Thursday, September 19, 2013

Home Canned Sloppy Joe Sauce



It's hard to find someone who doesn't enjoy a great sloppy joe every now and then. Having the sauce all canned up using my garden produce is a treat. All I have to do is brown some hamburger and stir in the sauce and dinner is done!

I've never canned sloppy joe sauce before. I searched out a few recipes and played with the spices until I figured out one that I know we will love. (I only played with the spices which did not change the overall acidity of the product so this can still be safely canned in a boiling water bath.)


Mix all the ingredients together in a large pot. Then ladle into jars and cap with lids and rings.

Cook pints in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes.

Remove from the boiling water and allow to cool. Check to make sure the jars are sealed before tucking them away for longer storage.


Home-canned Sloppy Joe Sauce

10 cups tomato puree
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped green peppers
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 1/2 Tbsp celery salt
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
1 1/2 - 2 cups brown sugar
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup Ultra Gel *




Make tomato puree using a food mill. To see how I prepare my tomato puree click here. (If you use the food processor, you keep all the seeds and tiny skin pieces - my family doesn't mind. If you use a food mill, the skins and many of the seeds are removed. It all comes down to preference.) Chop the onions and peppers in a food processor. Combine the tomato puree and the onions and peppers in a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Process pints for 20 minutes in a boiling water bath. To serve: Mix one pint of sloppy joe sauce with 1 pound of browned hamburger. Makes approximately 7 pints.

*Ultra Gel is one of my favorite products for freezing and canning. To learn more about it, read my post on freezer jam. In this sauce, it helps the tomato puree keep from separating over time and also adds a little more thickness without requiring that I cook it down for hours. I really do love this stuff! You may not need an entire 1/2 cup depending on how long you simmered your tomato mixture down.

7 comments:

  1. Tamara
    Do you think I could add browned hamburger to this and pressure can it? similar to the way you make spaghetti sauce with meat?

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    Replies
    1. I would hesitate to add meat to this recipe. Canning is more about chemistry than flavor. Meat would require pressure canning for sure, but even then you would be guessing on the amount of time and pressure. There is a lot more meat to sauce ratio in a sloppy joe vs. spaghetti sauce. This would make the end product a lot thicker and it would take more time to verify that the heat level was all the way through the jar. Since they don't even can sloppy joe sauce commercially with meat added, I think you are safer mixing the sauce with the hamburger as you serve it.

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    2. Thank you, I was wondering about that. By the way your All Things Provident book is one of my wife's go to cookbooks.

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  2. The ultra gel is that same as Sure Gel

    ReplyDelete
  3. No. Ultra Gel is different than Sure Gel. It is a modified corn starch that thickens instantly so you can get the exact consistency that you'd like. They have used it in commercial foods for years. It is listed as modified food starch on many labels. It is sold under the names Ultra Gel or Ultra Sperse online.

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  4. How long does it take for quart jars to water bath and can you double the recipe without messing with the taste. Thank you

    ReplyDelete