Can I jar up bolognese sauce?

[Claire72]

This year I plan to grow lots of tomatoes, make a huge batch of bolognese sauce, and store it. I was wondering.......Can I put it in jars, just like I would with jam? when you buy the likes of ragu, it is jarred, so can I do it too?

[Hazel at the Hill]

Yes - but you have to do the preserving properly, or you will all get botulism and die.

Pigletwillie for one is a demon with a pressure canner - there is some information on the Vine, and on his blog. I'm sure that he'll be along to advise further.

[Marthaclematis]

I make big batches and put them in two-person-servings in freezer bags (put the bag inside a measuring jug, pour in the sauce using a small ladle, squish out the air and tie in a knot)... they take up hardly any room and defrost quickly.

[lynda66]

i put mine in the freezer too, i do mine in plastic flat bottomed tubs with lids in portion sizes, then when they are frozen bag them so i can use the tub again and they store really well as they are flat

[zazen999]

I reduce alot of mine down so it is as thick as it can be and freeze in ice cube bags...yes it is messy but really handy for those jobs that need tom taste but not too much tom volume. Esp in noodles. Lovely.

[pigletwillie]

Most of my tomato products are bottled rather than frozen, leaving lots of important freezer space for other things.

If the sauce you are making is mainly tomato, with no meat in it, you can bottle it easily.

Pour into sterelised jars, leaving a 1/2" gap at the top and put on the lid. Put the jars into a big pan with a trivet (keeps the jars off the direct heat) and cover with water, bring to the boil and then "cook" for the requisite amount of time.

If you go to my blog, there is a link to the USDA and that has full instructions, times etc for most things.

[BilboWaggins]

Pour into sterilised jars, leaving a 1/2" gap at the top and put on the lid. Put the jars into a big pan with a trivet (keeps the jars off the direct heat) and cover with water, bring to the boil and then "cook" for the requisite amount of time..

Mucho thanks, I've been looking for this sort of info.

For some time it hasn't made sense to me to preserve tomato sauce, etc., using a method that requires constant electricity to maintain it.

[lynda66]

i may try bottling some this year if it's that easy, i've just never done it before ..... i may try lots of new things this year

[Sanjo]

Well, I bottle my own fruit into Kilner jars. Since my OH prefers his fruit mashed up!! I simmer it to pulp, pour it into previously heated jars, wack on the previously heated lid and seal with the screw band. After 1/2 hour or so you will hear it "Pop" as the vacuum takes effect. It lasts us from season to season.
It would work with tomatoes for sauce but obviously not for fruit where you want a nice appearance.
I do my jam and rose-hip syrup in the same way. I also experimented last year by re-using sauce jars and doing it as above. My biggest problem is trying to source replacement discs for the kilner jars.

[SarzWix]

Try here Sanjo
Mason Ball - Home Discovery Replacement Lids UK

[ChocClare]

"Real" bolognese sauce has meat in - and you can't bottle that without a proper pressure canner.

If you're going to do it in boiling water, then you've just got to be aware of the amount of "other" things in it apart from tomatoes. Tomatoes just need eg a squirt of lemon juice to make them acid enough to preserve in bottles/jars whereas once you add onions, garlic, maybe mushrooms, maybe carrots or peppers, then the overall acidity is reduced and that is where you get problems.

PLEASE DON'T TRY MAKING IT UP - my usual recipe for bolognese sauce would be fine in a pressure canner but would kill us all in a boiling water bath

However, it IS easy: here are step-by-step instructions for a meat-free tomato sauce for pasta which guarantee your not dying of botulism. Always nice to know...

How to make and can homemade spaghetti sauce from fresh tomatoes - easy and illustrated!

[Claire72]

I was thinking of making the bolognese sauce, intending adding it to fresh mince when I opened it, as one would with a jar of ragu
at the moment, I use a tin of tomatoes, jar of salsa, onion, garlic, red wine and a herb, I think it is basil? I am hoping to use fresh ingredients this summer, fresh tomatoes, onion, pepper, garlic, fresh herbs, but still opening a bottle of red
Hope this won't give us botchilism