How to Make Tomato Sauce From Fresh Tomatoes

Making homemade tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes can liven up any meal. It is also healthier because there are no preservatives and it hasn't been sitting on the shelf of a supermarket for an unknown amount of time. These are some tips and suggestions to help you make tomato sauce with the ripeness of garden grown tomatoes.

Things You'll Need

• 8-10 tomatoes
• Salt
• Several quarts of water (enough to cover tomatoes)
• 2 cups of diced onions
• 2 cups of diced carrots
• 2 cups of diced celery
• 1 tablespoon of oregano
• Several cloves of minced garlic to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Bowl of ice water
• Roasting pan (optional)

Instructions

1. Put several quarts of water in a large boiling pot. The amount of water doesn't have to be exact, just as long as it covers the tomatoes. Set the water on high and let it come to a boil.

2. Add your tomatoes and let them boil for 30 seconds to a minute. Take them out immediately and plunge in the bowl of ice water. Boiling the tomatoes in hot water and putting them in an ice bath will make the skins easier to peel off. You are certainly welcome to take the skin of with a peeler, but this method is the easiest.

3. Remove the tomatoes from the ice bath and remove the skins and seeds. Squeeze excess water from the tomatoes and drain. If do not drain and squeeze the tomatoes, you will have a watery sauce instead of a thick sauce.

4. Dump out the water from the pot that you boiled the tomatoes in. Place the 2 cups of diced carrots, celery, and onions into the pan and set it on a medium heat. Sautee the vegetables until they are slightly tender, then add in tomatoes. There is no need to add any water because as the tomatoes break down, they will lose the water that wasn't lost due to squeezing and draining.

5. Simmer on medium heat and stir every few minutes to prevent the tomatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pan. As the tomatoes cook, they will break down and create a thick sauce. If your sauce is a little too thick add a cup of water and stir. Let the sauce simmer for half an hour. Add spices to taste.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want a different flavor, try roasting the tomatoes with several cloves of garlic and diced vegetables in a large roasting pan for 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until tomatoes have broken down. Pour into the boiling pot and stir to break up the tomatoes and combine ingredients. This sauce makes a lovely addition to pasta and can be used in lasagna, as pizza sauce or a dipping sauce for soft-baked pretzels or mozzarella sticks.

References

• Tomato Sauce