Cousin Vinnie's Tomato Sauce

Total Time: 8 hrs 40 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 8 hrs

Ingredients

• 10 lbs fresh roma tomatoes
• 5 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 1 medium sweet vidalia onion, peeled and left whole
• 1 large carrot
• 1 bunch fresh italian parsley, large stems removed (optional)
• 8 -10 fresh basil leaves
• 4 tablespoons fresh oregano or 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1/2 cup dry chianti red wine
• 1 pinch crushed black pepper
• 1 pinch sea salt
• lemon juice
• 1 pinch crushed dried red pepper

Recipe

• 1 trim the stems from the tomatoes but leave on the skin.
• 2 put the tomatoes, unpeeled garlic, peeled onion, and the trimmed carrot in a roasting pan.
• 3 roast the vegetables at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
• 4 turn off the heat and let sit in the hot oven until the vegetables are cool enough to handle, about 1/2 to 1 hour, depending on your oven.
• 5 squeeze the pulp out of the tomatoes into a large pot and discard the skins. pour any juice that accumulated in the roasting pan into the pot.
• 6 put the pot on the stove on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
• 7 meanwhile, squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins into a blender, cut up the onion and carrot into large chunks and add them to the blender. also add the parsley, basil and oregano.
• 8 blend until smooth, adding some of the measured wine as needed to make the mixture thin enough to blend. add the spices and blend well.
• 9 when the mixture is ready, add it all to the pot, and add any of the measured wine that is left.
• 10 when the sauce reaches a boil, turn it down to a simmer and let it sit all day, stirring occasionally, or until it reaches the desired consistency.
• 11 for canning: add one tablespoon of lemon juice to each pint jar, then add the tomato sauce, leaving 1/2 inch of space. clean the rims, then put on new (unused) flat lids and rings.
• 12 add the amount of water recommended for your canner into the canner, place the jars in the canner and seal the lid.
• 13 follow the manufacturer's directions to process at 10 pounds for 15 minutes (for elevations up to 1000 feet). (if you don't have the manufacturer's directions then i strongly suggest you freeze your sauce instead. following the proper directions is a must for safe canning.) allow your canner to cool naturally, not by running it under cold water.
• 14 check the seals on the jars before storing. any that didn't seal should be refrigerated and used promptly.