Homemade Tomato Sauce

A Delicious and Versatile Food

Aug 1, 2009 Melody Mundawarara

Tomato sauce is a popular and useful food. It is even more healthy and nutritious when homemade because we can watch what goes into it.

When we make tomato sauce from scratch we know exactly what goes into the food we are eating. The sauce can be made to suit any occasion and any taste. It is easy to make it thicker, thinner, spicier, sweeter, milder or more complex as required.

Barely cooked sauces have a fairly fresh flavour, with the tomatoes more recognizable, but a little bit of cooking softens the tomatoes and brings out more of their sweetness.

Longer simmering gives a rich, complex flavour. The benefits of extended cooking time are that the sauce thickens as the liquid in it evaporates, and flavours combine better the longer they simmer.

Tomato sauce can be a batch make. Eat some on the day and pour the rest into freezer-safe containers for use when tomatoes are less abundant. Simply thaw as needed. You can add any fresh herbs, spices, vegetables or meats desired.

Easy Cooked Tomato Sauce

Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • 6 tomatoes, chopped
  • 3 onions, minced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 green bell peppers, minced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable stock
  • salt to taste

Method:

  1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan, onions, green bell peppers, garlic and saute for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
  2. Add tomatoes along with oregano, basil and salt to taste. Stir in tomato paste and stock.
  3. Cover and simmer over low heat until tomatoes breakdown and the sauce is chunky, but fairly uniform in consistency - approximately 10 minutes. Serve.
  4. For a smoother, more uniform sauce, simmer for 40 to 50 minutes.

Long-simmered Tomato Sauce

Serves 8

Ingredients:

  • 10 ripe tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 cup vegetable stock
  • 1 bay leaf

Method:

  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Have ready a large bowl of iced water. Plunge whole tomatoes in boiling water until skin starts to peel, 1 minute. Remove with slotted spoon and place in ice bath.
  2. Leave tomatoes until cool enough to handle, then remove peel and squeeze out seeds.
  3. Chop 8 tomatoes and puree in blender or food processor. Chop remaining two tomatoes and set aside.
  4. In a large pot, over medium heat, cook onion, bell pepper, carrot and garlic in oil and butter until onion starts to soften, 5 minutes. Pour in pureed tomatoes. Stir in chopped tomato, basil, Italian seasoning and stock.
  5. Place bay leaf in pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 2 hours.
  6. Stir in tomato paste and simmer an additional 2 hours.
  7. Discard bay leaf and serve.

For something with a bit more kick, make some chilli sauce.

The copyright of the article Homemade Tomato Sauce in Recipes is owned by Melody Mundawarara. Permission to republish Homemade Tomato Sauce in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Homemade Tomato Sauce, Elana's Pantry Homemade Tomato Sauce