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This Homemade Freezer Marinara Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes is perfect for what to do with so many tomatoes and herbs from the garden! This simple freezer tomato sauce is delicious, easy and can be used for any amount of tomatoes you have. Stock your freezer for pizza, pasta and so many recipes!
The Garden Bounty
What to do with too many tomatoes is certainly a great problem to have! When you've eaten all the Pesto BLT's, Garden Fresh Salsa, and Bruschetta you can eat, it's time to think about preserving those tomatoes.
This big batch of "Use-Up" Freezer Marinara Sauce is my favorite way to stretch our summer bounty for using in many different meals all winter long. Roasted Tomato Basil Soup is great for lots of garden tomatoes too!
- This Sauce is Easy and Versatile - With no canning rules to follow, you don't need to peel or deseed your tomatoes. Your food processor does the work and the exact amounts don't matter much. You can use up whatever amount of tomatoes you have as long as they'll fit in the pot! An alternative to simmering your tomatoes is to roast them first before blending with this Freezer Pizza Sauce.
- It's Healthy, Vegan and Gluten-Free - Fresh ingredients are good for you! This gluten-free marinara sauce is made from simple garden fresh ingredients. It's a great way to throw in a zucchini or bell pepper, herbs like basil and oregano, or a few extra greens like spinach or kale. Whatever you've got in the garden!
- If you have Garden Herbs to use up too - Lots of herbs can go into this tomato sauce, but if you have even more, try Freezing Mixed Herbs and Greens or making Freezer Pesto!
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Olive Oil - Used to saute the veggies as a base for the sauce.
- Onion - The base flavor for this freezer marinara sauce. I used a small yellow onion, but you can use a larger one if you are making a larger pot of sauce.
- Zucchini or Bell Pepper - These extra veggies are totally optional. If you are a big gardener, you may have more produce than you know what to do with by late August! This is a chance to throw in a few extra veggies. They will be pureed, so these hidden veggies simply add nutrition to the final dish you are making! We love throwing extra zucchini and bell pepper into this Honey Skillet Cornbread too!
- Garlic - A classic flavor in marinara sauce, fresh garlic is best for this recipe.
- Tomatoes - The star of the show! You can use any type of garden tomatoes for this recipe. The amount of tomatoes you use is also flexible, meaning you can use up what you have, as long as you can fit it in the pot! If you are really making a huge pot, you can increase the other ingredients a bit.
- Salt & Pepper - These simple seasonings bring out the flavor in all our fresh garden ingredients.
- Sugar - Sugar is optional but a pinch helps to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Fresh Herbs - I love this recipe for using up lots of herbs and greens from the garden. Any combination of basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, or parsley add great flavor. You can also add a bit of chopped kale or spinach to bump up the nutrition. If you don't have fresh herbs you can substitute a teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning.
Instructions
Step 1 - Add large chunks of onion and bell pepper or zucchini if using to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Saute the veggies in olive oil in a large pot until soft and beginning to brown.
Mince garlic in the food processor and add it to the veggies.
Step 2 - Prepare your tomatoes, wash them and cut out the core/stem end and cut away any bad spots. Chop them in large chunks and add to the food processor in batches.
Pulse the tomatoes a few times until ground, keeping some texture, you don't want to totally puree them.
Transfer to the pot to saute with the other veggies until you have processed all the tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar.
Step 3 - Simmer over medium low heat for about an hour or more. You want it to lightly bubble, reducing the liquid to thicken the sauce.
Stirring often will help release steam which will help the sauce reduce. Add your herbs about half way through.
Step 4 - It's done when you think it is! This marinara sauce by nature is a bit of a thin tomatoey sauce, since fresh tomatoes contain so much water. But, the longer you cook the liquid away, the thicker it will get.
Allow the pot of sauce to cool slightly on the stovetop before transferring it to storage containers.
Storage & Freezer Instructions
This recipe was written specifically for freezing marinara sauce! If you have the freezer space, I really prefer freezing to canning. It just feels like less of an ordeal!
Less rules to follow, less equipment, and you can use whatever amount of tomatoes you have without following a strict recipe.
This freezer tomato sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months or more.
How to Freeze Marinara Sauce
- Choose Containers in Different Sizes depending on how you intend to use your sauce. A larger container or freezer bag may be best for a large pasta night, while a small container or mason jar might be a perfect sauce for Homemade Pizza. Jars are a great swap if you are trying to get away from plastic!
- Allow the Pot of Sauce to Cool Slightly on the stovetop before adding to containers. This will ensure your hot sauce doesn't crack cold jars, or melt plastic containers.
- Fill Glass Jars Only ¾'s Full - This allows the sauce room to expand as it freezes so your jars don't crack.
- Cool Jars or Containers in the Fridge First - Glass doesn't like sudden temperature change, so let your pot of sauce cool slightly on the stovetop before filling your jars, and then let the jars cool completely in the refrigerator overnight before moving them to the freezer. This allows for gradual temperature changes!
Chef Tips
- Tomatoes do Not need to be peeled or deseeded - There are no specific canning rules to follow here! Tomato seeds and skins are perfectly edible, and this is meant to be an easy recipe! Let your food processor do the work and just give your tomatoes a few pulses.
- Amounts are Flexible! - The amounts in this recipe do not need to be exact! This is a gardener's recipe, designed to use up what you have. Large tomatoes, small tomatoes and everything in between, if you've got tomatoes ripening on the vine faster than you can use them, throw them into the pot! If you are making a really huge pot of sauce, you can increase the amounts of the other ingredients a bit.
- Let it Simmer - Remember that tomatoes contain a lot of water. The longer you simmer the sauce and give it a good occasional stir, the more steam will escape and the more concentrated the tomatoes and flavor will be.
Meals and Recipes to Use this Marinara Sauce
Having your freezer stocked with different sized containers of marinara sauce is so handy for lots of meals and recipes! Thaw out the size you need overnight in the fridge. Try using it on:
- Homemade Pizza Night - I use 1 pint jar every Friday for our homemade pizza night. It's the perfect amount for our family of 4.
- Easy Flatbread Pizza for the Kid's Lunch - A tortilla, pita, naan bread or english muffin with some homemade freezer marinara is the perfect mini pizza for the kids for lunch!
- Creamy Tomato Basil Fettuccine - Make this summer favorite pasta dish in the winter by using a jar of sauce in place of the fresh tomatoes. Add Italian sausage, grilled chicken or shrimp for a heartier meal!
- Meatball Subs - Cook your meatballs and then let them simmer in a jar of homemade sauce.
- Grilled Eggplant Paninis - Use your freezer tomato sauce with grilled eggplant and melty cheese for an easy sandwich night or lunch.
- One Pot Baked Tortellini with Italian Sausage - Use a jar of marinara sauce in place of the store-bought can of crushed tomato in this delicious baked pasta recipe!
- Pasta Fagioli Soup - Replace the canned tomato in this favorite soup with a jar of your homemade organic tomato sauce.
- Creamy Tomato Pink Sauce Pasta with Italian Sausage - Replace the can of tomato sauce with your freezer marinara, combined with cream for this "pink sauce" pasta dinner!
- Ragu Sauce Pasta Bake - If you've got Leftover Beef Roast, substitute your freezer tomato sauce to make this baked ragu pasta.
Recipe FAQs
Since this freezer marinara sauce is made entirely from fresh tomatoes, it is a rather thin sauce since tomatoes contain so much water. It is thickened by simmering the sauce on the stovetop to reduce the liquid. The longer you simmer it, the thicker it will become. Be sure to stir it often to release the steam. If you really want it to be even thicker, you can add a small can of tomato paste while it simmers.
Yes! A basic marinara sauce is so versatile and homemade pizza sauce is a great way to use it! Thaw it overnight in the fridge, a pint jar of sauce is enough to top about 3 to 4 pizzas.
Yes! Mason jars are a great alternative to storing food in plastic containers. When freezing food like this marinara sauce in jars, make sure to avoid sudden temperature changes that could crack the glass. This means, allow the food to cool slightly before filling the jars. Only fill them ¾'s of the way full to allow for expansion as they freeze. Cool the jars completely overnight in the fridge before transferring them to the freezer. Thaw overnight in the fridge to use.
Favorite Recipes from the Garden!
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Freezer Marinara Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
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Print Pin RateEquipment
- large soup pot or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion
- 1 zucchini or bell pepper optional
- 4 cloves garlic
- 8 to 14 tomatoes amount is flexible, add as much as you have
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 grinds fresh black pepper
- pinch sugar optional
- ½ cup fresh herbs any combination of basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, parsley or spinach
Instructions
- Roughly chop onion and zucchini or bell pepper if using, and pulse in a food processor until finely diced.
- Set a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add oil. Saute the veggies with a pinch of salt and pepper until softened and lightly browned.
- Finely mince garlic in the food processor and add to sautéing veggies.
- Meanwhile, wash and roughly chop your tomatoes, remove the core end and any bad spots. Pulse tomatoes in the food processor, keep some texture, don't totally puree them. Transfer each batch to the pot and saute with the other veggies until you've processed all your tomatoes. The amount of tomatoes you use is totally flexible and doesn't need to be exact.
- Season with salt, pepper and sugar.
- Let sauce simmer over medium low heat, stirring often, bubbling slightly for at least 1 hour. You want the liquid to reduce and your sauce to thicken slightly, although this will still be a fairly thin sauce. The cooking time can vary depending on how many tomatoes you use. The longer you cook down the sauce, the thicker it will be. Add your herbs about half way through.
- When the sauce is done, allow it to cool slightly on the stovetop. See recipe notes for freezing instructions.
Notes
- Fill Jars ¾'s Full - This allows the sauce room to expand as is freezes so your jars don't crack.
- Cool in the Fridge First - Glass doesn't like sudden temperature change, so let your pot of sauce cool slightly on the stovetop before filling your jars. Then let them cool in the refrigerator overnight before moving them to the freezer.
- Store Sauce in Different Sized Jars or Containers - Smaller sized jars can be used for lunch flatbread pizzas or larger jars for pasta dinners like this Pink Sauce Pasta with Italian Sausage, or homemade pizza night. Freeze in sizes for your intended use.
- To Use - Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Cecilia says
I’ve used this recipe for the past two summers. It is delicious! And easy, no peeling tomatoes so you get all the nutrition from the tomatoes…
Thanks for sharing.
Meryl Downing says
Thank you Cecilia, I'm so glad you liked it!
John says
I had two or 3 pounds of fresh frozen tomatoes from my garden which I was afraid were going to get freezer burned if I didn’t use them soon. So I put this recipe together. Wow. Very simple, makes the house smell great, and the flavors are so distinct. You can practically identify every spice. I had some carrots and a little celery that was probably going to be thrown away in a day or two, so I graded those up as well. I also use both zucchini and an orange bell pepper. I figured with all the tomatoes I had it wouldn’t hurt. I highly recommend it. I’m also baking some no knead bread to go with it.
Meryl Downing says
Wow John that sounds delicious! Glad you liked the recipe!
Julie says
In the recipe it says this makes 6 pints! I used many more the 14 tomatoes and it made only 2 pints
Meryl Downing says
Hi Julie, the finished amount of sauce can vary greatly based on the size and water content of your tomatoes, as well as how long you simmer the sauce to reduce it to your desired thickness. This recipe is really flexible to accommodate any types and sizes of tomatoes, however will yield varying results!
Stacy McCann says
Any chance you have approximate weight of tomatoes rather than number? We have garden tomatoes ranging from .25lb to over a pound each, so it’s hard to judge what 8-14 looks like!
Meryl Downing says
Hi Stacy, I'm not exactly sure the weight, I would guess 4 to 8 pounds, figuring an average tomato weighs half a pound. I will say that the recipe is pretty forgiving, and that the exact amount of tomatoes won't hurt it. More tomatoes will add more liquid so you would need to simmer longer.