I am surrounded by so many tomatoes. They are never-ending. Tomatoes, tomatoes, and more tomatoes, and not much else. It hasn’t been a wonderful summer for our garden. We’ve had a few cucumbers and squash, and the carrots are still growing, despite my neglect, but the tomatoes have really been the one vegetable/fruit that have been thriving for us. Just when I think I’ve used all of them to make a sauce, B.O.B. Bob comes walking in with even more. This time around I decided to make pizza sauce to freeze. It’s so much thicker than average tomato sauce, yet made with the same ingredients. What’s the difference? Cooking time. Throw everything in the pot and cook it until it becomes the consistency you’re aiming for. Right before you think the sauce is almost finished, throw the basil in to cook for the last 30 or so minutes. Then all you have to do is package it up in airtight glass containers to freeze. Don’t use plastic containers because they will stain, as well as allow more food odors to penetrate into the sauce. After you’ve done all this, chances are your significant other will come walking in with another huge basket or bag of tomatoes. Damn him and his evil ways!
Ingredients:
- 32 Cups Roughly Chopped Fresh Garden Tomatoes
- 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Pound Carrots, Grated
- 2 Large Sweet Onions, Finely Diced
- 4 to 6 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 40 Basil Leaves, Finely Chopped
Directions:
- Place the tomatoes in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Place a lid on the Dutch oven after 5 minutes of cooking, and then cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Allow the tomatoes to cool for an hour before running them through a food mill to remove the tomato skins.
- Strain the tomato liquid with a fine mesh sieve to remove any tomato seeds.
- Rinse out the Dutch oven to remove any seeds that are still inside of it, and then return it to the stove over medium heat.
- Add the olive oil, onions, and carrots to the Dutch oven, and cook just until the onions are translucent.
- Add the garlic and then continue to cook for 3 minutes.
- Pour the tomato juice back into the Dutch oven, and add the salt and pepper.
- Cook uncovered for 3 hours, stirring often, or until the tomatoes reach pizza sauce consistency.
- Add the basil to the sauce during the last 30 minutes of cooking time.
- Store the sauce in glass containers in your refrigerator or freezer.
Suggestions:
- This sauce will be very sweet due to the carrots, which helps to cut down the acidity of the tomatoes.
- I have hand grated the carrots as well as used a food processor. Use the food processor and save yourself some time, unless of course you prefer the workout you will get from grating the carrots by hand.
- This sauce is chunky, and I do mean super chunky as far as pizza sauce goes. If you prefer a smoother sauce, place it in a blender or food processor.
Improvements:
- Add browned ground meat to the tomato sauce.
- Add 1-teaspoon of fresh oregano, finely chopped.
Ingredients:
- 32 Cups Roughly Chopped Fresh Garden Tomatoes
- 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Pound Carrots, Grated
- 2 Large Sweet Onions, Finely Diced
- 4 to 6 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 40 Basil Leaves, Finely Chopped
Directions:
- Place the tomatoes in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Place a lid on the Dutch oven after 5 minutes of cooking, and then cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Allow the tomatoes to cool for an hour before running them through a food mill to remove the tomato skins.
- Strain the tomato liquid with a fine mesh sieve to remove any tomato seeds.
- Rinse out the Dutch oven to remove any seeds that are still inside of it, and then return it to the stove over medium heat.
- Add the olive oil, onions, and carrots to the Dutch oven, and cook just until the onions are translucent.
- Add the garlic and then continue to cook for 3 minutes.
- Pour the tomato juice back into the Dutch oven, and add the salt and pepper.
- Cook uncovered for 3 hours, stirring often, or until the tomatoes reach pizza sauce consistency.
- Add the basil to the sauce during the last 30 minutes of cooking time.
- Store the sauce in glass containers in your refrigerator or freezer.
Don’t let this recipe slip away. How often do you find a recipe intriguing, yet forget where to find it when you finally get the hankering to make it? Instead of digging through old posts or wandering aimlessly around on the internet, why not Pin this recipe to Pinterest where you can find it when you eventually need it? Simply Pin the image above and you’ll have it when that time comes.
ORIGINALLY POSTED 08/01/2014
