Tomato paste is simply an irreplaceable product in winter and summer. Without it, it is impossible to imagine preparing borscht, kharcho, ketchup, stew, gravy for cutlets and many other dishes. I, being a supporter of natural food, prepare it for the winter only myself, at home. After all, the store-bought equivalent, as a rule, contains various preservatives, artificial colors and flavors.
At first glance, it may seem difficult to prepare. This is not true; even those who have never prepared it can handle it. Although, of course, it will take some time and labor, for example, for the moisture contained in the tomatoes to evaporate and the mass to thicken, it will take about 2 hours. But later you will get a delicious winter preparation with which you can cook your favorite dishes.
I present to you 5 recipes for delicious tomato dressing. They differ in the method of grinding tomato pulp - using a juicer, blender, meat grinder or just a sieve. Choose any one you wish or, for example, whichever seems least labor-intensive to you.
How to prepare homemade tomato paste for the winter using a meat grinder
Let's start with the fastest recipe for making pasta at home. For this you will need a meat grinder. It will make cooking easier that even novice cooks can handle, because you won’t have to grate each tomato on a grater or sieve. And don’t be afraid that vegetables minced through a meat grinder will lose their beneficial substances; in fact, they are preserved.
Ingredients:
- 4 kg of tomatoes;
- 1 tbsp. salt;
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil.
Preparation:
1. In general, only ripe tomatoes are used to make pasta. And the meatier the pulp, the less unnecessary liquid will be formed, which will have to be evaporated.
If the tomatoes have defects, remove them with a knife.
2. Then twist through the fine grid of a meat grinder.
3. Place the grated tomatoes in a deep saucepan and place on the stove, but do not fill it to the brim, because the mixture may form foam during the boiling process. Add salt and vegetable oil. Mix well and bring to a boil.
4. If the mixture turns out watery after boiling, boil for another 30-45 minutes, if thick - 10-15 minutes.
5. Tomato paste prepared in a meat grinder is ready! Now pour it into pre-sterilized jars and roll up. It can also be used to make soups, sauces, pizza (instead of ketchup).
By the way, you can store it in the freezer, so it will retain its aroma and taste. And defrost it every time in winter and use it when preparing various dishes. Which is very convenient, isn't it?
How long to cook tomatoes
The cooking time for tomatoes does not depend on their size or variety. The key role in this case is played by the type of dish that will be prepared from tomatoes. If tomatoes are boiled for tomato puree, the cooking time will be 40-45 minutes.
If you are going to make juice from the tomatoes, you need to cook them for 10 minutes. To prepare lecho, soups or other dishes where tomatoes should not acquire the consistency of puree, it is recommended to cook them for no more than 15 minutes.
In a microwave, tomatoes are cooked for 10 minutes, in a pressure cooker for 5 minutes, and in a double boiler for 5-6 minutes. You can also cook tomatoes using a slow cooker. In this case, the cooking time will also be no more than 5 minutes.
If you increase the cooking time for tomatoes, the vegetables will overcook and turn into puree. It will no longer be possible to cut such tomatoes into pieces, so it is better to follow the cooking mode and time exactly as recommended.
Tomato for the winter is a bright and aromatic highlight for your dishes; even the most faded ingredients for gravy or borscht will sparkle with a new color. The recipe differs from all preparations for the winter in its simplicity, but the taste does not suffer. Making tomatoes without vinegar and sterilization will become your specialty, the main thing is to prepare and try it for the first time.
simple homemade recipe
Such a universal product as a tomato must be in every refrigerator or cellar, because... You can’t do without tomato juice or paste when preparing many dishes. If you decide to prepare several jars for the winter, then you will not go wrong, because such a dressing will be all natural, without any additives, of which there are many in store-bought analogues. To prepare this preparation from soil, you will need a minimum of ingredients and effort. It has been proven that even after heat treatment, tomatoes retain most of their nutrients. Thanks to its composition, without dyes and additional preservatives, homemade dressing will be much more beneficial than fresh tomatoes or tomato paste of unknown quality.
A simple step-by-step recipe for making tomato paste at home
Here's another homemade recipe for the winter. It’s also easy to prepare, and our preparation turns out very tasty, and what’s most interesting is that it doesn’t contain any spices or oils. Therefore, it will especially appeal to those who do not like spicy dishes.
Ingredients:
- 3 kg of tomatoes;
- salt to taste.
Preparation:
1. Take fresh and juicy tomatoes. Soft and wrinkled fruits are also suitable, but not spoiled ones. Cut each of them into several slices and place them in the pan. Cover with a lid and place over medium heat for 30-40 minutes to soften later.
2. While they are cooking, make sure that the juice does not run away, this happens if you cook them over high heat.
3. During this time they will settle and release juice. If you notice that some tomatoes are damp and the peel is not very soft, then let them simmer a little more without covering the pan with a lid.
4. Then let the finished mixture brew and cool. Next, drain the excess liquid into another container; we won’t need it.
5. The remaining fleshy part must be rubbed through a sieve. This way the seeds and skins will end up on the sieve, and the pulp will go down.
6. This is how you get a thick, very tasty juice, which should either be put on the fire for several hours so that the liquid evaporates, or grind again using a fine sieve or double gauze.
7. We will use the second method, since it is faster. The liquid passed through the sieve will go down, and what remains in the sieve, the thick part, pour into another pan.
8. This is the mass for the paste. Now put it on the stove and cook for 30-60 minutes. If desired, you can add salt to your taste.
9. Stir occasionally and after a while, when the mass acquires the required thickness, it will be ready. Now you need to put it in a pre-sterilized jar and close the lid. This is what we got.
10. Turn her over and wrap her in something warm. So let it cool completely until tomorrow. Store in a cool, dry place, such as a cellar or basement.
Cooking process:
Select only the ripest tomatoes; the color of the finished product directly depends on this. If you have a choice, give preference to meaty and non-acidic varieties, then the juice with pulp will be thick and more concentrated.
Wash the tomatoes, remove damaged areas and stems. Then cut the tomatoes into several pieces so that they can fit into the meat grinder compartment.
Next, pass the tomatoes through a meat grinder with a fine grid. To make a tomato at home more uniform in composition, we recommend additionally rubbing the tomato mass through a fine sieve. But then keep in mind that most of the beneficial fiber will go to waste.
You can also grind tomatoes using a blender.
For cooking you will need a large saucepan. Pour the ground tomato mass into the container of your choice. Place on the fire and bring the mixture to a boil. Then, reducing the heat to low, simmer the tomato mass for 20 minutes. This is the required minimum time; in this case, the tomato will turn out in the form of a drink. The pasta should be boiled much longer, or additionally drained through a fine sieve. Stir the sauce occasionally and skim off any foam that forms. You can add spices and peppercorns for flavor. Salt or sugar can also be used at this stage. But I don't do this at all.
Pour homemade tomatoes into sterilized jars or bottles and seal tightly with a key or screw caps. The lids should be thoroughly boiled. Store homemade tomato preparations in a cool place.
You probably noticed that we only included tomatoes. But this is a matter of taste, you can use salt, various seasonings, and you will diversify the tomato, which will already become a sauce for gravy.
Stock up on vitamins for future use and eat delicious food!
Best regards, Anyuta.
I thank my mother for the recipe and photo.
Summer was a success! Fleshy, bright, filled with summer sun and birdsong, the tomatoes are just asking to be picked up: it is impossible to pass by a bush without picking a couple of pieces and immediately eating them.
Alas, the capabilities of the human body are very limited, it is unrealistic to accommodate all the tomato luxury that the garden is full of this season, which means we take out an old grandmother’s notebook from the stash and begin to create according to her recipes - time-tested and more than one generation of eaters.
So, tomato paste recipes.
Preparing tomato paste for the winter without vinegar
If, in addition to tomatoes, you have also harvested a large harvest of apples, you can also use them to make tomato paste. With the addition of apples, it turns out with a rich taste and delicate texture. If you want a winter preparation with sourness, add sour apples; if you want a sweeter one, add correspondingly sweet ones. And if you consider that it is prepared without vinegar, then it’s just doubly good!
Ingredients:
- 4 kg of tomatoes;
- 1 kg apples;
- ½ kg of onion;
- 3 tbsp. Sahara;
- 3 tbsp. salt;
- 20 black peppercorns;
- 8 bay leaves;
- 5 whole cloves;
- 1 tbsp. red pepper;
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon.
Preparation:
1. For this recipe, select the ripest and fleshiest tomatoes. Grind them together with apples and onions in a meat grinder. Then the ground ingredients should be poured into the pan and stirred.
Do not cook in aluminum cookware, as aluminum oxidizes, thereby allowing toxic substances to enter the food.
2. This mixture should be simmered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
3. After an hour, add sugar and salt. You can vary their quantity according to your taste. Mix well again and then add black pepper, bay leaf, cloves, red pepper and cinnamon.
4. Then mix everything well again and continue cooking over low heat for about 3 hours. After this time has passed, the sauce will be ready.
5. The result should be about 3 liters of sauce. Therefore, we prepared 6 half-liter jars, added boiling water (half a jar) to each of them and closed the lid. Due to the high temperature and steam, the jar along with the lid will be sterilized if left in this state for 10-15 minutes.
6. After this, open the lids and pour out the boiling water. Then turn the jars upside down and place them on a towel to remove excess moisture. Pour the resulting sauce into jars.
7. The next day, when it has cooled down, put it in a cold place, in a cellar or refrigerator. If desired, you can rub it through a sieve to obtain a more homogeneous mass that resembles a store-bought product.
What kind of container to cook tomatoes in?
A caring housewife will definitely ask herself the question: is it possible to cook a tomato in an aluminum pan? There is no definite answer here: if utensils made of such material are used for 1-3 hours, then oxidation will not occur, but if the juice is infused and then only boiled, then it is better to choose other types of utensils. No chemical processes occur in an iron, enameled or cast iron pan, so they are recommended for cooking tomatoes. Here is a list of utensils that may be needed for cooking tomatoes:
- Juicer for quickly removing the pulp and veins of tomatoes from the juice.
- A saucepan or large deep bowl for cooking juice.
- Colander or sieve (for straining the sauce after cooking, if a juicer was not used before).
- Storage containers (jars with screws or tin lids).
- A scoop or large mug for pouring tomato juice into jars.
- Seaming key (if classic tin lids for jars are used).
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How to quickly make tomato paste from tomatoes using a blender
I also prepare it through a blender. How is this device convenient? And the fact that it can quickly and thoroughly chop tomatoes along with other ingredients, thereby saving me my time. If you don’t have one, be sure to purchase such an indispensable kitchen assistant. Although, if you have a food processor, you can use it instead of a blender.
Ingredients:
- 9 kg. tomatoes;
- 800 gr. Luke;
- 100 gr. garlic;
- 750 gr. Sahara;
- 6 tbsp. salt;
- 200 gr. vinegar (9%);
- 5 bay leaves;
- 1 tsp carnations;
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon.
Preparation:
1. Place washed tomatoes in a pan of boiling water for 2 minutes. Next, remove them from the boiling water and fill them with cold water and leave for a few minutes. This will make it easier to remove the skin.
2. Now peel off the skin and cut into small pieces. Then put them in a blender in their purified form. Add chopped onion, garlic and chop.
3. This is what should happen.
4. Then put this mass in a saucepan and place on the stove. When it boils, cook for another 45 minutes. Remember to stir constantly to prevent the paste from burning.
5. After a while, add sugar, salt and mix well. Cook for another 45 minutes.
6. Next, take bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and red pepper and wrap them in a small layer of gauze in a bag. Throw this bag into the brew and cook for another 1.5 hours. Then add 200 ml of vinegar and continue cooking for 20 minutes.
7. Now pour the mixture into jars and roll up the lids.
Store tomato paste with the lid down to extend its shelf life.
It will contain the seeds and pulp of the tomato. If you want to get a more uniform structure, that is, like in the store, then you will have to grind it through a sieve.
Tomato varieties for indoor growing
It is recommended to grow early dwarf varieties of indoor tomatoes on windowsills. The height of an adult bush is the smaller the better.
Ampel varieties of tomatoes are not considered here. Hanging vines on the windowsill will not receive enough light. It is better to hang them in special baskets.
Bonsai
The variety is designed specifically for growing on windowsills. Forms a squat branched bush up to 20-30 cm high, really similar to a bonsai.
The fruits are round, red, weighing up to 25 g. They cover the plant abundantly; about 1 kg can be collected per season.
Balcony Red and Yellow F1
Tomato for planting in pots and containers. Grows well on windowsills. The bush is beautiful, up to 45 cm high.
Fruits with a rich aroma and taste can be red or yellow, weighing 15-20 g. Disadvantage - requires a pot of at least 5 liters.
Room surprise
A standard tomato that grows well on windowsills. Bush 40-50 high, with strong thick shoots.
The fruits are collected in clusters, oval, red, weighing 20-30 g, very tasty. Requires intense lighting.
Micron NK
A true dwarf with a height of 10-15 cm. Great for window sills. One of the most undemanding varieties in terms of lighting, recommended for winter cultivation.
The fruits are collected in numerous clusters and can be red or yellow. The weight of tomatoes is 10-12 g. It is impossible to eat enough from a couple of bushes, but they will decorate the interior and entertain the children.
Pinocchio
It is one of the best tomato varieties for growing on windowsills. The bush is neat, with dense beautiful foliage, up to 30 cm high.
The fruits are round, red, weighing 20 g. Can produce 1-1.5 kg of tomatoes per season.
Pygmy
The bush reaches only 30 cm. Feels good on windowsills in winter. One of the varieties that does not require light, it will produce a certain amount of fruit even in short day conditions.
Tomatoes are round, red, 25 g each.
Window Yellow
A new variety that forms a standard bush 25 cm high. Fruits profusely. Recommended for winter planting when grown on a windowsill.
Yellow tomatoes are round, weighing up to 30 g, collected in clusters.
Ruby Red
Compact variety specially created for planting in containers. The bush is no more than 50 cm high.
The tomatoes are sweet, red, weighing 20-50 g each, collected in clusters.
Teeny Tim
A Dutch variety bred specifically for fruiting on the windowsill, regardless of the time of year. The height of the bush does not exceed 30-50 cm.
The tomatoes are round, moderately sour, red, weighing 12-15 g.
Florida Petite
One of the best varieties of tomatoes that can be grown on a windowsill. The bush is 30 cm high. The fruits are collected in large clusters, red, round, quite large for a potted crop - 20-40 g each.
Recommended for growing at any time of the year; it has reduced lighting requirements.
Other recipes
You can add various components to the classic cooking method, resulting in a new delicious dish each time.
Gazpacho is a cold tomato soup. Prepared with bran bread, cucumber, sweet pepper, spices, herbs, dry wine. It will turn out very tasty. There are many cooking options: cold, green, hot. Read about it on the pages of our website.
In winter it is difficult to buy tasty fresh tomatoes, so I use canned ones. They must be peeled, mashed, add fried vegetables, herbs, and a little balsamic vinegar. The result is a wonderful red jelly-like stew.
You will need some minced meat, quality vegetables, and more spices. Meatballs are always delicious, and in red tomato soup they are very appetizing and beautiful. Add some greens for flavor and color.
Sprat soup in tomato is an easy budget dish. The tomato will add sourness, color, originality, sprat will make the dish tasty, light, budget-friendly, and all together will delight us with its warmth on a cold winter day. Follow the link and read how to prepare it correctly.
