My organic tomato garden has been prolific this year – the best I’ve ever had. And I have vowed NOT to waste one tomato. When they come off the vines by the basket load every day for a month, I have to work hard to eat them, can them and share them with friends. Giving canned sauce is always a pleasure. I’m often asked how I make my sauce, so here is the recipe.
Fresh, homegrown organic tomatoes have way more flavor than tomatoes you can buy at most stores. Believe it or not, even canned crushed tomatoes taste better than regular store-bought tomatoes, so I have given you the option of using canned tomatoes should you not have good fresh tomatoes available.
Making tomato sauce requires just a few basic ingredients.
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 5 lbs. fresh tomatoes, the more varieties, sizes and colors the better. Or substitute 2 28 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes.
- 2 6 oz. cans tomato paste
- 3 small yellow onions
- 25 cloves peeled garlic
- 3 Tbsp. shredded carrots
- 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 2 heaping tsp dried oregano
- 2 heaping tsp garlic powder
- 2 heaping Tbsp of basil pesto (I make my own with basil, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and pine nuts, but you can buy it prepared)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Pinch cayenne
Peel and core your tomatoes. I use a tomato peeler, but you can cut an X in your tomato skins with a sharp knife and blanch them in boiling water for 1 minute to peel skins off. Cherry tomatoes do not need to be peeled.
Tough skins and cores down the drain.
Heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a large heavy duty sauce pan. Peel and remove tough ends, then chop onions in a food processor by pulsing. Do not over process or the onions will be watery.
Start to saute onions on medium heat. Add pinch of salt. Keep stirring. You do not want to brown the onions. Saute until translucent, 8-10 minutes.
While the onions are cooking, pulse the garlic in the food processor until finely diced.
Add more olive oil to the pan, lower the heat and mix the garlic with the onions. Keep stirring for 2 minutes and be careful not to let the garlic burn.
Add the balsamic vinegar and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
Add the tomatoes to the pot, stir well and simmer.
The tomatoes will cook down and naturally break apart quickly as they are mostly water.
After the sauce has cooked for about 15 or 20 minutes, and the tomatoes have cooked down, add the 2 cans of tomato paste, garlic powder, oregano, cayenne, salt and pepper to taste.
Cook sauce by simmering for 2 hours on low heat. Stir every 10 or 15 minutes so it doesn’t burn on the bottom.
After sauce is done cooking, turn off the heat, stir in the pesto and then your sauce is REALLY done.
I can my sauce using a home canner, but if you do not know how to can, you can wait for your sauce to cool and freeze it in portions perfect for your family.
Sauce can be used over pasta. You can add meat, make meatballs, use it in soups, stews and more.