Roasted cherry tomato sauce concentrates the bright, sweet flavor of small tomatoes into a smooth, shelf-stable sauce ideal for pasta, pizza, or winter comfort dishes. Roasting intensifies the tomatoes’ natural sugars and adds depth; a food mill (or a fine-mesh strainer) removes skins and most seeds while preserving the juices and roasted flavor. The result is a sweeter, brighter sauce than a traditional marinara made from paste tomatoes, with roasted garlic adding a mellow savory backbone.
This small-batch recipe is a fantastic way to use a bumper crop of Sun Golds, grape tomatoes, yellow pear, or mixed cherry varieties when the garden is overflowing.
This recipe was reviewed for safety and accuracy by a Master Food Preserver certified through the University of Cornell Cooperative Extension.
Cherry tomatoes are too small to peel individually, so this method roasts them and then uses a food mill to separate skins and seeds. If a food mill isn’t available, a fine mesh strainer and a spatula work well: press the roasted tomatoes through the mesh to collect the smooth pulp and keep the skins and seeds behind.
This is a hot-pack, high-acid canning recipe processed in a water bath with added bottled lemon juice or citric acid for safe acidity. It’s adapted from Ball Canning’s roasted garlic tomato sauce, with proportions and technique adjusted for cherry tomatoes, which are lighter and more watery than paste varieties. A 6-pound batch yields roughly three pint jars of finished sauce.
Notes from My Kitchen
When I’m canning tomatoes through late summer, the food mill is used constantly. On a day when my mill was unavailable, I pressed the roasted tomatoes through a fine mesh strainer with a spatula—skins and seeds stayed behind and the pulp collected in the saucepan, producing essentially the same silky result.
This sauce is sweeter and brighter than typical marinara because cherry tomatoes caramelize while roasting. The caramelized garlic deepens the flavor. Use the sauce on pizza, toss with pasta for a lighter tomato dish, or stir into soups for extra body. Yellow cherry tomatoes yield a subtler, mellower sauce; red varieties are more classically tomato-forward. Mixing varieties gives more complexity.
Quick Look at the Recipe
- Recipe Name: Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce
- Recipe Type: Tomato canning recipe
- Canning Method: Water bath canning
- Prep Time: About 1 hour
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Canning Time: 85 minutes (adjust for altitude)
- Yield: About 3 pint jars from 6 lbs of cherry tomatoes
- Jar Sizes: Pints or quarts
- Headspace: 1/2 inch
- Ingredients Overview: Cherry tomatoes, roasted garlic, onion (optional), olive oil, fresh oregano and basil (or dried), salt, pepper, bottled lemon juice or citric acid for acidification
- Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
The list focuses on two roasted elements: cherry tomatoes and garlic. Onion and herbs are optional—omit them if you prefer a plain roasted cherry tomato sauce, but you must still acidify jars for safe canning.
- Cherry tomatoes: Any variety—Sun Golds, grape, yellow pear, or red cherries. Mixing varieties improves flavor complexity.
- Garlic: Roast a whole head; the softened cloves blend smoothly and add depth.
- Onion: Optional. Chopped onion adds body and subtle sweetness.
- Olive oil: Used to roast the garlic and add a touch of richness.
- Fresh oregano and basil: Optional herbs for classic tomato flavor; use dried if preferred.
- Salt and black pepper: Adjust to taste; they enhance and balance the sauce.
- Bottled lemon juice or citric acid: Required for safe water bath canning. Add 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid per pint; 2 tablespoons lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid per quart.
Step by Step Instructions
Roasting is essential—don’t skip it. It concentrates flavor and gives the sauce its characteristic sweetness and depth.
Roast the Cherry Tomatoes
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment and spread tomatoes in a single layer. Roast 25–30 minutes, until skins blister, tomatoes collapse, and juices are released. Reserve all pan juices for the sauce.
Roast the Garlic
Cut the top off a garlic head, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast on a separate pan alongside the tomatoes until cloves are very soft, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly before handling.
Mill and Combine
When cool enough to handle, transfer roasted tomatoes and their juices to a food mill fitted with a fine screen over a large saucepan. Squeeze roasted garlic cloves from their skins and add them to the mill. Process to remove skins and most seeds, discarding the solids.
If you don’t have a food mill, press the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer with a spatula—the skins and seeds will stay behind while the smooth pulp collects in the saucepan.
Simmer
Stir chopped onion (if using), oregano, basil, salt, and pepper into the milled tomato puree. Simmer over medium heat for 10–15 minutes to blend flavors and reduce slightly—you’re aiming to heat and thicken a bit, not produce a paste.
Canning Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce
While the sauce simmers, set up a water bath canner and warm your jars in simmering water. Add the required acid to each warm jar before filling: 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid per pint; 2 tablespoons lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid per quart. This step is essential for safe water bath canning.
Ladle hot sauce into prepared jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with a non-metallic utensil, wipe rims clean, center lids, and apply bands fingertip-tight. Process jars in a boiling water bath for 85 minutes for both pints and quarts, ensuring at least 1 inch of water covers the lids. Adjust processing time for altitude as noted below. After processing, turn off heat and let jars sit in the canner for 5 minutes before transferring to a towel-lined surface to cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours. Check seals, remove bands, label, and store in a cool, dark place.
Altitude Adjustments
Raise processing time as altitude increases because water boils at lower temperatures:
- 0 to 1,000 feet: 85 minutes
- 1,001 to 3,000 feet: 90 minutes
- 3,001 to 6,000 feet: 95 minutes
- Above 6,000 feet: 100 minutes
Yield Notes
Six pounds of cherry tomatoes (about 15–18 cups whole) yields roughly three pint jars of finished sauce. Cherry tomatoes contain more water and less flesh than paste varieties, so the same weight will produce less sauce than Romas. Scale the recipe up or down in multiples as needed.
Garlic, onion, and herbs are optional; omitting them reduces the yield slightly but does not change the required acidification or processing times.
Serving Ideas
This sauce is versatile—light enough for thin-crust pizza yet flavorful enough for meatballs or roasted vegetables.
- Simple pasta: Toss with spaghetti or penne and finish with fresh basil and parmesan. Add a splash of cream for a quick tomato-basil sauce.
- Pizza sauce: Spread on thin-crust pizza. The natural sweetness pairs well with salty toppings like olives or cured meats.
- Marinara substitute: Use anywhere a recipe calls for marinara. A little balsamic vinegar adds richness if desired.
Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce FAQs
Yes. Those ingredients are optional; you can can a plain roasted cherry tomato sauce. The yield will be slightly smaller, but you must still acidify jars for safe canning.
Use a fine-mesh strainer and a spatula to press the roasted tomatoes through. It requires more effort but yields a smooth pulp while retaining pan juices.
This adapted timing accounts for garlic, onion, and herbs in a tomato base and follows tested water bath canning guidance to ensure jars reach safe temperatures through and through.
No. Use bottled lemon juice or citric acid for canning because bottled lemon juice has standardized acidity. Fresh lemon juice varies and is not reliable for safe acidification.
Yes. Slightly soft or overripe cherries are ideal for roasting and milling—just discard any moldy fruit or those with off odors.
Yes. Yellow varieties are milder and sometimes citrusy; red cherries are more traditionally tomato-like. Mixing varieties yields a more complex sauce.
Tomato Canning Recipes
50+ Tomato Canning Recipes
Tomato canning is one of the best ways to turn summer abundance into a pantry full of convenience for winter meals.
If you tried this Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce recipe, please leave a star rating and share your notes in the comments below.
Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce (Canning Recipe)
Equipment
-
Water bath canner
-
Food mill (or fine-mesh strainer)
-
Rimmed baking sheets
-
Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 6 lbs cherry tomatoes, about 15 to 18 cups
- 1 bulb garlic
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped (optional)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 Tbsp fresh oregano, minced, or 1/2 tsp dried
- 1 Tbsp fresh basil, minced, or 1 tsp dried
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Bottled lemon juice (1 Tbsp per pint or 2 Tbsp per quart) OR citric acid (1/4 tsp per pint or 1/2 tsp per quart), for safe canning, added per jar
Instructions
Roast the Tomatoes and Garlic
-
Preheat oven to 425°F. Spread whole cherry tomatoes on parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets in a single layer. Roast 25–30 minutes until skins blister, tomatoes collapse, and juices are released. Save all pan juices.
-
While tomatoes roast, cut the top off the garlic head, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast about 45 minutes until cloves are very soft. Let cool slightly.
Mill and Simmer
-
Transfer roasted tomatoes and juices to a food mill over a large saucepan. Squeeze roasted garlic from skins and add to the mill. Process to remove skins and most seeds. Alternatively, press through a fine-mesh strainer with a spatula.
-
Stir in chopped onion (if using), oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer over medium heat 10–15 minutes until heated through and slightly thickened.
Acidify and Fill Jars
-
Prepare a boiling water canner and warm jars in simmering water. Add 1 Tbsp bottled lemon juice or 1/4 tsp citric acid to each hot pint jar before filling; use 2 Tbsp lemon juice or 1/2 tsp citric acid per quart.
-
Ladle hot sauce into prepared jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe rims, apply lids, and screw bands fingertip-tight.
Process and Cool
-
Place jars in the boiling water canner, ensure at least 1 inch of water covers lids, bring to a rolling boil, and process for 85 minutes (adjust for altitude). Start timing when water reaches a full boil.
-
After processing, turn off heat and let jars rest in the canner 5 minutes. Transfer to a towel-lined surface and cool undisturbed 12–24 hours. Check seals, remove bands, label, and store in a cool, dark place. Refrigerate any unsealed jars and use within a week.
Notes
Altitude Adjustments
- 0 to 1,000 feet: 85 minutes
- 1,001 to 3,000 feet: 90 minutes
- 3,001 to 6,000 feet: 95 minutes
- Above 6,000 feet: 100 minutes
Acidification
Do not skip acidification. Use bottled lemon juice or citric acid to ensure safe, consistent acidity for water bath canning.
Plain Cherry Tomato Variation
Omit garlic, onion, and herbs for a plain roasted cherry tomato sauce. Yield will be slightly less; processing and acidification remain the same.
Yield
Six pounds of cherries (15–18 cups) yields about three pints. Scale as needed.
Storage
Sealed jars keep up to 18 months in a cool, dark place. After opening, refrigerate and use within 7–10 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate.
Pasta Sauce Canning Recipes
30+ Pasta Sauce Recipes For Canning
A curated collection of tested water bath pasta sauce recipes for home canners.
