Post by gypho on Jul 23, 2009 4:34:47 GMT 9.5
I never have "extra" tomatoes, because I use everything I grow.
I make my own tomato sauce and paste, too. I use a crock pot, a smaller-medium sized one. I'm gonna put my instructions here for ya'll.... enjoy!
Pick your tomatoes out carefully. If they have too much "juice" the sauce and/or paste won't "set" correctly, although you can mix several varieties for sauce and still come out with fantastic results. I've never mixed my paste tomatoes when making paste; I like the paste I get from my Romas. I do however, want to try another variety, like the Amish Paste, to see if I like it as well.
Here's what I do. After they ripen fully, I store my tomatoes in the fridge until I have enough to make a crock pot full of sauce. I use the smaller-medium sized ones because it seems to be the best one for the job (for me), and it doesn't take as many to fill the pot, and also, it doesn't take as long to make the paste.
I've read recipes that call for "standing over the stove, stirring constantly at XXX-degreed heat... no thanks. The crock pot does everything except stir, and I do that several times a day and it works beautifully.
For paste or sauce:
Choose your tomatoes for whichever you want; the directions are the same for either one.
Scald your tomatoes in boiling water for a minute or two, and then turn off the heat and let them steep (like tea), covering them with a towel or a board. Let them cool.
When they're cool enough to handle, peel the skin off. When you peel them, do it over the container you intend to save; i.e., not over the one you put the peels in. You want to save as much of the juice from the tomatoes as possible, especially if you're making sauce. I always can my extra juice separately, to use later in soups and gravies.
For PASTE: When you're done peeling them, squeeze out all the juice you can and separate the meat of the fruit from the juice. Put the tomato flesh in a blender and blend it until it's as smooth as you want it. Pour it into a crock pot, scraping all of it you can out of the blender. Turn the crock pot on LOW and walk away. Several times a day check on it, and stir it. It's done when it's the consistency you like.
For SAUCE: Do the same thing with your chosen tomatoes as paste, but add a tad of the juice back into the tomatoes, and don't let it "cook" as long.... just let it cook until you are pleased with the consistency.
Scoop the paste/sauce into jars and hot water bath them.
Oh, making flavored sauces is easy like this too - just add your seasonings while it's cooking.
Also, if your tomatoes aren't acidic enough for canning, add a couple tablespoons of lemon juice to the mixture while it's cooking.
I make my own tomato sauce and paste, too. I use a crock pot, a smaller-medium sized one. I'm gonna put my instructions here for ya'll.... enjoy!
Pick your tomatoes out carefully. If they have too much "juice" the sauce and/or paste won't "set" correctly, although you can mix several varieties for sauce and still come out with fantastic results. I've never mixed my paste tomatoes when making paste; I like the paste I get from my Romas. I do however, want to try another variety, like the Amish Paste, to see if I like it as well.
Here's what I do. After they ripen fully, I store my tomatoes in the fridge until I have enough to make a crock pot full of sauce. I use the smaller-medium sized ones because it seems to be the best one for the job (for me), and it doesn't take as many to fill the pot, and also, it doesn't take as long to make the paste.
I've read recipes that call for "standing over the stove, stirring constantly at XXX-degreed heat... no thanks. The crock pot does everything except stir, and I do that several times a day and it works beautifully.
For paste or sauce:
Choose your tomatoes for whichever you want; the directions are the same for either one.
Scald your tomatoes in boiling water for a minute or two, and then turn off the heat and let them steep (like tea), covering them with a towel or a board. Let them cool.
When they're cool enough to handle, peel the skin off. When you peel them, do it over the container you intend to save; i.e., not over the one you put the peels in. You want to save as much of the juice from the tomatoes as possible, especially if you're making sauce. I always can my extra juice separately, to use later in soups and gravies.
For PASTE: When you're done peeling them, squeeze out all the juice you can and separate the meat of the fruit from the juice. Put the tomato flesh in a blender and blend it until it's as smooth as you want it. Pour it into a crock pot, scraping all of it you can out of the blender. Turn the crock pot on LOW and walk away. Several times a day check on it, and stir it. It's done when it's the consistency you like.
For SAUCE: Do the same thing with your chosen tomatoes as paste, but add a tad of the juice back into the tomatoes, and don't let it "cook" as long.... just let it cook until you are pleased with the consistency.
Scoop the paste/sauce into jars and hot water bath them.
Oh, making flavored sauces is easy like this too - just add your seasonings while it's cooking.
Also, if your tomatoes aren't acidic enough for canning, add a couple tablespoons of lemon juice to the mixture while it's cooking.