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Have an abundance of tomatoes right now? The perfect way to use them up is to make Tomato Sauce from Fresh Tomatoes! This Freezer Friendly Tomato Sauce is a labor of love, but so so worth it! The perfect way to make use of all of these fresh tomatoes during tomato season!
Tomato Sauce From Fresh Tomatoes Recipe
This time of year is one of my favorites. Tomatoes on EVERYTHING. A few years ago I visited tomato farms and really gained an appreciation for them. So many variations, so many flavor profiles. I can eat the little grape tomatoes like candy, no joke. Plus, they are gorgeous, too!
How to Make Homemade Tomato Sauce
- First you’ll want to process the fresh tomatoes, if using! You’ll need to take the skin off, core them and puree or mash them down.
- Then you’ll sauté your aromatics, or the onion and garlic.
- Add in your spices and toast them until they are fragrant and have released there oils.
- Then add in those fresh tomatoes and cook low and slow for at least two hours!
- You can use the sauce immediately or storage for later!
How to Take the Skins off of Fresh Tomatoes
Probably the trickiest part of making fresh tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes is taking off the skin! It isn’t a hard process, but it does add an extra step.
To take the skin off of fresh tomatoes you’ll need to blanch the tomatoes in boiling water. Once that is down the skin will peel right off! To blanch them: Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Working in batches, drop the tomatoes in the water for 1 minute. Carefully take tomatoes out and place in a large bowl. Let tomatoes cool. Once cool, carefully peel off skins.
SO, while it’s a little bit of a process, it’s for sure worth it. It’ll be some of the best tomato sauce you’ve ever had. Plus, you’ll feel good knowing you didn’t waste those farm fresh tomatoes! Can it if you’d like, or if you’re lazy like me… go for the freezer option!
If you like this tomato recipe, check out these others:
- Grilled Chicken and Vegetables with Tomato Vinaigrette
- Tomato Cucumber Salad with Crispy Chickpeas (& Green Yogurt Dressing)
- Bruschetta Chicken
- Avocado and Corn Salsa
How To Make Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 10-11 pounds fresh heirloom tomatoes, or any tomatoes of choice
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons sea salt, more to taste
- 2 teaspoons black pepper, more to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried basil, more to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, more to taste
- Optional: 1 4.5-ounce can tomato paste
- Optional: 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/4 cup lemon juice if canning!
Directions
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Working in batches, drop the tomatoes in the water for 1 minute. Carefully take tomatoes out and place in a large bowl. Let tomatoes cool. Once cool, carefully peel off skins.
- Core the tomatoes and place in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth, or pulse until desired consistency is reached if you want a chunkier sauce. Set aside.
- In a large pot, heat extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Sauté until onions are translucent.
- Add in dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Pour in tomato puree and stir well.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and let cook for 2 hours, or until thickened and reduced. Add lemon juice if using. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
- Take sauce off heat and cool down to room temperature. Pour into freezer friendly plastic containers and freezer!
Recipe Notes
*Tomato sauce will last in the freezer for 4-6 months.
*Feel free to can this tomato sauce instead of freezing it! If you do so, make sure to take out the extra-virgin olive oil from this recipe. Oil is known to higher the probability of potential strains of botulism when canning. Also, make sure to up the amount of lemon juice to 1/4 cup! The lemon juice will increase the acidity in this sauce to safe levels for canning.
Here is a great go-to recipe when wanting to can your tomato sauce:
- 10-11 pounds tomato, skinned and pureed
- 2 teaspoons sea salt, more to taste
- 2 teaspoons black pepper, more to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried basil, more to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, more to taste
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
Place all ingredients into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until thick. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed! Let cool.
Pour into sterilized canning jars and twist on sterilized lids until very secure. Place jars in a pot of boiling water for 30 minutes. Let cool completely on the counter. Make sure that the lids have sealed completely. If the lid pops up when pressed, the canning process did not work properly. Store in your pantry for up to one year!
