How to Make Tomato Sauce
Collect your supplies and ingredients., Stem the tomatoes., Blanch the tomatoes., Peel and chop the tomatoes., Cook the tomatoes., Add the remaining ingredients., Use immediately or store for later.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Collect your supplies and ingredients.
Basic tomato sauce is made with just a few ingredients.
To make this easy and versatile sauce, you'll need all your ingredients, plus:
Small knife Large pot Large bowl filled with ice water Slotted spoon Large mixing bowl Food processor Mixing spoon Sterilized jars and lids for storage -
Step 2: Stem the tomatoes.
With a small knife, cut the stem from the tomatoes by cutting an angled hole around the stem, about a half inch (13 mm) deep.
Pop the stem out of the tomato.
To prepare the tomatoes for blanching, cut a small and shallow X in the bottom of each one. , Blanching means to boil something for a brief time and then drop it into ice water to stop the cooking process.
Blanching helps to make vegetables more vibrant in color, and makes them easier to peel.
To blanch the tomatoes:
Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
Fill a large bowl with equal amounts of ice and water.
When the water is boiling, boil the tomatoes in batches of four or five.
Leave each batch in for 45 seconds to a minute, until the skin begins to split.
Remove the tomatoes with the slotted spoon and drop them immediately into the ice bath.
After about 30 seconds, remove the tomatoes from the ice bath with the slotted spoon and transfer them to a mixing bowl.
Repeat until you have blanched all the tomatoes. , Use your fingers to peel the skin off the tomatoes.
It should peel off easily, thanks to the blanching process.
Discard the skins and transfer the tomatoes to a food processor or blender.Pulse the tomatoes a few times until you achieve the desired consistency for your sauce.
You can leave the sauce chunky, or continue pureeing until it’s smooth.If you don’t have a food processor or blender, you can chop the tomatoes into small pieces with a knife. , Transfer the tomatoes to a large pot.
Heat them over medium heat and bring them to a simmer.
For a thinner and runnier sauce, simmer the tomatoes for about 30 minutes.
For a thicker and richer sauce, simmer for 90 minutes.
For a sauce that’s between thick and runny, simmer for about an hour.
While the sauce is simmering, you can also add a few other ingredients for flavor, such as a few cloves of minced garlic, a bay leaf, or a couple sprigs of fresh basil or oregano., When the sauce has reached the desired consistency, add the red wine vinegar and salt.
You can add as much or as little salt as you like, to taste, and can also substitute lemon juice for the vinegar.
The extra acid from the vinegar will act as a preservative if you want to can the sauce or keep it in the fridge.
To turn your basic tomato sauce into vodka sauce, portion out 4 cups (900 g) of the tomato sauce, and heat it with 1 cup (237 ml) of vodka and ½ cup (119 ml) of heavy cream., If you're going to use the sauce within one to two weeks, transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
For longer storage, freeze the sauce for up to three months, or can the sauce to keep it preserved for about a year.
To can the sauce, transfer the hot sauce to hot, sterile mason jars.
Fit each jar with a clean lid and ring.
Process the jars in a pot of boiling water for 30 minutes.
Remove from the water and cool for 12 to 24 hours. -
Step 3: Blanch the tomatoes.
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Step 4: Peel and chop the tomatoes.
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Step 5: Cook the tomatoes.
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Step 6: Add the remaining ingredients.
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Step 7: Use immediately or store for later.
Detailed Guide
Basic tomato sauce is made with just a few ingredients.
To make this easy and versatile sauce, you'll need all your ingredients, plus:
Small knife Large pot Large bowl filled with ice water Slotted spoon Large mixing bowl Food processor Mixing spoon Sterilized jars and lids for storage
With a small knife, cut the stem from the tomatoes by cutting an angled hole around the stem, about a half inch (13 mm) deep.
Pop the stem out of the tomato.
To prepare the tomatoes for blanching, cut a small and shallow X in the bottom of each one. , Blanching means to boil something for a brief time and then drop it into ice water to stop the cooking process.
Blanching helps to make vegetables more vibrant in color, and makes them easier to peel.
To blanch the tomatoes:
Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
Fill a large bowl with equal amounts of ice and water.
When the water is boiling, boil the tomatoes in batches of four or five.
Leave each batch in for 45 seconds to a minute, until the skin begins to split.
Remove the tomatoes with the slotted spoon and drop them immediately into the ice bath.
After about 30 seconds, remove the tomatoes from the ice bath with the slotted spoon and transfer them to a mixing bowl.
Repeat until you have blanched all the tomatoes. , Use your fingers to peel the skin off the tomatoes.
It should peel off easily, thanks to the blanching process.
Discard the skins and transfer the tomatoes to a food processor or blender.Pulse the tomatoes a few times until you achieve the desired consistency for your sauce.
You can leave the sauce chunky, or continue pureeing until it’s smooth.If you don’t have a food processor or blender, you can chop the tomatoes into small pieces with a knife. , Transfer the tomatoes to a large pot.
Heat them over medium heat and bring them to a simmer.
For a thinner and runnier sauce, simmer the tomatoes for about 30 minutes.
For a thicker and richer sauce, simmer for 90 minutes.
For a sauce that’s between thick and runny, simmer for about an hour.
While the sauce is simmering, you can also add a few other ingredients for flavor, such as a few cloves of minced garlic, a bay leaf, or a couple sprigs of fresh basil or oregano., When the sauce has reached the desired consistency, add the red wine vinegar and salt.
You can add as much or as little salt as you like, to taste, and can also substitute lemon juice for the vinegar.
The extra acid from the vinegar will act as a preservative if you want to can the sauce or keep it in the fridge.
To turn your basic tomato sauce into vodka sauce, portion out 4 cups (900 g) of the tomato sauce, and heat it with 1 cup (237 ml) of vodka and ½ cup (119 ml) of heavy cream., If you're going to use the sauce within one to two weeks, transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
For longer storage, freeze the sauce for up to three months, or can the sauce to keep it preserved for about a year.
To can the sauce, transfer the hot sauce to hot, sterile mason jars.
Fit each jar with a clean lid and ring.
Process the jars in a pot of boiling water for 30 minutes.
Remove from the water and cool for 12 to 24 hours.
About the Author
Jennifer Parker
Committed to making hobbies accessible and understandable for everyone.
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