Vodka Pasta Sauce

This pasta sauce recipe for home canning is from the Ball All New book (2016).

To use: open jar, heat thoroughly either in microwave or in a saucepan on the stove. For each half-litre (pint) jar you have heated, stir in 2 tablespoons heavy cream (or plain yoghurt or sour cream), and if desired, chopped fresh basil. Serve hot with pasta, etc.

Yes, tomatoes must be peeled before canning in this recipe to reduce the bacterial load going into the canner.

See all pasta-sauce recipes for canning.

The recipe

Jar size choices: Half-litre (US pint / 500 ml / 16 oz)

Processing method: Water bath or steam canning

Yield: 4 x half-litre (US pint / 500 ml / 16 oz) jars

Headspace: 2 cm (½ inch)

Processing time: 40 minutes

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Vodka Pasta Sauce

Pasta sauce with booze in it, from Ball Home Canning.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Pasta Sauce, Tomatoes

Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Yield 4 half-litre (US pint / 500 ml / 16 oz) jars

Calories 151 kcal

Ingredients

• 250 g onion (finely chopped. 1 ½ cups, 9 oz. Measurements after prep.)
• 5 cloves garlic (washed, peeled, minced)
• 250 ml vodka (1 cup / 8 oz)
• 125 ml water (½ cup / 4 oz)
• 2 teaspoons salt (OR non-bitter, non-clouding salt sub)
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 kg tomatoes (6 lbs)
• 2 sprigs basil (fresh, large sprigs)
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice (bottled. ¼ cup / 60 ml. OR 1 teaspoon citric acid.)

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

1. Put everything from the onion down to and including the black pepper in a large pot at least 8 litres (quarts) in size. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and let simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, wash the tomatoes, core, and chop coarsely. Set aside.
3. Add tomatoes and any juice off them to the pot.
4. Bring pot back to a boil, reduce heat down to a simmer, and let simmer uncovered until both tomatoes and onion are very soft.
5. Press this tomato mixture in small batches through a food mill or sieve, and discard the skin and seeds.
6. Put strained tomato mixture back in the pot.
7. Add the basil.
8. Put heat to medium-high and let cook for about 45 minutes or until the volume of the sauce is reduced by half.
9. Remove basil.
10. Stir in either the citric acid OR the lemon juice.
11. Ladle sauce into heated jars.
12. Leave 2 cm (½ inch) headspace.
13. Debubble, adjust headspace.
14. Wipe jar rims.
15. Put lids on.
16. Process in a water bath or steam canner.
17. Process jars for 40 minutes; increase time as needed for your altitude.

Reference information

How to water bath process.

How to steam can.

When water-bath canning or steam canning, you must adjust the processing time for your altitude.

For salt substitute, Herbamare Sodium-Free was used as it is non-bitter and non-clouding.

Recipe notes

• If you don’t have fresh basil, use 1 teaspoon dried basil;
• You could start with 3 litres (US quarts) of crushed tomato and start at Step 3. Or, use  2 litres (US quarts) of tomato passata and start at step 8. Add the basil, and instead of the fresh onion, use 1 to 2 tablespoons of onion powder OR finely minced onion that you softened in some water in the microwave and then drained. Note that Ball probably wouldn’t be crazy about not starting with fresh tomatoes, though. Even though those are perfectly reasonable ways to get a tomato base out of season, they generally don’t condone any changes to their recipes, even sensible ones that no sane person could object to with a straight face;
• When you go to use it, if you do add the dairy, don’t let it boil after you add the cream, yoghurt or sour cream, or it might curdle on you;
• Yes, any dairy must be added only at time of use: it’s unsafe to home can any products with dairy in them.

Recipe source

• Butcher, Meredith L., Ed. The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving. New York: Oxmoor House. 2016. Page 207.

Modifications:

• Added suggestions for starting with crushed tomato, or tomato passata

Nutrition information

With salt

Per 250 ml (1 cup / 8 oz)

• 151 calories, 602 mg sodium

Salt-free

Per 250 ml (1 cup / 8 oz)

• 151 calories, 21 mg sodium

* Nutrition info provided by https://caloriecount.about.com