There’s something magical about late summer turning into fall. The air softens, routines start shifting, and traditions—both old and new—take root. This year, my family and I started one of our own: our first-ever sauce day.
It was a full-day affair that stretched from 10 a.m. until almost 9 p.m., filled with steaming pots, the scent of fresh Roma tomatoes, little hands helping, and the kind of chaos only family can bring.
Carrying on a Tradition
For my husband, this wasn’t his first sauce day. He grew up helping his parents do the same thing, year after year, and wanted to pass that experience down to our little family. This time, it was the five of us—my husband, our son (almost three), our 7.5-month-old baby, my sister-in-law, and me—starting a tradition of our own.
Gathering the Tomatoes
My husband sourced 13 bushels of organic Roma tomatoes from the Eastern Shore, loading up the car with more red than I’ve ever seen in one place. It was ambitious, but as we would quickly learn, there’s no such thing as “too many” tomatoes when you’re making sauce for the year ahead.
The Setup
To make sauce at this scale, you need more than just a stockpot and wooden spoon. The backyard became our kitchen:
- Two outdoor propane burners
- Two large 30-quart stockpots (we tried a 60-quart pot, but my mother-in-law insisted it was too big—she was right)
- A kiddie pool to wash the tomatoes
- A tomato press (with a drill attachment to save our arms!)
- Paring knives + a kid-friendly knife set for our toddler
- A 2-foot wooden spoon and paddle for stirring
- A fine mesh strainer and cheesecloth for straining
- More bowls and pots than you think you’ll need (trust me on this one)
- Plenty of mason jars — more than you think you’ll need
At one point, we were shuffling tomatoes back and forth between bowls, pots, and tubs just to keep the process moving. Having extras on hand made the day so much smoother.
We also quickly discovered that forgetting one piece (like the cheesecloth) made things messy. Our first runs through the press were watery until we course-corrected—but that’s part of the fun of a first tradition, right?
The Process
- Wash the tomatoes in the kiddie pool.
- Cut into eighths, removing any bad spots (our toddler loved helping here). Smaller pieces mean faster cooking.
- Boil in stockpots until softened and bursting with juice.
- Strain through cheesecloth and/or a fine mesh strainer to remove excess water.
- Press through the tomato mill (hooking up the drill made it effortless).
- Stir, stir, stir the puree constantly while simmering for 1–2 hours until thickened. (The key here: don’t let it scorch on the bottom!)
- Can in quart mason jars with a heaping tablespoon of salt and two fresh basil leaves.
The old Italian way says: once the jars are sealed and inverted, wrap them in a blanket overnight to let the heat finish the sealing. We followed suit, honoring tradition while making it our own.
Little Hands, Big Milestones
Our almost-three-year-old proudly cut tomatoes alongside his dad with his kid-safe knife, carefully slicing away bad spots and tossing good pieces into the pot.
And our baby? She made sure to hold on tight to the giant wooden spoon like she was part of the action. In fact, she crawled for the very first time that day. I can’t think of a sweeter milestone to add to a new family tradition.
I played the role of juggler—keeping naps and snacks on track, cleaning dishes, and stepping in when an extra hand was needed. It wasn’t seamless. There was pot-shuffling, bowl-shuffling, and plenty of laughter when we realized we were learning in real time. But isn’t that what makes a tradition? The imperfections become part of the story.
The End Result
At the end of nearly eleven hours, we lined up 39 jars of deep red sauce.
Friends who saw us documenting the day asked if we’d share a jar. My husband laughed and said, “No way—this is too precious!” And he wasn’t wrong. After a day like that, every jar feels like gold.
Equipment You’ll Need for Your Own Sauce Day
If you’re inspired to start a sauce day tradition with your own family, here’s a simple checklist of what worked for us:
- Roma Tomatoes (look for local farm bushels)
- Propane burners (sturdy enough for large stockpots)
- 30-quart stockpots (big enough for volume, small enough to manage — skip the 60-quart!)
- Tomato press / food mill (bonus: use a drill to save your arms)
- 2-foot wooden spoon and paddle (for stirring heavy pots)
- Cheesecloth and a fine mesh strainer
- Paring knives
- Toddler Safe Knife Set & Cutting Board
- Kiddie pool for washing tomatoes
- Lots of bowls and extra pots for transferring tomatoes mid-process
- Mason jars (quart size) with new lids (buy more than you think you’ll need)
- Fresh basil and kosher salt
(Tip: I’ve linked some of my favorite versions of these tools above— perfect for anyone building their own family sauce tradition.)
Pro Tips We Learned on Our First Sauce Day 🍅
- Cut tomatoes into eighths – smaller pieces cook faster, and it’s easier to cut out the bad spots.
- Use a drill attachment for the tomato press – your arms will thank you.
- Keep extra bowls and pots on standby – you’ll shuffle tomatoes more than you expect.
- Buy more mason jars than you think you’ll need – better to have extras than run out mid-process.
- Stir, stir, stir – you don’t want the sauce to burn on the bottom of the pot.
- Skip oversized pots – our 60-quart was too big; the 30-quart pots worked much better.
- A giant wooden spoon or paddle is a must – makes stirring heavy batches manageable.
Why It Matters
At the end of the day, it wasn’t just about jars of sauce—it was about connection. Watching my son slice tomatoes with his dad, my baby crawl for the first time, laughing with my sister-in-law over our trial-and-error methods, and carrying on a piece of Italian heritage reminded me:
Traditions don’t need to be inherited—they can be started right where you are, with the people you love most.
And if it happens to fill your pantry with homemade sauce? Even better.
✨ These are the kind of lessons you only learn the first time around. Next year, we’ll go in with these pro tips in our back pocket—and hopefully a few new ones to add.
✨ Ready to start your own family sauce day tradition? Gather your crew, grab the tools above and turn a simple recipe into a memory that lasts for years to come.
🍅👩🍳 If you try it, share your sauce day stories or photos and tag me — I’d love to see your tradition come to life!
Curated with love, chaos, and a lot of tomatoes.
this post may contain affiliate links. i only share links to products that I genuinely use and love.
Curated by JLS 
Leave a comment