Garden Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
4 lbs ripe tomatoes
3 garlic cloves
1 small onion
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp sugar
Fresh Basil (3-4 drops Basil Essential Oil)


Method:

1. Core tomatoes and cut an X on the bottom to easier remove skins after blanching
2. Blanch tomatoes in boiling water for 60 seconds, or until skin begins to peel.
3. Immediately place tomatoes in cold water to stop the cooking and promote skin peeling.
4. Peel the skin, and place in food processor to break up the tomatoes.
5. In a large pot, heat up olive oil and sauté onion and cloves.  Do not allow them to crisp.
6. Add the tomato purée into the pot and stir, adding the sea salt, sugar and basil.
7. Bring to boil and simmer for 30-45 minutes, or until the sauce reaches the consistency you want.

At this point, it is up to you on if you want to can the sauce, or freeze it.  We put our cooled sauce in Ziplock Freezer Bags and place them in the deep freeze.  It should last for up to a year in the deep freezer.


*The picture above is the completed result of 28lbs of fresh tomatoes. The yield was 58 cups, or 2 gallons minus 2 cups.


Canning: (I have not actually done this, only read it).

1. Put 1 TBSP Lemon Juice, 1tsp salt, and 1 tsp sugar into the bottom of the canning jar.
2. Spoon the cooked tomato sauce while still hot into clean, hot canning jars.
3. Allow ½ inch headspace.
4. Mix it up with a clean chopstick
5. Hand tighten lid and place in a boiling water bath for 45 min.  Cover the top of the jar with 1 inch of water.
6. Remove jars from the bath and place on a towel and leave undisturbed for 12 hours. 
7. Once sealed, label with the date. 
8. If the jars don't seal, repeat step 5-6, or put in the refrigerator or freezer for near future use.