Did your garden produce a surplus of tomatoes? If you have more tomatoes than you can eat during the summer, you can turn them into a sauce that you can consume during the winter months. The tomato paste contains vinegar, an ingredient useful to prolong its shelf life, and is bottled in sealable glass jars. Read the article, follow the recipe for making the sauce, and then find out how to store it safely.
Steps
This recipe will allow you to make about 3 liters of tomato sauce. It is important to use the right proportion of vinegar to preserve the sauce correctly.
Method 1 of 2: Part One: Making the Salsa
Step 1. Get the ingredients
Make sure the vegetables you use are ripe and free from stains or damaged parts. You will need:
- 2, 250 kg of tomatoes
- 450 g green chillies, chopped
- 2 jalapeños peppers, seeded and chopped (if you want a very hot sauce, add two extra jalapeños)
- 300 g white onion, chopped
- 3 cloves, finely chopped
- 240 ml of white wine vinegar
- 12 g coriander, chopped
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
Step 2. Prepare the tomatoes
The preserve tastes best when made with peeled tomatoes. To remove the peel, use the following method:
- Remove the stalks from the tomatoes and rinse them carefully.
- With a sharp knife, make an "x" -shaped incision at the other end of the tomato.
- Put a large pot full of water on the stove and bring it to a boil.
- Blanch the tomatoes by dipping them in boiling water and cooking them for 30 seconds.
- Remove the tomatoes from the water, let them cool, and peel them starting from the "x" incision. It should be a simple operation.
- Do not disperse the liquids of the tomatoes. With a knife, remove the central part of the fruit.
- Cut the tomatoes into pieces and put them in a bowl. Also keep liquids in the same container. Set them aside.
Step 3. Put all the ingredients in a large steel pot
Bring them to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low heat. Simmer the sauce and taste it to refine the flavor if needed.
Step 4. Cook the sauce
Use a thermometer and make sure the sauce reaches 82 degrees. Cooking will kill enzymes and bacteria while protecting your sauce during storage.
Method 2 of 2: Part Two: Storing the Salsa
Step 1. Pour the sauce into the clean jars
Fill them with about 1/2 cm of space from the top edge. Transfer the sauce using a funnel and ladle to avoid dirtying the edges of the jars.
- You can sterilize the jars before use with your dishwasher. Use a very hot water cycle. Also sterilize the lids by soaking them for a few minutes in a pot of boiling water.
- If necessary, clean the edges of the jars with paper towels, removing any traces of sauce.
Step 2. Close the jars with lids
Screw them in firmly, but without applying too much pressure. During this process the air will need to escape to create the vacuum.
Step 3. Arrange the pots in a large pot
Fill it with water and make sure the jars are well submerged (about 5cm below the water surface). Turn on a high heat and bring the water to a boil.
- If you live a few meters above sea level, let the jars boil for 15 minutes.
- If you live in the mountains, increase the boiling time to 25 minutes.
Step 4. Remove the jars from the water carefully
Let them cool completely. The lids will make a 'clicking' sound during the cooling phase.
Step 5. Verify that the process was successful
Press the lids to make sure they don't make any noise. If not, it means that they have not sealed properly. If so, keep the jars in the refrigerator and consume the sauce quickly. Alternatively, you can repeat the preserving process a second time.
Step 6. Finished
Advice
If you're using jalapenos, wear gloves to protect your hands. Otherwise the oils contained in them could remain on your hands and, inadvertently, could come into contact with your eyes, nose or mouth, causing you unpleasant burning
Warnings
- Do not try to speed up the cooling process of the vessels with a fan or a source of cold air.
- Use 500ml or smaller jars. The boiling time has not been calculated for larger vessels.
- Don't forget to check that the sealing process was successful, otherwise your sauce will deteriorate.
