Homemade Tomato Sauce

This is my second post this week about tomatoes so you can safely guess that I’m frantically working to do something with our garden tomatoes before they spoil.

In the midst of all the food prep we’re still painting the outside of the house.

To say that I’m feeling a bit crunched for time is an understatement.

So I was happy to find a simple recipe for homemade tomato sauce that I could freeze as opposed to canning, which takes more time.

Mmmm. Isn’t that a beautiful thing? Homemade tomato sauce from our very own vegetable garden!

I’m not gonna lie though. This recipe takes a bit of love and patience.

 

It’s messy. You first peel and de-seed the tomatoes.

In my post about canning, I explain how to peel the tomatoes.

You could leave the skins and seeds but in my opinion, it lessens the quality of the sauce.

 

Once the messy task of peeling and de-seeding the tomatoes is done, the rest is a breeze!

After softening onions and garlic, you add the tomatoes and let them cook down just a bit.

 

You throw the whole mixture into a blender and puree until smooth.

If you have a lot of tomatoes, you’ll need to work in batches.

 

Simply divide the homemade tomato sauce into freezer-safe containers.

You can use the sauce for pasta or soup.

 

I think I’m going to make more of this and add roasted red peppers.

I found the recipe in my Easy Italian Cookbook by Jennifer Donovan.

 

Homemade Tomato Sauce

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled, de-seeded, and chopped
6 fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in large skillet. Add onion and cook until soft and transparent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in tomatoes, basil, balsamic vinegar, and sugar. Simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour into blender and process until smooth. Use immediately or freeze for up to 3 months.

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