Tomato Sauce Basics

What could be better or healthier than homemade sauce made with tomatoes fresh from the garden? While it's perfectly acceptable to use canned tomatoes when fresh ones are out of season, they can't compare to the flavor and health benefits of fresh tomatoes. It's a little more work, but doesn't require any special equipment.

Six pounds of tomatoes will break down into about a quart of sauce. Submerge the fresh tomatoes into a bath of boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds. Plunge into an ice bath to loosen the skin and cleanly peel it off. Slice the peeled tomatoes open and remove most of the seeds. Squeeze the tomatoes out and leave in a colander to drain. This juice can be collected and used in cooking other dishes such as a vegetable soup. It can also be added back in to the sauce if it becomes too thick.

Saute whatever other ingredients you like to add to your sauce, onions, garlic, or peppers, for example, and when they are softened and fragrant add in the tomatoes and let it cook down to the desired consistency over a medium heat. Stir every few minutes to keep the tomatoes from sticking. Add bay leaf and fresh herbs like basil and oregano during the last 20 minutes or so.

Roma tomatoes are best for sauces. They are thick-walled and meaty, with few seeds. Their lower water content cooks down into sauce more quickly. Other types like beefsteak will also make good sauces, but their high water content requires a lengthy cooking time to thicken into sauce. Lightly cooked sauces retain more vitamins and micro-nutrients. Try adding a little grated Parmesan or Romano cheese to flavor and thicken the sauce.