Tomato Pasta Sauce - Homemade is BEST

It's been a while since I've posted.  No, I have not abandoned this blog.  Life just took me on a detour and now I'm back.  About a year or so ago, I purchased a pressure cooker/canner.  Please, don't be afraid of them, and don't be afraid of anybody thinking you're cooking up drug crack just because they see you buying one.  My mother was TERRIFIED of pressure cookers and never used one.  My paternal grandmother (my inspiration and first teacher for cooking) had one and used it all the time.  It's like the ultimate tool in the kitchen  -- much like a chain saw for outdoors; a great but potentially dangerous tool, so handle with care and common sense.  My point is, don't be afraid of the pressure cooker.  Follow directions and don't be careless.  There are plenty of show-me-how videos on YouTube. 

Which brings me to tomato sauce.  My sister-in-law bequeathed me several large bags of large, beautiful, home-grown tomatoes that rival pumpkins in size.  Now what.  OK.  I can make a HUGE batch of my tomato pasta sauce, and with that make a couple pans of lasagne to keep in the freezer for the company I am expecting over the holidays.  I can then preserve any left over sauce by canning it in my pressure cooker. 

The secret to my tomato pasta sauce tasting sweet as candy is that when I'm making it I let is simmer on a super low setting on the stove for HOURS  uncovered.  The water evaporates intensifying the flavors.  The other thing I want to free you of is thinking that cooking is EXACT.  It's not.  Play with it.  What's the worst thing that could happen?  You make something that's not great?  GREAT.  Learn from that for next time.  Some of my biggest cooking epiphanies came to me when I messed up.  IT'S OK TO FAIL.   Not everything you make is going to be a raging success.  Get over it.  Trial and error is the best teacher ever. 

Here's my tomato pasta sauce for those of you who have friends and neighbors dump loads of tomatoes on your doorstep like a baby in a basket.  Feel free to delete anything that is not to your taste buds and add whatever floats your boat.  This is only a base, my friends. 

First, you need to prep your tomatoes to get them ready to be that sweet sauce you will love.  You will need to get that outer layer of skin off and other stuff you don't want in your sauce.  The easiest way to do that is:

1.  Get a large pot of water to boiling temp;
2.  Get a large bowl of ice water ready;
3.  Put the tomatoes in (about 3-4 of them at a time if they are large) and boil for about 1 minute or so until the skin splits;
4.  Put in the ice water to shock them;
5.   When cool enough to handle, the skins should easily slide off.  Discard the area around the stem by cutting it out with a knife.  Cut out and discard of any yucky tough spots.  That does not make good sauce.  Give gentle squeezes to release the water inside the tomato.  Put the tomato into yet another large pot (or bowl) and squish it up with your fingers. 
6.  Repeat with all tomatoes.  You will end up with a full pot of squished up tomatoes.  Use your hands.  It's OK.  Mush 'em all up.  YEAH.  Squeeze and mush.  I know you know to do this with clean hands so I don't need to nag you to do so.
7.  Now you should have a large pot of mushed up tomatoes.

Now for the magic of the sauce.

1.   Put about 1/4 cup of olive oil in the bottom of a LARGE pot and heat up;
2.  Cut up about 1 large onion (about 3 cups) and add to olive oil in pot.  Add about 1 tablespoon salt and sweat the onion for about 5 minutes or so;
3.  Add about 2-3 chopped garlic cloves and mix with onions for 1 minute or so;
4.  Put in all the mushed up tomatoes and mix;
5.  Add about 3/4 cup of red RED wine;
6.  Add a can of tomato paste if you have it on hand for extra thickness and texture.  If not, it's not the end of the world. 
7.  Add Italian herb seasonings to taste whether in dried or fresh form - no wrong answer here.  It's YOUR taste buds we're pleasing - not ours.  I use about 5 Tablespoons of dried Italian Seasoning if my herb garden is done for the summer.  If my garden is still in tact, I just chop up fresh basil, a little rosemary, and some oregano and throw it in there;
9.  Add a little Parmesan cheese rind to the pot if you have it (just remember to remove it before serving or canning);
8.  Bring the tomato sauce mixture to a boil.  Stir.  Turn down to super low to simmer uncovered for 8-10 hours or so.  Stir occasionally.  You want the water to evaporate off making your sauce flavor intense and flavorful. 
9.  Remove any Parmesan rinds or any other things you put into the sauce mix to flavor that can't handle the immersion blender (like herb pouches encased in cheese cloth or whatever);
10.  Give the sauce a good whirl with the immersion blender.  If you don't have one - GET ONE.  Otherwise, if you prefer your sauce chunky go for it.  Again, no wrong answer here.  It's all about YOU and what YOU like.  Or, you can use a traditional blender to smooth the sauce out for consuming.  I love my immersion blender.   It smooths the sauce out ever so nicely and gets rid of any clumps or bumps that might be there. 

Use your sauce to make whatever it is you're making:  spaghetti, lasagne, gnocchi, etc.  Use your pressure cooker to preserve jars for future use.  You will love having your homemade sauce ready in a snap to pour over pasta on a busy work night or whenever you just don't feel like cooking.   

Canning Tomatoes

Our garden is producing an overabundance of tomatoes. I can't let them rot. I decided to give canning a try. I have always been intimidated by the canning process, but gave it a go. Here's how I did it:

Blanch tomatoes in boiling water for about 30 seconds;
With a slotted spoon, scoop them out and shock them with a quick dip in ice water;
Skins should easily slip off -- remove core.

Get a large kettle full of boiling water;
Place clean canning jars + lids + rings into boiling water and boil for about 5 min;

Using care, remove jars one at a time and fill with skinned, cored tomatoes until about 1/2 inch away from the top. I put in a little fresh lemon juice and salt as well. I also put in a couple of fresh basil leaves. Place lid on; and twist ring on loosely.

Put filled jars back into large kettle of water making sure that water does NOT cover tops of jars (you may have to remove some water). You don't want your jars totally immersed in the water. Water should come up leaving jars sticking out about an inch or so. Cover large kettle and gently boil for about 50 - 60 minutes.

Again, using care, remove jars from kettle and place on counter top to cool. You may want to use a towel underneath to absorb the water. The "popping" sound is music to the ears, as that means the jars have sealed properly. It may take a full 12 hours for all the jars to "pop" so be patient. If the jar does not seal properly, use immediately. You can tell a jar is properly sealed if when pressing on the lid it does not have any "give." The lid should be inverted enough not to allow any air movement from underneath. Just think of a baby food jar. If the baby food jar top "clicks" you know it's not sealed when the lid is pressed; whereas, sealed (unopened) baby food jar will not 'click' when the lid is pressed.