very low on the amount of vinegar. Even if you re-do it and add more vinegar (at least 1/2 cup) there is still no way to know for sure without testing it but it would be safer at least. Dave