(Copied from Steve Perillo, Perillo Tours)
Being Italian, we had a rule: We never bought tomato sauce from a store! |
It's that time of the year again – when Italian families pull-out their huge steel pots, giant plastic tubs, crates full of mason jars and large wooden spoons. It's time to jar fresh tomato sauce! Growing up in an Italian family, this was one of my favorite traditions. Because the end of summer means the tomato season is coming to an end as well. So, we preserve their freshness year-round by jarring them! It’s a fun tradition but it’s a lot of hard work! The summer heat doesn’t help much. This long day includes carrying, cutting, washing, rinsing, crushing, and boiling. When I was growing up, I dreaded this day as I didn’t want to spend the entire day with the tomatoes. But now, I realize the importance of carrying on these traditions. It’s a great day to make memories with family and friends – it’s a memory I hold dear to my heart. I just made sauce the other day: |
Don't forget to order our new 2023 Italy Brochure! If you want to take part in this special tradition, here’s some information you’ll need: What you’ll need: • 4 to 5 bushels of 50 lb imported San Marzano (style) plum tomatoes. Makes 60-70 jars • (You can order the tomato bushels through your local farm or Italian grocery store) • Sterilized glass Mason jars & lids • Fresh basil leaves • Salt • 1 large pot & outdoor burner • A few large bowls, paring knives, a ladle, a funnel a large colander, large wooden spoon • An electric tomato crushing/puréeing machine Instructions: 1. Sterilize your jars and lids (we run them through our dishwasher). 2. Set up the burner outside & wash all the tomatoes. 3. Use a paring knife, remove the green stems on each end & any rotten spots. 4. (Be sure to throw away any rotten tomatoes as they will ruin the entire bath of sauce. If Nonna sees that, she’ll chase you with a wooden spoon)! 5. Quarter the tomatoes and place in a large bin. 6. Boil tomatoes for 15-20 minutes. 7. Pour the tomatoes into the crushing/pureeing machine. 8. Run the extracted tomato pulp through the machine TWICE, to fully extract every bit of moisture, leaving the skins behind. 9. The machine will then pour out the crushed tomatoes, which should be caught with a large bowl at the bottom. 10. With each full bowl of sauce, add a touch of salt & stir. 11. Line up your clean mason jars, insert a few leaves of fresh basil & a teaspoon of salt in each jar. 12. Use a funnel & ladle to gently pour the sauce into the jar, leaving about ¼ inch empty from the top. 13. Place lids & rings on the jars & tighten. 14. Cover the bottom of the large pot with a dish towel. Fill the pot with as many jars as you can, top with water & boil for about 35-40 minutes. 15. Turn off the heat & remove the jars from the water. 16. Let the jars cool at room temperature for 24 hours with a blanket to cover them. 17. Make sure each jar is tightly sealed. The center of the lid must be indented. (If the center of the lid is note indented, the jar did not seal properly & must be used right away.) 18. Wipe the jars & store in a cool, dry place (basement). These jars will last 1-2 years! 19. Now, you’ll have fresh homemade tomato sauce year-round! Nonna would be proud! |
