Homemade Tomato Sauce [Video+Recipe]

Serving: 8 cups of each

Equipment

Food processor
Canning jars (for refrigeration)
Freezer-safe containers (for freezing)

Ingredients

For the tomato sauce

10 pound tomato [4.5 kg] rinsed and cubed
1 head garlic peeled
1 tablespoon oregano (dry, ground) (opcional, see notes)
1 tablespoon black pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground) opcional, see notes
2 tablespoons bija (annato, achiote) powder (opcional, see notes)
2 tablespoon salt (opcional, see notes)

Instructions

1. Cook tomato sauce

On the stove: In a large, heavy-bottomed pot heat the tomatoes over medium heat (do not add anything else). The tomato will begin to release liquid.
Cook, stirring frequently (do not let it burn) until it reduces by half in volume (20 - 30 minutes).
In the oven: Place the tomatoes on one or several trays without piling the tomato. Bake in a preheated oven at 160 ºC [320ºF] for one hour, or until it has reduced by half in volume.

2. Blend

Once reduced, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
Pour into blender or food processor vase. Add the garlic, oregano, pepper, bija, and salt. Blend until you get the consistency you prefer.

3. Storing

Pour into clean jars of about one cup each. Refrigerate the ones you will use within three days, freeze the rest.

Cook's notes

I use the whole tomatoes because the peel gives it more color.

You can use San Marzano, cherry tomatoes, or basically any kind of very red, very ripe tomatoes you can find.

Add more or fewer ingredients as you like, you can make a plain, or pre-seasoned tomato sauce, or even make it spicy!

You can also season this sauce if you like, and add the flavors you like, you can even make it spicy. Keep in mind that you should control the flavors in other recipes, including salt, if you have added spices and salt to the sauce. Salt helps it last longer.

Sauce made in the oven lends itself more to meats and pasta dishes, as it has a deeper, smokier flavor. Take the opportunity to make it when you are going to use the oven for something else.

To make tomato paste, reduce the volume of the tomatoes to one-hird either on the stove or in the oven.

Nutrition

4.50 from 2 votes