Great Aunt Marvel’s Spaghetti Sauce

No this isn’t my great aunts recipe, but it is the best spaghetti sauce you’ll ever eat. This recipe came from a family friend and it’s perfection.

However I’m not going to make you read through 10 paragraphs of how Marvel had to fight polio, cholera, and 7 grizzly bears to come up with this. ;) Without further ado - the secret sauce

• 20 lbs tomatoes

• 3 green peppers

• 2 lbs onions

• 2 cloves garlic

• 48 oz tomato paste

• 1 1/2 c sugar

• 1/2 c salt

• 1 c oil

• Basil

• Oregano

Blanch tomatoes, peel and core. I try to squeeze out a good portion of the juice and seeds in the process. Finely dice peppers and onions. Add everything but the tomato paste to a large stock pot. Let simmer for 3 hours. At the 3 hour mark I like to use an immersion blender (you can use a food processor, too) to break down any remaining large chunks. I also add in my tomato paste. At this point you need to be careful because the paste will burn. Simmer for 30-45 more minutes.

To water bath can: I like to use the graniteware canning pot. I fill with water and bring to a rolling boil. I either run my jars through the dishwasher to ensure they are warm or heat them slightly in the oven. Fill the jars leaving about 1/2-1” headspace. Wipe rim of jar with a damp rag to remover any drips. Add your flats and rings, tightening the rings only finger tight. Place your jars in the canning rack and carefully lower into pot. You need to make sure you have enough water to cover the top of the jars entirely. Place lid on top. Cook 15 minutes for pints or 20 minutes for quarts. Carefully remove jars from boiling water and place on a towel to cool. You will need to listen for the ping of the lid sealing. You can reprocess any that don’t seal with a new flat after inspecting the rim of the jar for cracks or chips or place in the refrigerator to be used within 7 days.

After 24 hours, remove rings and wash the outside of the jars. Label your jars with description and year.

Enjoy yummy sauce all winter!