After reading through tons of comments here about the dangers of canning tomatoes,

Not sure what you have been reading but canning tomatoes isn't dangerous at all when approved instructions are used and lots of approved instructions exist from several different sources we can link for you. Do you have a copy of the Ball Blue Book of canning? It is the basic how-to book..

So define what you mean by 'marinara' please. The label means many different things to different people. Plain tomato sauce, tomato sauce with other vegetables added, with meat, with just dried seasonings added, spaghetti sauce, etc?

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP - Canning Tomatoes and Tomato Products

Are you trying to can in a pressure cooker or a pressure canner? They aren't the same.

Thanks Dave. I think you've hit on the crux of the issue when you ask what type of marinara sauce--this is a request from my SO and I rarely eat pasta, so not really sure. In asking him, his idea of a good marinara is one that has a very strong tomato taste, is thin and a little spicy. I do have the ball book, but didn't find anything which specifically called itself marinara, so was at a bit of a loss. Most of the traditional recipes I've seen online look like they have too much oil to safely can, hence my question about maybe being better off just canning the tomatoes and than making fresh.

Seems like whenever I run a search function on the forum and turn up a tomato recipe which looks good, it's followed by people saying it's not safe to can, so I'm more than a little wary about using recipes I find online--thought I'd come to the expert source!

That should have been pressure canner, not cooker--a little bit different!

his idea of a good marinara is one that has a very strong tomato taste, is thin and a little spicy

Good example of the different definitions. :) Marinara sauce recipes are often quite thick. Can he tell you "spicy how" - Italian spices, onions, hot peppers, etc.?

For wife and I a classic marinara sauce would be the BBB "Seasoned Tomato Sauce p.23 in the current edition. Then there is also the Italian Tomato Sauce p. 74 (less onions, adds celery and green peppers to the mix, and more Italian seasonings). If he wants a sweeter sauce that also includes mushrooms then go with the NCHFP Spaghetti Sauce without Meat one.

Those are just for starters and you can cook them to whatever consistency he decides is what he wants.

Does he want it smooth or chunky? Ellie Topp has a good Chunky Basil Pasta Sauce in her Preserving Made Easy book. I think it is posted here if interested. If not one of us can post it.

Hope this helps some but I fear he is going to have to give you more info too. :)

Dave

Thanks so much! That gives me a great place to start.

Spicy is not a problem in canning as dried herbs, spices and seasonings can be added as wished. So if your husband means peppery find a recipe which in its overall structure is what you want and add dried peppers or cayenne or peppercorns or ground.

Wine can be safely added. Low-acid veggies like mushrooms and peppers can safely be deleted if the recipe is otherwise appealing. In other words, there are a number of safe options.

Also thinner is easier to process safely than thick, so his preference in that regard is also easy to address.

The biggest issue for you is defining exactly what he means as people often know what they like without specifically understanding its components.

Carol

his idea of a good marinara is one that has a very strong tomato taste, is thin and a little spicy

I was thinking more about this this AM and given his definition so far I think I would be inclined to can a plain, relatively thin (let him check consistency) tomato sauce. Then let him season it to his taste after opening the jars.

Couple of reasons:

1) it then gives you the option of using the jars of sauce for other things besides marinara/pasta sauce, and

2) many dried seasoning turn harsh during shelf storage so while it taste good when ready to go into the jars its not so good coming out of the jars.

With the plain sauce you can then add choice of hot peppers, dried or fresh Italian seasonings, S&P to taste, or whatever the taste buds require just before serving.

That way your load of tomatoes gets preserved easily now and the fine tuning to his taste can be done as it is used.

Dave

I would like to offer this recipe. I have been using it for the past several years and it is delicious. This is the recipe from Ellie Topf's Small Batch Preserving, that Dave mentions. My first batch this year I accidentally doubled the Vinegar, and it is still delicious!

CHUNKY BASIL PASTA SAUCE
8 cups coarsely chopped peeled tomatoes -- (about 9-12 tomatoes or 4 lb)
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup red wine
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon pickling salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 6-oz can tomato paste

Combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, wine, vinegar, basil, parsley, salt, sugar and tomato paste in a very large non-reactive pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until mixture reaches desired consistency, stirring frequently.
Remove hot jars from canner and ladle sauce into jars to within 1/2 inch of rim Process 35 minutes for pint jars and 40 minutes for quart jars in a BWB. Makes 8 cups.

Steve

Steve, thanks for the recipe. I have enough tomatoes that I think I'll try a few different things and see what we end up liking. I'm leaning towards Dave's thought of putting most of them up as a basic tomato sauce, as that gives us room to experiment :) Looking forward to a day of canning!