Spaghetti Sauce, Whole Peeled Plum Tomato based

Wilson’s Family Spaghetti Sauce. This sauce is an “130 year old family recipe” that was originated by my grandmother in 1880, then passed to my Mother in 1935, and then to me in 1963; and now, 2012, to our extended family. To make 8-10 quarts of finished Italian spaghetti tomato sauce, you will need the following ingredients. Remember this is a tomato sauce, therefore use the very finest tomatoes, or canned tomatoes; if using fresh tomatoes, remove the skins first in a steamer.

6 cans, Whole Peeled Italian Plum Tomatoes, 35oz cans by weight, 14oz cans by volume
2 cans, crushed tomatoes, 35oz cans by weight, 14oz cans by volume
3 cups, diced fresh white onions, diced to ½” segments at the largest.
½ cup, Extra Virgin Olive Oil (¼ cup used to sauté the meat-balls, ¼ cup used to sauté the onions and garlic)
¼ cup, finely chopped garlic; may be from jar found in grocer’s refrigerated section
¼ cup, Italian spaghetti seasoning, containing, oregano, thyme, basil, rosemary. Or use Rustic Italiano, next...
¼ cup, Substitute Instant Gormet's Rustic Italiano for special lively zest; thank you Phil LaMarche for creating this amazing Italian chuncky blend spice.
¼ cup, pure white refined sugar (this is to cut "acidity" of the tomatoe sauce). Sugar will not actually sweeten the resultant sauce, season less to taste.
1/8 cup quality sea salt (salt tends to "sweeten" the sauce), season to tast.
2 packages, fresh, high quality, Hot, spicy Italian Pork Sausages, five 5” sausages in each package; may substitute Hot Italian Turkey Sausages.
10 quart stock pot (optional); 4 quart 12" sauce pan, 12” colander with catching container
12 quart Slow-Cooker Crock Pot Appliance, with ceramic liner.

A. Begin by opening the two packages of Italian Sausages, cut off and remove the casings.
B. Separate the sausages into 3/4” lengths and roll in the hands making round meat ball pieces; not large meat-balls for this dish.
C. Sauté the hand made small meat-balls with ¼ cup of Olive Oil, over medium heat until the meat balls are cooked, not over-cooked.
D. Drain the meat-balls into a colander with a container under the colander, saving all the Oil and Meat Juices.
E. Stir onto the cooked meat balls a tablespoon of Italian seasoning and mix, so the seasoning is all over the meat-balls.
F. Place the cooked Meat-Balls into a covered container and place in the refrigerator. Should make about 50≈60 meat-balls.
G. Use a spatula to remove all the juices and oil from the sauté pan into the Slow Cooker's Ceramic Liner, and
H. Add the meat-ball juices from stainless container under the colander into the Slow Cooker's Ceramic Liner
I. Use the spatula to remove every drop of the meat-ball juices and oil mixture as it contains the Hot seasoning from the sausage meat
J. Using a 12” sauté pan, add the remaining ¼ cup of Olive Oil and sauté the garlic; cook the Garlic until it just turns golden then
K. Add 3 cups of diced fresh white onions, add salt, Italian spices, and continue to sauté mixture until onions are reduced and soft, not dry;
L. Add this Onion Garlic mixture into the Slow Cooker's Ceramic Liner.
M. Open 5 cans of whole peeled plum tomatoes, drain the tomato juice into the Slow Cooker's Ceramic Liner. Turn ON the Slow-Cooker
N. Cut each tomato in half while in the opened can, pour cut tomatoes and remaining tomato juice into the Slow Cooker's Ceramic Liner.
O. Place the Slow Cooker's Ceramic Liner on medium heat, stirring every 20 minutes. No boiling please.
P. Open 1 Can of diced/crushed tomatoes and add to the Slow Cooker's Ceramic Liner
Q. Once the tomato sauce mixture is piping hot, however never boiling, reduce the slow-cooker's heater to LOW,
R. Cover the slow-cooker, cooking for 4 hours on low heat; no boiling of the sauce whatsoever. Stir every 20 minutes.
S. Once the sauce is cooked, unplug the slow-cooker, let cool for 60 minutes, remove the pottery liner from the appliance
T. Add the one remaining can of whole peeled plum tomatoes, cutting each in half, add remaining can of diced/crushed tomatoes;
U. The completed sauce contains a total of eight 35oz (weight) cans of tomatoes, stir thoroughly.
V. The completed sauce should be relatively loose in consistency; not thick or pasty.
W. If the completed sauce is too thick, add a can or two of plain tomato juice, or V8 juice
X. If the completed sauce is too thin, add another can or two of crushed tomatoes
Y. Never use tomato paste to thicken the sauce as it will alter (ruin) the flavor of the sauce.
Z. NOTE: All of the ingredients were added directly into the Ceramic Liner of the slow-cooker, in which case the cooking process is longer (than stove-top cooking) as the slow-cooker will take several hours just to bring the mixture up to cooking temperature; this is a preferred procedure, as will help assure that there shall not be any boiling of the mixture, nor burning of the stock-pot bottom. For a Faster process, add the ingredients into a 10qt stock-pot and heat the tomato mixture to piping hot, stirring continuously, to prevent stock-pot bottom burning; then transfer to the Slow-Cooker for the remaining 4 hour cooking. This will save several hours of time. The cooking process is to bring the mixture to say 200ºF to permit the mixture time to penetrate the spices, and soften the tomato and onion pulp.

When ready to serve remove a quantity of meatballs, say 4-8 meatballs per person, as needed, for the meal from the refrigerator
Add a 1qt of the heated tomato sauce to the meatballs, to warm the meat-balls, use added heat as necessary but do not boil.
Heat another 6 cups, 1 cup per serving of tomato sauce, which should serve 5 folks to taste.
Freeze some of this spaghetti sauce into 1qt containers for use when making Chile or Taco meat; this adds a flavor dimension to these preparations.

Bon Appétito. JimWilson, Published August 30, 2010.