Pizza Sauce - tomatoes

Method

• Make the tomato puree: Cut the tomatoes into quarters, and pass through a food mill or Victorio strainer.
• If you do not have a food mill or Victorio strainer, blanch, peel, core, seed and chop the tomatoes.
• Place in a colander and let stand for 15 minutes.
• Discard liquid and puree tomatoes in a food processor fitted with a metal blade.
• Measure out 13 cups of the tomato puree.
• If you have more than 13 cups, save or freeze the remainder for use in another recipe.
• Place half of the tomato puree in a large stainless steel pot.
• Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally.
• Maintaining a constant boil, add the remaining tomato puree, 1 cup a a time.
• Stir in the lemon juice, oregano, pepper, salt, and garlic powder.
• Boil hard, stirring frequently, until the mixture is the consistency of a thin commercial sauce, about 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Ladle the sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
• Wipe the rims of the jars with damp paper towels to remove any sauce which got on the rims or the threads.
• Place the lids and the bands on the jars, just tightening the bands fingertip tight.
• Process in a boiling water bath for 35 minutes, then remove and let sit, undisturbed, for at least 12 hours before checking seals.
• It is important to let them sit undisturbed for 12 hours because the sealing compound on the lids is still cooling and hardening, completing the seal.
• While the jars cool, you will hear a "plink" type sound from each jar - this is the jars completing the vacuum seal as the final air escapes the jar.
• After 12 hours have passed, remove the bands and check the lids - press down in the center of the lid.
• If you cannot push the lid down any further, the jar is sealed.
• If the lid "gives" a bit, and you can push it down, the jar did not seal.
• Place any unsealed jars in the fridge and use within 2 weeks.