bart@ucbvax.UUCP (09/26/83)
How does one go about turning fresh tomatoes into tomatoe sauce (suitable for spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce). I've been starting my sauces with tomatoe puree, but would like to start closer to the "real thing". Also, any suggestions as to the type of tomatoe to use? Thanks. --bart miller u.c. berkeley bart@berkeley ...!ucbvax!bart
ellis@flairvax.UUCP (Michael Ellis) (09/29/83)
Some Italians I used to know did this... 0. Get a whole lotta tomatoes - maybe 10 or 12 of them. If you use those small funny shaped ones, you may have to double the number. Some people like that kind better. 1. Chop up a few teaspoons of celery, carrots, and fresh garlic until they are i n v i s i b l e. If you don't get the carrots fine enough, forget them. Throw into a pot with some oil and oregano (or rosemary if you prefer - a few onions now don't hurt, either) and let it sit at a fairly low temperature while... 2. Either steam the tomatoes, or throw'em into near boiling water for about a minute or so til the skins come off easy. 3. Core and skin all those tomatoes. 4. My favorite part: Squish them with your bare hands so that the tomato part ooze thru your fingers. (Wash your hands first) 5. Put the tomatoes in with the other stuff. You may also want to add a lotta onions, green peppers, &c. Basil, bay leaf, salt, pepper are recommended. At this point, your sauce is a pale orange. Here's where I cheat by adding tomato paste (not much, though - last time I needed only 2-3 oz.) Those Italians added paste, too. If someone knows how to make a good tomato sauce without paste, please tell us the secret. Other random remarks... For some odd reason, most recipes add sugar `to cut the acidity'. I feel that the acidity of the tomatoes is just about right to cut the disgusting sweetness of the tomato paste. If you really like that 'merkin flavor, use lotsa sugar and DON'T forget the polysorbate 80. Or you can make espagueti mole by adding chocolate and jalapen~os... ciao -michael