how to prepare fresh tomatoes for tomato sauce - olga massov (2024)

FAQs

Do you have to peel fresh tomatoes for sauce? ›

In a salad or sandwich, you don't need peeled tomatoes. But, if you're making a fresh tomato sauce or stewed tomatoes, the tomatoes should be peeled, cored, and seeded. The result will be a smoother sauce without any seeds, core, or peel in it. Don't worry, it's an easy and quick process.

Place the tomatoes in a big stock pot or dutch oven and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes until the tomatoes are soft. Set up your food mill over a large mixing bowl or a pot. Ladle the tomatoes into the food mill and churn away…

You CAN make tomato sauce without removing the peels first, but if you want a smooth sauce that doesn't contain any bitterness from the peel then I would take the 20 minutes or so to blanch and peel the tomatoes first.

Yes, you can leave skin on tomatoes when making sauce! Just use a food processor to transform whole tomatoes into sauce. This saves lots of time from having to boil the tomatoes first to loosen the skin enough to peel. We also figure keeping the skins on retains all the vitamins and minerals that the skin contains.

Coarsely chop the tomatoes.

Working in batches, place the tomatoes in the food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse a few times for chunkier sauce, or process until smooth for a puréed sauce. Alternatively, chop the tomatoes by hand. For a smoother sauce, process through a food mill.

Boil the tomatoes for 30 to 60 seconds. Watch carefully as smaller tomatoes will need less time; you don't want the tomatoes to start cooking. You'll know the tomatoes are ready to be removed when the flesh starts to wrinkle, and the skin starts to peel away from the flesh.

Carefully add tomato mixture (it may splatter) and basil, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil, covered, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring more frequently toward end of cooking, until sauce is thickened and reduced by half, 2 to 3 hours.

Processing times by method

Boiling-water bath: pints – 40 minutes; quarts – 45 minutes. Dial-gauge pressure canner: pints or quarts – 15 minutes at 11 PSI or 20 minutes at 6 PSI.

The flesh of the tomato should be dense, sweet and blood red. This makes a very fresh- and bright-tasting sauce in a manageable small batch. Take advantage of good tasty tomatoes and fill a few zip-top bags for the freezer.

Tomatoes must be grown in full sun in a nutrient rich, free draining soil. Improve soil quality by adding organic matter before planting (eg compost and aged manures). On clay soils add some gypsum to improve drainage. Tomatoes are warm season plants and are frost sensitive.

What are 5 preparation methods for tomatoes? ›

Ways to cook tomatoes, try: fry, sauté, roast, broil-grill, stew, and steam, also make tomato gratin, stuffed tomatoes, and tomato soup.

One of the important techniques in making sauce with fresh tomatoes is peeling and seeding the fruits. I'm often surprised to learn how many cooks never perform this step – which, as simple as it is, is nonetheless crucial to making the perfect sauce.

Tear in the basil (stalks and all). Scrunch in the tomatoes through your clean hands, then swirl a little water around each tin and pour into the pan. Bring the whole lot to the boil, then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

If you prefer, use a high-speed blender to pulverize the tomato seeds instead of removing them with a food mill. After removing the skins, simply add quartered tomatoes to your high-speed blender (in batches) and process until hot and steamy.

Deciding on keeping tomato skins on or off is really a matter of taste — and how much time you've got on your hands. You don't need to peel them. After all, tomato skins are edible. However, if you're making a chunky salsa, leaving skins on is fine – as long as the texture doesn't bother you.

Why should you peel tomatoes for sauce. There is a reason your favorite brand of canned tomatoes is labeled “peeled.” When cooked, the tomato skins get tougher and float apart. They do not cook down like the tomato flesh. The skin also becomes bitter.

You will want to peel your tomatoes any time you're looking for a completely smooth texture – preparing a hot soup or stew or tomato sauce, for example.

While skinning the tomatoes might take a long time, it is an important step for canning tomatoes. It ensures that the jar you're opening in winter is safe to consume, and will also taste just as delicious as you remember it.