Wash the tomatoes thoroughly and remove any stems.

Cut the tomatoes in quarters and place in a large bowl

​Soak your jars in a clean sink in hot soapy water for 30 minutes.

Scrub and rinse the jars to sterilize. You may also run your jars through your dishwasher on the sanitize setting.

Fill your water bath canner with hot water. Don’t turn your water bath canner on yet, you will have lots of time to prepare your canner while your sauce is cooking.

In a large pot add 5-10 pounds of chopped tomatoes over medium-high heat. Add just enough water to cover to bottom of the pot to avoid burnt tomato skins.

Let simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring to avoid sticking, until soft.

Transfer the tomatoes to your tomato mill and process through the mill. Repeat this step 2-3 times to ensure all of the meaty-goodness is captured through the food mill.

Discard the seeds and skins in a separate bowl.

Pour the tomato sauce into a large stockpot on medium heat.

Repeat the above steps until you have processed all of your tomatoes and it is all simmering in your large stockpot.

Add in your salt and stir.

Let the sauce simmer for 2-4 hours, stirring occasionally.

The sauce is ready once it has thickened up to your desired consistency.

While the sauce is simmering, prepare your canning jars by sterilizing them. You can do this by placing the jars in a boiling water bath for about 10 minutes. Also, sterilize the lids and bands in a separate pot of simmering water.

Carefully place the hot jars on a kitchen towel and pour a tablespoon of lemon juice in the bottom of the jar.

Once the sauce is ready, carefully ladle it into the sterilized jars, leaving about 1/2 inch of headspace at the top.

Wipe the jar rims clean to ensure a good seal. Place the sterilized lids on the jars and screw on the bands until they are fingertip-tight (not overly tight).

Place the filled jars in a water bath canner or large stockpot filled with boiling water. Make sure the jars are covered with at least 1-2 inches of water.

Process the jars in the boiling water bath for about 35-40 minutes. Adjust the processing time based on your altitude if necessary (refer to canning guidelines for altitude adjustments).

After processing, carefully remove the jars from the water and place them on a towel or cooling rack. Let them cool undisturbed for 12-24 hours.

Check the lids to ensure they have sealed properly. The lids should be slightly concave and not pop back when pressed in the center.

Label the sealed jars with the date and contents.

Store the cooled jars in a cool, dark, and dry place. Properly sealed jars can be stored for up to a year or more.