Hi folks,
Does anyone have a recipe for making tomato paste that can be preserved in jars - preferrable without chemical preservatives?
I have recipes for chutney and pasatta - but havent got a clue how to make a tomato paste that will save through winter. Surely, its more than just pureed tomatoes???!! Any suggestions greatly appreciated...my mind has gone blank!!!
Cheers and thanks,
Steph
Replies
I have a dehydrator, I dry all my tomatoes and store in jars or zip lock bag till I have enough. Then put them in the blender to a fine powder. Store in sterilised jars.
To make up just spoon a couple of table spoons of powder into a glass or straight into cooking and add some water.
Vwalaa! instant tom paste that lasts as long as you want.
(I've tried this with onions too but the smell of them drying was over powering even for the garage so abandonded that one)
We use a very simple recipe for making a tomatoe paste.
Roast lots of tomatoes in the oven with olive oil, garlic, maybe some other veg such as peppers or courgettes. Cook until soft but don't brown.
When cold pass through a mouli or sieve. Then boil up the mixture, maybe with some chopped basil, and reduce to required consistency. While hot put into sterilised jars. Apears to keep for a year at least.
We make some really thick to use on pizzas and others a bit thinner for spagetti sauce or as a base for soup.
Awesome folks and thank you. Jolien, thats a nice recipe. I will try it with my next tomato crop. This year I will try again to grow 'Amish Paste' (sold by Koanga Gardens I think). Fingers crossed it will be successful!
Cheers and many thanks again,
Steph
Hi Steph,
I have a great recipe that I tried this year and it tasted great. I didn't follow it exactly, but it gives you the general direction...
12 - 13 lbs. tomatoes (very ripe), blanched and peeled
3 large onions, chopped
2 green peppers, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups cider vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon ground cloves
Cook the tomatoes, onions, peppers and garlic for 40 minutes or until very tender.
Pass the mixture through a strainer to remove seeds (and peels if you didn't blanch the tomotoes). Add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Simmer everthing over a low heat for 2 - 3 hours stirring regularly until the mixture is thick.
Serilize jars and fill with the very hot sauce and immediately close them airtight. Store in a cool dark palce.
I got this recipe from my favorite preserving book... "Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning" by the Gardeners & Farmers or Terre Vivante. It's a gem!