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1
Wash all jars and lids thoroughly with soap and water and rinse well.
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2
Fill your canner with enough water to cover the jars by at least 1 inch and bring to a simmer.
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3
Using a pair of canning tongs, lower the jars in gently, tilting them to fill with the hot water.
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4
In a small saucepan, keep some water warm but not boiling; place the lids in the water.
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5
Have an additional kettle of water on to boil.
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6
Peel and core the tomatoes:
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7
Bring a large pot of water to the boil.
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8
Have a large bowl of ice water at the ready.
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9
Gently lower the tomatoes into the boiling water and blanch them for 60 seconds.
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10
Remove with a strainer and transfer them to the ice water.
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11
Once cool, slit the skins; they should peel off easily.
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12
Remove the cores with a small paring knife.
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13
You will need to do this in batches.
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14
Discard skins and cores.
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15
Prepare the sauce:
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16
Coarsely chop the tomatoes and add them to a large stockpot.
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17
Place stockpot over medium-high heat, crushing and stirring the tomatoes to keep from burning.
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18
Continue until all the tomatoes are added and crushed.
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19
Bring the tomatoes to a boil, then reduce heat and keep at a low boil.
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20
Reduce to the desired thickness, by a third for a thin sauce, or by half for a thick sauce.
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21
Fill and close the jars:
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22
Using canning tongs, remove the jars from the canner, carefully pouring the water back into the canner.
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23
Set next to the sauce.
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24
Turn the heat under the canner to high.
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25
Add two tablespoons of bottled lemon juice and one teaspoon of salt to each jar; add a teaspoon of sugar to offset the added acidity if desired.
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26
Use a ladle to pour the sauce into the jars through a canning funnel, leaving 1/2-inch headspace at the top.
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27
Run a clean chopstick around the inside of the jar to dislodge any trapped air.
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28
Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp paper towel.
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29
Place the lids on, and screw on the rings until just finger-tight.
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30
Seal the jars: Using canning tongs, gently transfer the jars to the canner, taking care to keep them vertical.
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31
When all the jars are in the canner, there should be at least 1 inch water covering them; if you need more, add water from the kettle until the jars are sufficiently covered.
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32
Bring the water to a full rolling boil, and process for 40 minutes.
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33
Remove and cool:
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34
Using canning tongs, gently remove the jars from the canner and transfer them to a kitchen towel or cooling rack, again keeping them vertical.
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35
Do not set hot jars directly on to cool counter surfaces.
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36
Leave to cool, undisturbed, for at least 12 hours.
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37
If any of the jars do not seal when cool, reprocess using the method above, or refrigerate and use immediately.
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38
Label and store:
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39
Add a label to the lid or side of your jar, noting the date it was canned.
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40
Remove the rings and store jars in a cool, dark place for up to one year.
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41
Refrigerate after opening.
