On the finish of each summer season, my grandmothers would protect bushel after bushel of peaches, pears, tomatoes, jam, plums, and many others, and many others. I realized tips on how to can from one of the best! And whereas I nonetheless get pleasure from canning when I’ve the time and want (which is not this yr, sadly), I actually love utilizing my freezer to protect meals.
It is really easy to make and freeze recent, do-it-yourself tomato sauce. In case your backyard is brimming with juicy, ripe tomatoes—or in case your native farm stand is—this can be a nice approach to protect a little bit of summer season all winter lengthy. Plus, I believe it tastes higher than opening up a can or jar.
Reading: Fresh tomato sauce to freeze
Let’s get began!
The kind of tomato you select does not matter all that a lot. Simply remember to use ripe tomatoes which might be brimming with taste. These woody, mealy, pinkish grocery retailer tomatoes will not minimize it right here. I exploit no matter is least costly and appears the tastiest. You may even use a range. For this specific sauce, I’ve used beefsteak tomatoes.
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Ten kilos of tomatoes seems and feels like so much, however they are going to prepare dinner down. This quantity ought to make about 8 pints. The recipe will be simply be doubled or tripled. I do that course of a number of occasions, working in batches, as a result of I do not prefer to overload my small kitchen all of sudden.
To assist taste the sauce, I add a number of diced onions, garlic and herbs. Fresh herbs are nice, however dried will work, too. You can too add shredded or diced backyard veggies like squash, carrots, celery, bell peppers, eggplant—no matter you want. I add a couple of small cans of tomato paste as properly. That is non-compulsory, however it helps the sauce to thicken a bit extra because it cooks and provides one other layer of tomato taste. However once more, completely non-compulsory.
The best approach to peel the tomatoes is to drop them right into a pot of boiling water for about 30 seconds. The skins will slip proper off. Allow them to cool somewhat bit to forestall burning your fingers.
Subsequent you’ll be able to chop the tomatoes by hand, use a meals processor or blender, squish them along with your fingers, or use a mix. (I needn’t inform you which one is extra enjoyable to do!) I like a mix of pureed and diced tomatoes, so that is what I do.
After that, it is similar to making any tomato pasta sauce: warmth the olive oil, add the onions and garlic, saute till they begin to soften, stir within the tomato paste (for those who’re utilizing it), then add the chopped tomatoes. Should you’re utilizing recent herbs, you may add these on the finish, however dried herbs will be added at this level.
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Deliver the combination to a simmer and let it prepare dinner for 1 ½ to 2 hours on medium-low warmth. (You do not need the underside to scorch.) This good slow-and-low cooking will assist carry out the flavour and soften the tomatoes. The additional liquid will evaporate because it cooks and the sauce will thicken and darken. It is magical.
As soon as it is cooked all the way down to a consistency you want, add the recent herbs, if utilizing, and season properly with salt and pepper. If wanted, add somewhat sugar or honey to stability out the acidity. Then it wants to chill all the way down to room temperature earlier than freezing.
BPA-free plastic containers, resealable plastic freezer baggage, or freezer-proof glass jars work nice for freezing the sauce. Utilizing plastic baggage is a snap in terms of thawing; additionally they stack properly. Jars and plastic containers supply somewhat extra safety towards freezer burn, so they’re higher for longer-term freezing.
And that is it!
This submit was initially revealed on September 9, 2014.
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