Guitar Trix & Tips Blog: Book Reviews, Product Reviews & More: October 2026

Photo courtesy of Phil La Viola on flickr

The summer of 2026 has been a wonderful and incredibly busy season for my band, @elusivesouls. As a musician and guitarist, it’s been a truly rewarding experience filled with shows, gigs, and festivals. We’ve had the opportunity to share our music, connect with audiences, and introduce our new songs to a wider crowd. With that being said, it’s time to take a little break from the guitar, the band, and music in general to explore and share experiences beyond my usual blogs about guitar and music.

I believe stepping away from your passion every now and then is a great way to catch your breath, recharge, and enjoy some well-deserved downtime with family. Sometimes, taking a step back is exactly what you need to gain a fresh perspective and appreciate the things that matter most.

This much-needed break will give me the opportunity to rest, refresh, and rejuvenate my creativity. After all, sometimes stepping away from what you love is the best way to return to it with renewed energy, inspiration, and passion. Keep reading to discover my favorite late-August tradition, one I look forward to every year that brings the whole family together: The Art of Making Jared’s Tomato Sauce: An Italian Family Tradition. ( Abruzzi recipe)

Elusive Souls

Photo by: Elusive Souls on Facebook

Taking a break from live performances with my band? If you enjoy live R&B music, be sure to check us out!

But if you’d like to learn more about how I enjoy spending quality time with my family while keeping our family traditions alive, read on as I share The Art of Making Jarred Tomato Sauce, a tradition filled with family, love, and memories. 🍅❤️

Photo by: Elusive Souls on Facebook

What better way to relax than to spend it with my Italian family making our favorite jarred homemade tomato sauce. It a summers end tradition that we've been doing for the past fifty years and the tradition was brought from the homeland Abruzzo Italy in the mid 1960"s.

Photo by: Phil La Viola on flickr

For generations, our family has proudly passed down the art of making homemade jarred tomato sauce. While the recipe itself is quite simple, the process has evolved over the years, with a few tweaks along the way. In this post, I’ll guide you step by step through the traditional tomato-sauce-making and jarring process, sharing everything you need to know, including the equipment you’ll need to get started.

Core Processing Equipment

Tomato Strainer and Sauce Maker: An electric tomato strainer or sauce maker used to separate the skins and seeds from the tomatoes, creating a smooth, delicious tomato sauce. Check out this model:You can purchase one on amazon: or visit your local hardware store and check out the models that they have in stock.

Photo courtesy of Phil La Viola on flickr

• Chopping and Preparation: Large cutting boards, sharp knives, and a large stockpot or parboiling setup are essential for softening tomatoes before milling.

Photo courtesy of Mikhail Nilov

Cooking and Bottling Gear

•Large Stockpots & Burners: Heavy-bottomed stainless steel pots are ideal for simmering large batches of tomato sauce while preventing scorching. Outdoor high-pressure gas burners are often used to handle large-scale cooking during harvest season. "passata days".

Photo courtesy of tom HOT WOK on Pexels

Photo courtesy of tom analogicus on Pexels

Photo courtesy of Phil La Viola on flickr

• Canning & Storage: Glass passata bottles or Mason jars with new lids, a jar funnel, and a water bath canner are essential for safely preserving your finished tomato sauce for long-term shelf storage.

Photo courtesy of Phil La Viola on flickr

The Step-by-Step Process

1. Choose the Ripest Tomatoes

Start by visiting your local farm and purchasing the ripest tomatoes you can find. When it comes to making homemade tomato sauce, the riper, the better!

Typically, Roma tomatoes are purchased by the bushel during the last two weeks of August, although some people prefer to wait until the first or second week of September. They believe that by this time, the tomatoes are extra ripe, resulting in a sweeter, more flavourful sauce.

If you decide to buy your tomatoes this late in the season, be sure to start making your sauce within the next couple of days. If you’re unable to get to them right away, don’t worry! You can slow down the ripening process by laying the tomatoes on the floor of your basement, on top of a clean tablecloth.

Photo courtesy of Phil La Viola on flickr

Why Lay Tomatoes Out?

Temperature Control: A cool basement floor slows down the production of ethylene gas, which causes tomatoes to ripen.

Staggered Harvest: Spacing them apart in a cool, dark area allows you to bring a few upstairs at a time and place them on a warm counter when you want them to finish ripening and turn red.

Avoiding Damage: Keeping tomatoes in a single, unstacked layer helps prevent bruising and mold growth, which can occur when the fruit is piled on top of one another.

Photo courtesy of Phil La Viola on flickr

2.Start by washing the tomatoes in a large sink or bucket. Once washed, place them in a pot of boiling water and blanch them for about 60 seconds, or until the skins begin to blister and soften. Be careful not to overcook them, as you want to preserve as many of their nutrients as possible.

Blanching Roma tomatoes also makes them easier to process through the machine when pureeing them into sauce. It can also improve the texture and flavour. Some Italians skip this step, but I have to agree with my parents: blanching really does make a difference in the texture and flavour.

I've tasted homemade jarred sauce from neighbours who pureed their tomatoes raw, and I found the flavour bland and lacking in taste.

Wash tomatoes in a Large Sink or Bin

Photo courtesy of Phil La Viola on flickr

Blanch for 60 seconds in boiling water

Photo courtesy of Phil La Viola on flickr

3. Once you've blanched the tomatoes, drain them and carefully remove them from the hot water. You can then begin feeding them through the purée machine. Place a bucket under the machine's spout to collect the tomato purée as it comes out. Next, fill the top opening of the machine with the blanched Roma tomatoes. Gently press them through using a wooden spoon.

Photo courtesy of Phil La Viola on flickr

4. Once you’ve run all your Roma tomatoes through the purée machine and your bucket is filled with beautiful, fresh tomato sauce, it’s time to start jarring your homemade goodness!

Begin by adding a generous handful of sea salt to your bucket of sauce, stirring well to ensure it’s evenly distributed. The salt helps bring out the natural sweetness of the tomatoes and enhances the overall flavour.

Next, place a few fresh basil leaves at the bottom of each jar to infuse your sauce with that wonderful, fragrant, garden-fresh flavour. You can easily pick up a bushel of basil at your local farmers’ market, or, if you’re like me, grow your own right in the garden. I find that just a couple of pots of basil can go a long way when you’re preparing a big batch of homemade tomato sauce, enough to flavour at least 100 jars!

Photo courtesy of Phil La Viola on flickr

5. Start by arranging all your clean, empty jars on a table, ready to be filled. Using a ladle, carefully scoop the freshly made tomato sauce from your large bucket and pour it into each jar. Take your time as you work your way through the batch, filling each jar according to your canning recipe and leaving the recommended amount of space at the top.

Once all your jars are filled, wipe the rims clean and place the Mason jar lids on top, followed by the screw bands. Secure the bands according to the manufacturer's instructions, and your jars will be ready for the next step. Carefully place the filled jars into your boiling-water canner, following a tested canning recipe for the correct processing time and method. Before you know it, you'll be one step closer to filling your pantry with jars of homemade tomato sauce to enjoy throughout the year!

Place basil in each jar

Photo courtesy of Phil La Viola on flickr

Fill with tomato sauce & seal the jars with lids and mouth bands

Photo courtesy of Phil La Viola on flickr

6.Allow the jars to process in the boiling-water canner for the amount of time recommended in your tested canning recipe. Once the processing time is complete, turn off the heat and let the jars rest in the hot water for 5 minutes, or as directed by your recipe. Using a canning jar lifter, carefully remove each jar and place it upright on a towel-covered surface, leaving space between the jars.

Remember, these jars will be extremely hot, so never attempt to lift them with your bare hands! Not only could you burn yourself, but the jars could easily slip from your grasp and break. A little extra care goes a long way when you're handling your precious jars of homemade tomato sauce. Let them cool undisturbed, and soon you'll have a beautiful batch ready for your pantry.

Bring the jars to a boil for 45 minutes

Photo courtesy of Phil La Viola on flickr

7. The Cooling Phase:

Carefully place the hot jars into the farm bushels and allow them to cool overnight. As they cool, you may hear a little click or popping sound coming from the jars. This is completely normal and is a sign that the lids are sealing. Once cooled, the jars can be stored and enjoyed throughout the year, bringing a taste of homemade goodness to your table whenever you need it.

Photo courtesy of Phil La Viola on flickr

Once the jars have cooled completely, carefully place them on the shelves of your cellar pantry for storage. Now, you have your very own homemade Italian tomato sauce ready to enjoy throughout the year! There’s nothing quite like having a taste of summer and a little piece of Italy waiting for you in your pantry whenever you need it.

Photo courtesy of Phil La Viola on flickr

Use your homemade Italian tomato sauce to prepare delicious meals such as lasagna, spaghetti with meat sauce, veal parmigiana, and so much more! The possibilities are endless. Enjoy!!!