Home-made Tomato Sauce

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No added sugar is needed

Not all advice out there is complete!

Always use really ripe tomatoes for preparing tomato sauces as they are sweeter and fuller in flavour. Using ripe and naturally sweet tomatoes, means you do not need to add any sugar. I know that most recipes that make any tomato sauce always advise you to add sugar. This is not always true. Unripe and sour tomatoes will need help with a bit of sugar, but ripe sweet tomatoes are naturally sweet, so adding more sugar throws your recipe off balance.

This sauce is the base for many recipes and is very handy to make in advance and freeze.

 

Ingredients

  • 12 Tomatoes, peeled
  • 2 small onions, chopped
  • 1 tbsp Extra Virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 cup red wine or red grape vinegar
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano, basil or marjoram
  • Freshly ground black pepper & salt to taste

Blanche your tomatoes and peel them (score tomato skins, place in a saucepan of boiling water, cook for 1 minute. remove from heat and place in cold water for 30 seconds. peel skin off.) Chop the tomatoes reserving the juices.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium- high heat. add crushed garlic and onion and cook till tender. add the tomato, herbs, salt & pepper & cook for 2 minutes. add reserved juices & wine and bring to a boil. reduce heat and leave sauce to simmer for 35 minutes.

Remove from heat & place in a clean non-metal container, cover & refrigerate for up to 3 days. if you want to store tomato sauce for longer, divide into portion size & freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw & use when needed.

TIPS
  • After cooking the tomato sauce, do not store in any metal container or saucepan. the acid in the tomato may react with the metal.
  • Some prefer removing seeds from the tomatos before cooking. it is entirely up to you to keep or remove the tomato seeds.
  • If the tomatoes are sharp or acidic in taste add a pinch or 2 of sugar and they will taste a bit sweeter.
  • Do not let garlic & onion brown as that will effect the final flavour & look of the sauce.
  • You can use canned tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes if desired. canned tomatoes make for a thicker sauce and take less time to prepare as you do not need to blanch and peel them and they simmer for 20 minutes instead of 35 minutes.

 

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