Tomato Passata
Makes about 1 quart, depending on the tomato type
Want the taste of summer all year round? This is it. Passata, which translates to “passed” in Italian, is a not-quite-puree, not-quite-sauce preparation for tomatoes, in which they are cooked slightly (just enough for them to release their seeds and skins) then passed through a food mill (thus the name). The resulting liquid, with a bit of salt and a sprig of basil, can be cooked down just a bit more until it reaches this unique consistency. It’s a perfect base for endless applications - a true tomato sauce, tomato soup, or a stew. While you’ll get the best yield when using plum tomatoes (like romas), any type of slicing tomato will work. We love the romance and aromatic benefit of adding not just a basil stem but also a stem from the tomato plant to the pot while cooking, a trick we learned from April McGregor of Preserving the South.
Ingredients:
5 pounds tomatoes, any pockmarks, blemishes, or other bad bits removed
Canning salt or kosher salt
1 sprig basil
1 sprig tomato plant (no flowers)
Method:
Remove the cores from the tomatoes and cut into quarters. Add the quartered tomatoes to a large heavy-bottomed pot and set over medium heat (you don’t need to add oil or water here - the tomatoes will create their own cooking liquid). Let the tomatoes cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to break down - you want the skins to be pulling away from the flesh, and quite a bit of juice and pulp to form - approximately 20 minutes.
Remove from heat, and, working in batches, pass the tomato mixture through a food mill.
Return the puree, now free of skins and most seeds (a few might sneak through, which is no problem), to the pot over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt, the basil, and the tomato sprig - if using. Bring to a gentle simmer, and reduce down to your preferred level of consistency. We like to reduce by about ⅓; if you’d prefer a thicker texture, reduce by half.
Remove the basil and tomato sprig. Proceed with packaging your passata based on how you plan to preserve it; if you’re freezing, allow it to cool completely before transferring it to a freezer. If you’re pressure canning, add lemon juice or citric acid and proceed with pressure canning instructions. If you’re eating it in the near future, the passata will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.