If you love pizza, then canning pizza sauce is a great way to make your life easier at mealtime. Think about it for a moment: How often do you call out for pizza delivery? If it’s more than once a week, or 4-5 times a month, then you might seriously want to consider making your own, starting with the sauce.
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Making Your Own Pizza
Pizza is one of the most versatile meals you can prepare. It can be as simple as crust, sauce and cheese, or as elaborate as adding a multitude of toppings – including bacon, pineapple and assorted veggies. Just choose your preferred toppings and go to town.
First, you need to start with a few supplies. These are a few that you may want to consider:
- Danish Dough Whisk
- Pizza Pan or a Pizza Stone
- Pizza Cutter
- Pizza Peel (if using a Pizza Stone)
Gift Giving Tip : One of the most fun gift ideas is creating a Pizza Basket. Fill it with the items above, a jar of your homemade Pizza Sauce, and jars of red pepper flakes and grated Parmesan Cheese. Anyone who loves pizza will LOVE getting this as a gift!
Next, to make a good pizza, you need to start with a crust. This can be done using white, wheat or other flours, or with cauliflower, if you are on a special diet.
Once you have your supplies and a good crust, you need a good sauce. You can simply buy a jar of pre-made sauce, but the best and most flavorful way is by canning pizza sauce and having it on hand all the time. This can make your life easier when you need a quick meal – especially during canning season. The best part? Most kids (and adults) love a good pizza. (Be sure to refrigerate open jars of pizza sauce if you don’t use it all!)
From this point, all you have to do is choose your cheese and toppings and start creating. When you make your own pizza crust, consider making pizzas in different sizes. This way, everyone can have their own favorite toppings, and you may just have enough to put in the freezer for later.
Want a fun topping? Consider making miniature Meatballs. Just use 1 teaspoon of Meatball mix, roll it into balls, and bake them according to the directions. You can also freeze these to use the next time you make pizza!
Ready for canning pizza sauce? Then let’s get started!
Recipe for Canning Pizza Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 -14 oz. cans Tomato Puree
- 1 – 6 oz. can Tomato Paste
- 1 small can Tomato Sauce
- 1 t. Garlic Powder
- 1 t. onion powder
- 1-1/2 t. oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
- 1/2 teaspoon Marjoram
- 1/2 teaspoon Basil
- 1/4 teaspoon Thyme
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Mix all ingredients together. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours over low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
At this point, you can cool the sauce and place it in containers suitable for the freezer. But because I usually make at least two to three batches of Pizza sauce, I prefer to put mine up in jars.
Instructions for Canning Pizza Sauce
Ladle the hot pizza sauce into hot, sterilized jars, with a 1/2” headspace. Remove any air bubbles and wipe the rim clean. Add the flat and screw the band on until finger tight.
Place jars in a water bath canner, and following proper canning procedures, process for 35 minutes for pint jars. Remove from canner and allow to cool. Check for proper seal. If your jar does not seal properly, transfer the sauce to freezer containers, and freeze for up to 6 months.
Now It’s Time to Make a Pizza!
Pizza crust can be made with most any type of flour, and now you can even make it with cauliflower. For us, just a plain and simple crust works just fine.
Pizza Crust
- 1 pkg. yeast
- 1 c. warm water
- 1 t. sugar
- 1 t. salt
- 2 T. olive oil
- 2 to 3-1/2 c. flour
Mix yeast and water together in a bowl. Add sugar, salt and olive oil; blend well. Add 2 cups of flour, mix well. Add enough remaining flour until a soft dough forms. Turn onto a lightly floured board; knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl and brush the top with oil or shortening. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled. Punch down; shape at once or cover and refrigerate.
To Make Your Pizza:
Divide dough in half. Roll or press out into a 12” circle. Place on a greased baking sheet (or a baking stone that has been lightly dusted with cornmeal) and press the edges to form a ½” crust. Brush dough with olive oil and cover with sauce. Top with provolone or mozzarella, and then add the toppings of your choice. Bake at once at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes until nicely browned and cheese is bubbly.
To freeze Pizzas:
Place uncooked pizza on a baking dish and place in freezer until frozen. Wrap and seal, then return to freezer. When ready to cook, remove from freezer and bake as directed above. It may take a few more minutes to cook since it is frozen.
Don’t Miss These Other Posts in the Fun With Canning Series!
Here is a list of other canning recipes. But don’t forget – there is more to canning than just the actual canning process! Lean more about those things here:
Simple Meals During Canning Season
Does Canning Really Save you Money?
I just want to make sure I do not have to add lemon juice in order to can this sauce. Your recipe is most delicious and I want to can some for quick and easy use.
Brenda – I’m glad you enjoyed the Pizza Sauce! As for the lemon juice – yes, you can add it as an added safety measure. Lemon juice hasn’t always been used, as most of the older varieties have quite a bit of acid in them. However, some of the newer varieties have less. So, to be on the safe side, I would recommend adding it to your sauce before canning. Hope this helps!