Tomato Puree Food

TOMATO PUREE

Steps:

• Blanch: Prepare an ice bath. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Score a shallow X in the bottom of each tomato with a knife, then place in boiling water for about 10 seconds. With a slotted spoon, transfer tomatoes immediately to ice bath.
• Peel: When cool, remove and peel tomatoes by gripping the skin between your thumb and the flat part of a knife blade, starting at the scored X.
• Seed: Quarter tomatoes lengthwise and scrape out seeds with your fingers or a spoon. Reserve seeds and juice for Summer Tomato Water.
• Mill: Pass tomatoes through a food mill fitted with a fine disk, removing pulp as it accumulates. Stir in kosher salt to taste. Portion into jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace, and freeze until ready to use, up to 1 year.

HOW TO MAKE TOMATO PUREE

Steps:

• Gather fresh tomatoes. Any variety will work. Plum tomatoes are commonly used for tomato purees.
• Remove any leaves and stems from the tomatoes and rinse off dirt. Cut the stem area off the top of the tomato, then cross-cut a slit into the bottom of the tomato. This promotes even cooking and makes it easier to peel the tomato skins off later.
• Boil a large pot of water.
• Add the tomatoes and cook for 5-15 minutes.
• Remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and put them into a pot of cold water. Leave them in the cold water for 5 minutes or until the skins begin to split. This is called blanching and loosens the skin for easy peeling.
• Peel the skins off the tomatoes if you do not want them in your puree and discard. Some people leave the skins on and allow them to be pureed.
• Cut the tomatoes in half. Remove the seeds and juice if you do not want those parts. This is optional.
• Puree the tomatoes in a food processor. If you have removed the juice and seeds, you will have a thicker puree and it will be a darker red color.
• Boil the pureed tomatoes with 1/2 cup of vinegar, 1/2 cup of sugar (optional) and 1 tablespoon of salt per 2 lbs. (1 Kg) of fresh tomatoes. This entire step is optional, but will allow the tomato puree to keep longer. Some cooks prefer to use the pure tomato puree and not add the other ingredients. You can also add sauteed onions and/or green peppers to cook with the tomato puree. Simmer the puree until you have the desired consistency. This time can vary depending on the type of tomato you are using. The time frame can range from 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the lid after the first 20 minutes to allow the puree to cool down.
• Store your homemade tomato puree in small-to- medium-sized containers. If you are planning on storing the puree for a long period, be sure to follow proper preserving guidelines, such as creating a proper acidic balance, reheating to a boil before storage and using clean storage jars to avoid bacteria growth. Another way to store the puree is to freeze it in an ice cube tray and store the frozen puree cubes in a bag in your freezer. This takes up less space and allows you to access varying amounts of puree as needed.

HOMEMADE TOMATO PUREE

Steps:

• Wash tomatoes, cut in half, and remove cores. Roughly chop tomatoes and place into a large pot with salt.
• Bring tomatoes to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are soft and reduced down, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool, about 30 minutes.
• Place tomatoes in a blender and puree until smooth, about 30 seconds. Strain tomatoes through a fine mesh strainer, pushing the mixture through with the back of a spoon to remove bits of skin and seeds.
• Ladle into 2 clean pint-sized jars and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If you prefer a thicker puree, return to the pot and simmer to desired consistency, then cool and place in jars.

TOMATO PUREE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Starting with clean, dry tomatoes, halve smaller tomatoes and roughly chop larger tomatoes. The tomatoes are going to be pureed, so they don't need to be chopped evenly; cutting allows the tomatoes to release their liquid and cook down faster.
• Put all the tomatoes in a pot.
• Over medium-high heat, bring them to a boil. As the temperature in the pot increases, the tomatoes will release some of their liquid, providing their own liquid in which to cook. Reduce the heat to maintain a steady and active simmer (gentle small bubbles should pop up here and there). Cook, stirring frequently until the tomatoes start to break down, for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Let the mixture cool for at least 5 minutes. Run the tomato mixture through a food mill or whirl quickly in a blender or food processor.
• Strain the puree through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the seeds and bits of skin; this also makes for a smooth puree.
• If the tomato puree is thin and looks watery, you can return the puree to the pot, bring it to a boil, and then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until it reduces to the texture you want, stirring often. Taste it along the way-you want a nice, bright tomato flavor along with a smooth and slightly thick texture.
• Transfer the puree to sealable container(s), leaving an inch of headroom, and chill or freeze until ready to use.
• Bring a large canning kettle full of water to a boil.
• Sterilize the pint jars by boiling them for 10 minutes.
• Allow the jars to air dry.
• Soften the lids by simmering them for a few minutes.
• Put 1/4 teaspoon citric acid or 1 tablespoon lemon juice in each pint jar.
• Return the puree to the stove and bring back to a simmer.
• Fill each jar with the hot tomato puree, leaving about 1/2-inch headspace at the top of each jar.
• Set the lids on the jars and secure them with the rings.
• Lower the jars into the canning kettle and boil for 40 minutes. The jars should be covered by at least 1-inch of water.
• Remove the jars and let cool.

TOMATO PUREE

Steps:

• SIMMER all ingredients until soft.
• Press through sieve, season with salt and pepper.
• Fill jars to within 1/2 inch of top.
• Put on cap, screw band firmly tight.
• Process in Boiling Water Bath 45 minutes.