RECIPE -- Marinara Sauce in the Slow Cooker

RECIPE—Marinara Sauce in the Slow Cooker

This recipe is planned for a seven-quart slow cooker.

1 large onion, cut into eighths

1 head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled

2 tsp salt

Black pepper, freshly-ground if possible

6 stalks celery, cut in half and wrapped in cheesecloth for easy retrieval

4-28 oz cans of tomatoes (for example, 3 cans of crushed tomatoes in thick puree plus 1 can of whole tomatoes in juice)

2 heaping T dried Italian herbs blend

1 heaping tsp sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

Cook for 7 hours on Low.

Remove the cheesecloth (with celery inside,) using tongs.

Cool crock (placed outside the cooker) for 45 minutes before moving the sauce into freezer bags.  I measure 26 ounces into a large measuring cup and then pour that 26 ounces into a freezer bag. If there is any leftover sauce, I apportion it among the bags. Makes four bags of sauce, each suitable to top one pound of pasta.