I'm trying to get my recipes organized for canning on Sunday!

I'm down to two basic tomato sauce recipes from which I'm deciding (below). They are extremely similar! So, I was thinking that I really could probably combine them. 1. I like the idea of roasting the tomatoes before I use them, so couldn't I just roast the tomatoes for the Italian Seasoned Sauce?

2. I would also like to use fresh herbs from my herb garden. Can I use the typical 1 teaspoon dry = 3 teaspoons fresh substitution for herbs in canning? Do they have an effect on the acidity?

3. Speaking of herbs, can I use some thyme in the Italian Seasoned Tomato Sauce eventhough it doesn't call for that, or should I just add it in when I use it?

4. Going by another tomato sauce recipe that I've seen, I'm assuming 20 (good size) Roma tomatoes are about 5-6 lbs. Do you think that's a good assumption?

Thanks so much for all your help! I'm going for it on Sunday - Next week...Bellini Jelly, Annie's Salsa, and I'm starting the Tomato Sauce. ~ Paige

Recipes:

Italian Seasoned Tomato Sauce

10 pounds tomatoes

3 onions, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon each basil, oregano, Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

Bottled lemon juice or citric acid

Instructions

Prepare Ball® or Kerr® jars and closures according to instructions found in Canning Basics.

Wash tomatoes; drain. Peel, core and cut into small pieces; set aside. Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil in a large saucepot. Add tomatoes and seasonings. Simmer about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Press mixture through a sieve or food mill; discard seeds. Cook pulp in a large, uncovered saucepot over medium-high heat until sauce thickens, stirring to prevent sticking. Add 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid to each pint jar.

OR

Roasted Tomato Sauce

20 Roma tomatoes, halved  5-6? lbs

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon onion powder (or to taste)

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Bottled lemon juice or citric acid

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place tomatoes on a large baking sheet cut side up. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, spices and herbs. Bake uncovered 2 hours. Turn oven to 400 degrees and bake another 30 minutes. Remove from pan and process through a food mill.