CANNING: Vodka Sauce Base

• Vodka Sauce Base Ingredients
• Kitchen Equipment Needed
• How to Make Tomato Vodka Sauce Base
• How to Can the Vodka Sauce Base
• How to Make the Vodka Cream Sauce
• Pantry Storage Tips
• Vodka Sauce Base (Water-Bath Canning or Freezer Meal-Prep Recipe)

Pasta with a creamy rich tomato vodka sauce is one of our favorite go-to dinners here at our house. This sauce is made with fresh tomatoes, onions, herbs, and vodka, all cooked down in a large batch. This vodka sauce base canning recipe from Ball makes whipping this dish up in a hurry soooo easy! You can also freeze this sauce if you prefer.

This meal is easy to throw together on a busy school night, but tastes indulgent enough to make it for special occasion meals! Just add a jar of this vodka sauce base, rich with garden-fresh tomatoes and onion and infused with the flavor of garden-fresh basil, to your hot cooked pasta along with some cream or evaporated milk, and garnish with a sprinkle of Parmesan or Romano cheese and fresh basil if you have it.

This classic pasta sauce is great on penne, rigatoni, garganelli, farfalle, or bucatini, but can also be served on grilled meats like steak or chicken.

When our garden is producing a lot of San Marzano or Roma tomatoes (or I find a good deal on them) I make a double batch (or more) of this canning recipe. I usually can it in pints which are a good size for the two of us, but you can also use quart jars if you have a big family or want to cook for a crowd with less jars.

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Vodka Sauce Base Ingredients

Tomatoes:

Use plum or paste-type tomatoes for this sauce, like Roma, San Marzano, or Amish Paste. You can mix in a few slicing-type or cherry tomatoes if your garden is overflowing with them, but the bulk of the tomatoes should be the meaty plum-type for best results. Too many beefsteak or other slicing tomatoes can make a watery sauce.

Onion:

Use white or yellow onions in your sauce. You could also use sweet onions for a very mild sauce, but I prefer the bit of bite that regular onions have to balance the acidic tomatoes, vodka, and richness of the cream that you add to the sauce when you serve it.

Vodka:

Use a decent quality vodka that you’d be willing to use in a mixed drink. Most of the alcohol cooks off, but a bit of the sharp flavor remains to cut through the richness of the sauce.

I usually use Kirkland vodka from Costco, which is a good balance of value and quality. You don’t need to use top-shelf stuff here, but don’t use the window-cleaner dreck in the big plastic bottles either.

Acid:

You can use bottled lemon juice or citric acid granules to make the sauce acidic enough to safely can in a water-bath. This isn’t optional if you are canning your sauce, so don’t skip it!

You can add more lemon or citric acid but not less than specified (don’t add too much though, or you risk curdling the cream when you reheat your sauce).

Seasonings:

This sauce base is relatively simple, flavored with fresh garlic, salt, black pepper, and fresh basil sprigs that are simmered with the sauce. You remove the basil before canning the sauce, after it has transferred its flavor to the tomato puree.

I like to add a bit more complexity to my sauce base, with red pepper flakes, dried oregano, and freshly grated nutmeg. You can use these if you like, or omit some or all of these for a plainer sauce.

Kitchen Equipment Needed

cutting board and sharp knife:

You’ll want a good, sharp chef’s knife or utility knife to dice the onions and tomatoes. This is easier if you have a large, sturdy chopping board with plenty of room to work (I prefer wood or bamboo).

Chef’s tip: If your cutting board slides around on your counter, put a clean kitchen towel underneath it. Dampen the towel slightly if it still slides and it will stay in place. This makes cutting and prep work a lot easier and safer!

mixing bowl or large container:

You’ll want a non-reactive container large enough to hold all of your chopped tomatoes and their juices until you are ready to add them to your sauce.

large stock pot or dutch oven:

You need a large, heavy bottomed nonreactive pot to simmer your sauce. I’ve doubled the original recipe to make a bigger batch, so if you don’t have a pot this large, you can cut all of the ingredients in half to fit into a smaller pot.

You can also use an Instant Pot with the saute function on medium and low to cook your sauce. Use an 8 quart Instant Pot for the full size batch, or either that or the 6 quart Instant Pot for a half-batch.

food mill or chinois, or immersion blender:

For the original recipe method, you don’t peel or seed the tomatoes. They’re roughly chopped, then simmered together with the onions and other ingredients. Once they’re soft, you pass them through a food mill or strainer to remove the peel and seeds.

This is a great method and saves you from having to peel your tomatoes, especially if you have a high-capacity food mill or KitchenAid food strainer attachment that will remove the seeds and fiber and give you a smooth sauce. You can do this manually with a chinoise (conical metal strainer) and pestle or sturdy spoon, but it’s a lot more cumbersome, and I recommend peeling your tomatoes first.

water bath canner or large stockpot:

You’ll need one large or two smaller stockpots or water-bath canning pots that can hold 4 quart or 8 pint jars, or you’ll need to process this sauce in batches.

You can also can part of this batch of vodka sauce base, and either use the rest right away, or refrigerate or freeze it for later.

canning jars and lids:

You’ll need 4 quart or 8 pint mason jars and new canning lids with bands, or an equivalent combination of quart or smaller jars. The processing time is the same for either quart or pint jars, so you can process a mixed batch easily if that fits your needs (or the jars that you have available).

Canning funnel, ladle, jar tongs, and rack:

These tools are optional but make the job of filling your jars with hot pasta sauce, and getting the jars into and out of the hot water bath a lot easier and safer!

You can read more about these and our recommendations in our guide to canning equipment if you don’t already have these or are new to canning.

How to Make Tomato Vodka Sauce Base

prep ingredients:

• Peel and finely dice the onion, and measure out what you will need for your sauce. Set aside any extra onion for other recipes.
• Peel and mince the garlic cloves and set aside with the onions.
• If you are using a food mill or strainer to make your sauce puree, you can just rinse and roughly chop the tomatoes.
• If you don’t have a food mill or strainer, you’ll need to peel and seed the tomatoes first, so that you can blend the sauce with an immersion blender or food processor.
• To peel the tomatoes:
  • Cut a small x in the bottom of each tomato opposite the stem.
  • Blanch them in a pot of boiling water until the skins are easy to remove (10-30 seconds).
  • Dunk the tomatoes into a bowl of ice water after blanching
  • Slip off the skins, cut into halves or quarters, and remove most of the seeds (it’s ok if you don’t get them all, just remove most of them).
  • Save the skins and seeds for vegetable or meat stock.
• Either way, put your chopped tomatoes into a large mixing bowl or container that will catch the juices after they’re cut.

simmer onions & vodka:

• Place your large stockpot or enameled dutch oven over medium-high heat.
• Add the finely diced onions to your pan, along with the salt, pepper, garlic, and vodka, and stir, bringing the mixture up to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes uncovered.

add tomatoes:

• Add your diced tomatoes to the pot (preparing them according to the methods above).
• Stir all ingredients together, and bring back up to a simmer over medium heat.
• Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes and onions are soft.

puree with food mill or blender:

• Pass the sauce mixture through a food mill or strainer to make a smoothe sauce and remove the skins and peels.
• If you peeled the tomatoes before making your sauce, you can just puree them with an immersion blender, or work in batches to blend them in a food processor or regular blender. Pass the blended sauce through a strainer or wire sieve to remove the seeds if you’d like a perfectly smooth sauce.

infuse with basil:

• Add the pureed sauce back to the pot (unless you used an immersion blender) and add the bay leaf and whole fresh basil sprigs.
• Simmer uncovered for at least 45 minutes, or until the mixture is reduced by roughly half. Stir periodically and adjust heat if necessary so that the sauce does not scorch.
• If you made a double batch or have very watery tomatoes, you will need to cook the sauce down for longer. I made a larger batch, and it took several hours to cook down, so allow plenty of time.

can or freeze your sauce:

• If you are canning your sauce, keep hot and go to the next section.
• You can also cool, portion and freeze the sauce in heavy-duty freezer bags or air-tight containers.
• Freeze up to 6 months for best quality, though it will be safe to use for longer (just more likely to pick up off-flavors or freezer burn).

How to Can the Vodka Sauce Base

prep canner:

• While your strained sauce is simmering and reducing, you should fill and preheat your canner and check your jars.
• Fill the water bath canner with enough water to cover your jars by at least 1-2″ with boiling water.
• Wash your jars and new canning lids with hot soapy water.
• You can preheat your jars in the canner while you wait for your sauce to finish. Do not boil the jar lids before canning (unless you are using reusable canning lids like Weck or Tattler, in which case you should follow manufacturer directions).

fill jars:

• Using canning jar tongs or a jar rack, carefully remove the pre-heated jars from your water bath canner.
• Place the jars on a kitchen towel or wire rack. Do not put hot jars directly on a cold countertop, or they may crack or shatter.
• Using a canning funnel and ladle, fill the pint jars with the vodka sauce base.
• Remove the basil and bay leaves before filling the jars (or fish them out when you find them as you ladle the sauce into the jars).
• Divide the sauce evenly among the jars. Leave a 1/2″ headspace at the tops of the jars. Gently stir to de-bubble the jars, using a de-bubbling tool or chopstick, and top up if needed.
• Wipe the jar rims with a clean cloth or paper towel (dip the cloth in hot water or vinegar to cut any fat or residue for better seals).
• Top the jars with canning lids and rings, and tighten the rings down fingertip tight (quite snug but not overly tight).

water-bath process:

• Using your jar lifter, tongs, or the canning jar rack, carefully place the hot filled jars of vodka sauce in the preheated water-bath canner.
• Make sure you have adequate water covering the jars (at least 2″ over the tops of the jars). Top up with water from a hot kettle if needed.
• Start the timer for your water bath only after the water is at a rolling boil and all jars are in the canner. Process quart or pint jars for 40 minutes (adjust for altitude if applicable, see recipe notes for chart) and then turn off the heat.
• Leave the jars in the canner, and set another timer for 5 minutes.
• Remove the jars from your canner after the total time is up, and place them back on the towel-covered sheet pan or counter (put down a fresh towel if you spilled while filling the jars).
• Leave jars of processed tomato vodka sauce to cool slowly in a draft-free place. Do not touch the lid rings until the jars are completely cool and sealed (if you are using reusable canning lids, follow manufacturer instructions). Do not stack jars while they are cooling (or in storage).

cool and store jars:

• Immediately after canning your sauce, don’t touch the rings until the jars have completely cooled and the seals are set (disregard this for Tattler/Harvest Guard reusable lids only; for these, follow manufacturer instructions to carefully tighten rings immediately after removing from the canner).
• Remove the rings and check the seals on the jars after they have rested at least overnight or a minimum of 8 hours.
• Metal canning lids will ping and have a clearly depressed seal-button in the center of the jar, and reusable lids (Weck & Tattler jars) will have a strong vacuum seal holding the lids firmly in place without the clips or rings, and seal failure is very apparent.
• Promptly freeze or refrigerate any jars of vodka sauce base that did not seal and use within a few days. You can also reprocess these jars with new lids within 24 hours.

How to Make the Vodka Cream Sauce

This sauce is so easy to make… just reheat it, then stir in heavy cream, half and half, or even evaporated milk for a lower fat and totally pantry-friendly meal. Garnish your plates of pasta with fresh basil if you have any on hand, and a healthy sprinkling of Parmesan or Romano cheese.

I like to toss the cooked pasta with a couple tablespoons of butter after draining it, since there’s no fat in the sauce when you can it. Save a bit of the salted pasta water when you drain it, in case you want to thin out the sauce. The starch in the water helps the sauce cling to the pasta and along with the cream or other dairy, gives a velvety texture to the dish.

You can adjust the seasoning of the vodka sauce to taste when you reheat it. I often find it needs a spoonful of sugar to balance the acidity. You can add sauteed sausage or mushrooms, mushroom powder, or a dash of fish sauce to add umami.

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil to cook your pasta. When you cook and drain your pasta, you may want to reserve a cup or so of the cooking water to thin the sauce if needed.
• Pour a jar of the tomato vodka sauce base into a small saucepan, and reheat gently over medium heat. Use a rubber or silicone spatula to get all of the sauce out of the jar (I like to pour a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water into the jar and shake it up to get all of the flavor out).

Microwave instructions:

• You can also pop the lid off the jar, loosely cover the jar top with a bit of crimped waxed paper, and microwave carefully until it’s hot if you want to avoid washing an extra dish.
• Make sure you cover it, watch the sauce, and stir it periodically while you reheat it, or you’ll need to clean your microwave instead of washing a saucepan.
• Fold the cream or evaporated milk in with the pasta and sauce together at the end if you microwaved the sauce base, as there won’t be room in the jar to add it.

• When your pasta is almost cooked, turn the heat under the sauce down to low and add in a splash of heavy cream or evaporated milk (start with a few tablespoons for a pint jar of sauce and a 1/4 cup of cream for a quart jar).
• Stir to fold in the cream or evaporated milk. Add more to taste if you like.
• Keep the sauce hot but don’t boil it, so that the cream or other dairy doesn’t “break” and separate.
• Drain the pasta when it is al dente (cooked but still firm), reserving a bit of the pasta water.
• Toss the cooked pasta with a few tablespoons of butter, and a splash of the pasta water.
• Mix in your reheated tomato vodka cream sauce, and fold gently to incorporate.
• You may want to reserve some of the sauce to top the pasta or any protein that you may be serving the pasta with, such as a grilled or pan-seared chicken breast, shrimp, or steak.

Pantry Storage Tips

• After your jars have cooled, gently wash all sealed jars with soapy water, label clearly, and store in a cool, dark place. Do not stack jars or store them with the rings on.
• Protect jars from freezing or other extremes of temperature in storage.
• Safely discard the contents of any jars that lose their seals in storage or show signs of spoiling (off-flavors or aromas, hissing, bubbling, or spurting when opened, or any mold) and sterilize those jars before reuse.
• Store jars without canning rings, and do not stack jars (unless they’re in a crate or container that keeps them from resting on the jar rims of the layer below, which can break the seals).
• For best quality, enjoy home-canned goods like this roasted tomato salsa within 12-18 months. The salsa will still be safe to consume after that as long as it was properly processed and stored, and the jars are still sealed.
• However, older jars of tomato sauce may discolor and darken, and the flavor and nutritional value will decline over time, so it’s best to make just what you will use in a year or two at a time.
• Be generous and share the love with your friends… your homemade tomato vodka sauce base makes a great gift, especially packaged in a gift basket with some fancy imported pasta. Or, organize a canned goods swap if you have other friends who can!