Canned Tomato BBQ Sauce

This tomato-based BBQ sauce has so much flavour! It is prepared with tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, garlic, and a hot chili or two if you like it spicy. Process in a water bath canner and stock your pantry with what is about to become your new favourite condiment!

Why buy Canned Tomato BBQ Sauce at the store when you can make it at home with very little effort and at a fraction of the cost? That’s the exact question I started to ask myself years ago when I started to experiment with different home-canning recipes.

Other than the taste, there are two other reasons to make your own sauce. First, I can guarantee that you’ll have at least half of the ingredients in your pantry or fridge already. I’m going to make the assumption that you like to cook, otherwise, you might not be reading a food blog. If you like to cook, no doubt you’ll have a well-stocked pantry and fridge.

The second thing is that this recipe takes less than three hours from start to finish. If you’re new to canning, you might think that’s a long time, but properly canning at home takes time. But, the results are well worth it! You will also end up with four bottles of sauce. That’s enough to take you right through summer! You can easily double or even triple the recipe too, if you wish. This sauce will keep for well over a year in your pantry.

I may have given you more than two or three reasons why this homemade version of BBQ sauce is better than store-bought. It seems I never know when to stop arguing my point!

PUTTING YOUR SAUCE TO USE

When I say that you can put this sauce on just about anything, I’m not kidding. I love it on chicken and pork. I cube chicken or pork and cook it in a skillet with a bit of oil, salt, pepper, and maybe a sliced onion. When it’s browned and cooked through, reduce the heat and pour in the sauce. Toss to coat and you’re done!

You can use it as a dip for things too. Believe it or not, I love to dip fries in BBQ sauce! I’ve used the sauce on my homemade vegetarian meatballs. They were delicious! Try using it as a dip for some of your favourite fried appetizers too like mozzarella sticks or jalapeno poppers.

HERE IS WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post. 

• Tomatoes – Roma or plum tomatoes are the best types of tomatoes for canning.
• Onions – You can use white or yellow onions.
• Bell Peppers – You can use all red or all green or a mix of both.
• Chilies – I’m using cayenne peppers to get more heat and spice into the sauce. Jalapenos also work well. If you don’t want a spicy BBQ sauce, just omit the peppers.
• Garlic – Grate the garlic so that it is better mixed through the sauce.
• Brown Sugar – Most sauces like this have brown sugar in them. It sweetens the sauce and encourages caramelization when cooking.
• Salt & Ground Black Pepper
• Dry Mustard – This is powdered mustard, usually sold in small cans. You will find it in the spice section of most grocery stores.
• Paprika – There are three types of paprika – sweet, smoked, and hot. For this recipe, use sweet or smoked.
• Cider Vinegar

HOW TO MAKE CANNED TOMATO BBQ SAUCE

PREPPING THE TOMATOES

Normally, whenever I am canning anything with tomatoes, such as diced tomatoes, for example, I like to remove the skin. You can remove the skin here if you prefer, but you don’t need to because everything is pureed anyway, so the skin will be completely incorporated into the sauce.

In the case that you are a canning purist, here is how to remove the skin from the tomatoes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Next, fill a large bowl half full with cold water and add a few cups of ice. While the water boils, sort through the tomatoes. Do not use any tomatoes with any bruises or spots on them. Score the bottom of the good tomatoes with a sharp knife. Scoring means to just slightly cut through the tomato skin in an X pattern.

Working in batches of 15-20 tomatoes, place the tomatoes into the boiling water and allow them to sit for one minute. Remove the tomatoes from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer them to the bowl of ice water. The ice water will stop the cooking process and cool the tomatoes so that you can touch them. After a minute, you can peel the tomatoes by pulling the skin off in four large sections from the scoring X pattern you created at the bottom of each tomato. Place the skinned tomatoes into a bowl. Continue to do this until all of your tomatoes are peeled.

COOKING THE SAUCE

Transfer the prepped tomatoes to a large stock or soup pot. Add the chopped onions, grated garlic, chopped bell peppers, and chilies, if using. Over medium heat, cook the vegetable mixture for 30 minutes, stirring often. Next, you can ladle the cooked vegetables into a blender and working in batches, puree until smooth. Be careful to not overfill the blender, because this stuff is very hot! Alternatively, use a handheld immersion blender to puree everything at once right in the pot.

Next, add all of the remaining ingredients and stir well. Continue to cook, stirring often, for another 90 minutes. While the sauce is cooking, prepare your jars and canner as per the next section.

HOW TO WATER BATH CAN

STEP 1: PREPARING THE JARS

Some canners say that if you need to boil the jars longer than 10 minutes, then you don’t need to sterilize the jars. I say no! Canning is not as simple and cheap as frying an egg. It takes time, and an investment if you don’t already have the equipment. Eliminate any risk whatsoever by always sterilizing your jars. It’s easy to do and your Canned Tomato BBQ Sauce will thank you! Wash the jars in hot, soapy water. Rinse the jars well under running water to get rid of any soap residue.

Transfer the jars to a large pot of water. Bring to a boil and boil for 2-3 minutes. Using a jar wrench/lifter, lift the jars out of the water, tilting to pour out the water. Be careful; it’s hot! Stand the jar up on a baking sheet. Once all of the jars are on the baking sheet, place them into your preheated oven at 200 degrees F. This will keep them hot and away from any contamination.

STEP 2: PREPARING THE SEALS AND RINGS

Mason jars are equipped with three parts. The first is the jar. The second and third parts combine to form the lid. The flat disc with the rubber ring on the bottom is the seal. Finally, the circular part that actually screws onto the jar is called a screw band. Depending on the brand or the recipe you’re reading, the names of these things can vary. But, they all do the same thing.

The screw bands never come in contact with the food, so they do not need to be washed or sterilized. But, because I want to eliminate any risk of contamination, I make sure they’re clean. After all, they have been sitting in a warehouse before they got to the store, and then finally, to me. That’s too many germs for my comfort level! I wash them in hot, soapy water, rinse them well, and transfer them to a bowl until I need them. The sealing disk/sealing ring needs a little more consideration.

If you look at the bottom of the lid, you will see a reddish-brown rubber ring. It’s attached to the lid. This ring has a huge job! It is pretty much in charge of keeping your food safe for long-term storage. Place the lids into a glass bowl. I like to separate them so that they are not all stacked. When I’m ready to ladle the food into the jars, I pour a kettle of boiling water over the lids so that they are sterile and the rubber band softens. That’s it. You have now prepared your jars. Next, we need to get the canner ready!

STEP 3: PREPARING THE CANNER

You can buy a canning pot, but you don’t have to do that. Any stock pot will do just fine. Be sure that the pot is tall enough to hold enough water so that your jars are covered by at least an inch of water. Fill the canning pot accordingly. Also, be sure to insert a canning rack or mat into the bottom of your pot. If you buy a canning pot it will come with one. Otherwise, you can buy them for any pot size. Never let your jars touch the bottom of the pot when boiling. They could easily break and your Canned Tomato BBQ Sauce will be lost. Once you’ve done this, bring the water to a full boil.

In most cases, if you’re new to canning, you might notice some white residue on the jars after all is said and done. This can easily be cleaned off once the jars are cool. A few tablespoons of white vinegar in the boiling water helps to eliminate most of it. I use it every single time.

Lastly, it’s always a good idea to keep a kettle of boiling water close by. Depending on how many jars you need to process, you might have to boil them in batches. You will be surprised at how quickly rapidly boiling water can evaporate. Having a kettle of boiling water will allow you to easily top up the canning pot without altering the temperature of the water.

STEP 4: FILLING THE JARS

Depending on the recipe, filling the jars is quite easy. Having some inexpensive equipment on hand can make this process much easier. Invest in a canning funnel. It will help you ladle the food into the jars without making a mess. Remember to pay attention to the recipe’s recommended headspace. This is the amount of empty space from the top of the food to the very top of the jar. Also, it’s imperative to keep the rim of the jar clean to ensure a good seal. You will also need a bubble remover. You can buy these, but I’m not a fan of them. A clean wooden chopstick does the same thing. Removing bubbles will prevent mould from growing.

Lastly, you will need a magnetic lid lifter. Remember how I said the flat sealing lids will be submerged in a bowl of boiling water? Well, you can’t just pick them up with your hands. First of all, it’s hot! Secondly, you will want to eliminate the risk of any contamination. Do not touch the underside of the lid. Period! Using a magnetic lid lifter will allow you to pick up the lid and position it right onto the rim of the jar without ever touching it.

Finally, you will need to screw on the metal screw bands. In most cases, the food in the jars is scalding hot, so you can’t touch the jars to tighten the lids. But, that’s a good thing! You should never over-tighten the lids. Place the screw band over the jar and tighten it with one hand. It should be snug, not tight. Now, that’s it! You’re ready to boil these jars!

STEP 5: BOILING THE JARS OF FOOD

Carefully lift the jars of Canned Tomato BBQ Sauce straight up using a jar wrench/lifter. Lower the jar into the pot of boiling water. Fill the canning pot with jars in this manner. Don’t jam the jars in; leave a little bit of space between the jars. I aim for about a centimetre or a finger’s width. Remember, you can process the jars in batches.

Once the canning pot is loaded, place a lid on the pot, and start your timer according to the recipe you are following. If the water is not at a full boil, do not start timing until it is! When the time is up, use the jar wrench to lift the jars straight up out of the water. Transfer the jars to a flat surface that has been lined with a few layers of kitchen towels. Allow the jars to fully cool – at least 24 hours! Finally, wipe the jars down, label them with contents and date, and store them in a cool, dark cupboard or pantry.

Some people remove the screw bands after the jars have cooled for 24 hours. I remove them just to check if there is a good seal. I put them back on once I’ve checked. It’s up to you if you want to leave them off. If you notice that a jar has not been sealed, you can either discard it or refrigerate it for immediate consumption. Only do so if you are 100% sure the food has not been compromised and that it is safe to eat.

ONCE THE SAUCE IS COOKED, IT’S TIME TO CAN!

With your pot of cooked, piping hot sauce nearby, line up your jars. Using a canning funnel and a ladle, spoon the sauce into the jar, leaving 3/4 inch of headspace. Use the non-metallic bubble remover to remove any air bubbles. Wipe down the rim of each jar with a damp paper towel to ensure none of the sauce has come in contact with the rim.

Carefully remove the sealing discs from the hot water with a magnetic lid lifter. Position the sealing disc directly onto the lip of the jar. Do not touch the underside of the lid. Screw on the screw bands until firm – do not apply pressure! Just use your fingertips to tighten the screw bands. Using the jar lifter, place the jars into the water bath canner with the boiling water. Place a lid on the pot and boil the jars for 20 minutes.

Carefully remove each jar from the canner using the jar lifter. Do not tilt the jars or try to wipe them dry. Place jars onto a wire cooling rack that has been covered with a clean kitchen towel. Leave the jars to cool for a minimum of 12 hours. Once cooled, wipe the jars of any residue that might have been transferred to the outside of the jar during the boiling process. Label the jars and store them in a dark, cool cabinet.

STORING CANNED TOMATO SAUCE

Once you have safely removed the jars of processed Canned Tomato BBQ Sauce from the canner, and they have cooled completely, it’s time to store them.

Storing properly is just as important as every step you take to ensure your efforts are safe and sterile. The first thing I like to do is wash the jars. Sometimes, the jars will be covered with a residue from the boiling process. This is normal and will depend on your water source. If I can in our city apartment, the jars are not too cloudy at all. But, at our home in the country where we use well water, the jars will have a chalky, white residue on the outside.

You can wash the jars under warm running water with a little bit of dish detergent. Dry the jars well with a clean towel. Next, it’s important to label them properly. Trust me – if you fall in love with canning, you’ll come to rely on labels. In the beginning, I could easily mistake a jar of canned tomatoes for a jar of salsa or a jar of sauce!

Your label should include the name of the recipe and the date you made it. Store the jars in a cool, dark place. You don’t need to push them all to the back of the corner in your unfinished basement! Any pantry or cabinet will do as long as it’s not directly above a heat source. I store mine in a built-in pantry under the stairs. Just keep them cool and away from direct light to prolong the shelf life.