The classic and flavoured tomato puree

If you have a huge amount of tomatoes this year and wondering what to do with them, read on. Tomato puree is one of the most popular ways to process tomatoes and it is used in various sauces, dips and soups. Any homemade product is great because you know what is in it. Home-grown tomatoes are always better than those you buy in supermarkets. Naturally, the “real” tomatoes give you much better taste. There is a tiny disadvantage because – you need to cook them longer.

Classic tomato puree

You need 2 kg of tomatoes and it does not matter if they are too soft (overripe) or cracked. You will not do any damage to the final product. You do not even need to peel the tomatoes because you will be pureeing them. Wash and cut tomatoes and put them in a pot. Cook until soft – about 5 minutes and then blend them using a hand blender, strain through a fine cloth. Pureeing is the hardest part of the process. Add a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of sweetener – sugar or honey. If you want the flavoured version, you can add:

• dried or fresh herbs (basil or thyme are ideal ),
• blended garlic or garlic seasoning,
• onion seasoning.

Boil the mixture until it thickens. Now pour into clean jars or glasses (smaller jars are better, because you usually need few spoons at a time). Sterilize for 20 minutes at 80 °C.

Photo: Pixabay

Tomato puree baked in oven

This is a slightly more laborious option. Cut tomatoes and boil them until soft. Strain and add a teaspoon of salt and 5 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir and pour the mixture on a deep baking tray. Bake for about 3 hours at 150 °C. You should check and open the oven every 30 minutes and scrape the mixture “glued” to the bottom. When the volume gets reduced by half, reduce the temperature to 120 °C. Bake for another 2 hours and scrape again – after 30 minutes. Pour the finished puree into jars and sterilize as above.

Source:

https://www.ireceptar.cz/vareni-a-recepty/domaci-rajcatovy-protlak-20300822.html
https://www.toprecepty.cz/recept/40053-pikantni-zeleninova-smes-na-topinky/

Preview photo: Pixabay