Batch Cooking Marinara Sauce

M ost commercial sauces are loaded oil and salt – and often sugar too. Save time by making your own in bulk and freezing it. I like to start with a basic sauce, it’s versatile and can be “dressed up” when you’re ready to use it. If I want pizza, I’ll add some fennel seeds and a little date sugar. If I’m making pasta, I’ll add basil, sage and sweet paprika. If I’m using it as a condiment on a veggie burger, I’ll add extra sauteed peppers, onions and mushrooms.

Method

• Coarsely chop all the veggies and follow the instructions for your cooking method below.
• When the cooking is finished, pull out the bay leaves and puree with an immersion blender. 
• Set aside and allow to cool before packing for the freezer.

For the Instant Pot:

Place all the ingredients in the Instant Pot liner + 1 ½ cup of water. Mix well and cook for 12 minutes. 

If your Instant Pot isn’t big enough to accommodate all 3 cans of sauce, use only 2 and add the third just before you puree.

I prefer the instant pot for two reasons, you can set it and forget it, no need to babysit a pot, and it adds no extra heat or humidity to the kitchen. 

 

For the stove:

Place all ingredients + 3 cups water  in an 8 quart stock pot. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for 30 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking.

This method needs more water than the Instant Pot or the crock pot because  you’ll have more evaporation.

For the crock pot:

Place all ingredients in the crock pot + 1 ½ cups of water. Set on high. Cooking time will depend on how long it takes your unit to get hot. Once it’s up to temperature it should simmer for 30 minutes.