Crockpot Marinara Sauce
Serve however you like and freeze the leftovers. I recommend doubling this recipe and you will end up with approximately 5 jars of homemade marinara sauce. One to eat right away, and 4 to freeze for later.
Serve however you like and freeze the leftovers. I recommend doubling this recipe and you will end up with approximately 5 jars of homemade marinara sauce. One to eat right away, and 4 to freeze for later.
- Carbohydrate 543.9517210197 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 3.7837899404 g
- Fiber 26.4853177338779 g
- Protein 23.9355393652 g
- Saturated Fat 0.6276643772 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (1604g)
- Sodium 2678.94598767667 mg
- Sugar 517.466403285822 g
- Trans Fat 1.17688688212 g
- Calories 2164 calories
Step-by-step
- Dice the onion, and place in the slow cooker.
- Add minced garlic.
- Then add, tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, vinegar, bay leaves, basil, oregano, and pepper.
- Stir well to combine. If your crock pot has a tendency to dry things out, add in 1 c water, depending thickness preferred.
- Put on the lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- After cooking time, stir the sauce and season with salt (approx 1 teaspoon)
Why does tomato sauce always taste better on the second day? Acid degradation during prolonged heating breaks down raw pectin cell walls in the fruit, allowing natural sugars to meld with concentrated glutamates. Traditional Italian home kitchens often simmered pots for hours to achieve this molecular softening, utilizing the slow reduction to concentrate savory compounds without scorching the bottom of the pot. Utilizing a slow cooker applies gentle, uniform heat from the sides and base simultaneously, replicating a traditional stovetop simmer without requiring constant stirring.
- Add the salt at the very end of the 6 to 8 hour cooking window rather than the beginning. Salting early draws out excess moisture prematurely, which can alter the final reduction rate and concentrate acidity too harshly.
- Remove the whole bay leaves before storage. Leaving volatile herbal stems submerged during refrigeration releases bitter eucalyptus-like tannins into the sauce over extended periods.
- Store cooled portions in airtight glass containers for up to five days in the refrigerator, or transfer them to freezer-safe bags laid flat to maximize frost-free storage space for up to three months.
Freezing cooked tomato products halts ongoing enzymatic activity while preserving the complex umami notes built during the slow cook. Reheat portions gently on the stove over medium-low heat, whisking in a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to emulsify separated water back into the sauce.
