Freezer-door tomato sauce

5 quarts

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
5 gallons Heaping bucket of ripe red
Garden tomatoes (do not use
Low acid tomatoes)
1 cup Coarsely chopped green bell
Pepper
1½ cup Coarsely chopped onion
1 tablespoon Plus 1 tea. chilli pepper,
Seeded and chopped
3 teaspoons Salt, or to taste
6 tablespoons Fresh oregano, chopped (or 1
1/2 table. dry oregano,
Crushed finely in the palm
Of your hand)
Small bunch fresh basil,
Chopped
½ teaspoon Garlic powder
6 tablespoons Sugar
2 tablespoons Vegetable oil

Directions

Wash and core tomatoes. Remove skin and seeds by running through a food mill or sieve. The yield should be approximately 5-½ quarts tomato puree. Set aside.

Place all other ingredients in a blender and process untill smooth.

Heat the tomato puree with the blended ingredients in a large pot.

Bring to a boil, uncovered. Reduce heat and continue to boil at the lowest setting possible, stirring often, until the desired thickness (approximately four hours.)

When the sauce is the desired thickness, adjust seasoning. Pour cooled sauce into labeled containers or zipper-style bags. Seal and freeze. Sauce will keep up to one year in the freezer.

Before serving, thaw and reheat the sauce. Serve over pasta, passing a green salad and crusty bread for a complete dinner.

VARIATIONS:

Chunky Freezer-Door Tomato Sauce: Wash and core tomatoes; remove sking by dipping them briefly into boiling water until the sking slips off easily. Chop coarsely and add the remaining ingredients without pureeing them in the blender. Follow remaining recipe as directed.

Meaty Sauce: Just before serving, add browned, drained ground beef or cooked meatballs after the sauce has thawed and is heated through.

Cheesy Sauce: Just before serving, add 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese after the sauce has thawed and is heated through.

Spicy Sauce: Add two small, chopped jalapeno peppers to the blender ingredients. Leave them chopped for the chunky sauce.

Submitted By LINDA SHORT On 08-11-95

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