Jarring Tomato Sauce, Wyckoff, NJ | New Jersey Photographer

28 Apr Jarring Tomato Sauce, Wyckoff, NJ | New Jersey Photographer

Like many Italians,  I grew up eating pasta on Sunday.  The pasta, no matter what type you made, started off with a basic  Sauce/Gravy (this argument is reserved for another post) and was transformed into many dishes.  My family and I , with the help of very close friends, started making our own sauce –  enough to last an entire year.  During the end of August, tomatoes are prime for making great sauce.  It all starts off with the type of tomato – I like to use a San Marzano (bought by the bushel).  Now for the process:   Step 1.  Sort out the tomatoes, and discard the damaged ones.  Sitting in the bushel, there is a tendency to have a couple of squished ones lingering around.   Step 2. Take the tomatoes and throw them into a bath – clean them good.   Step 3. cut off the bad parts.  Most of the tomatoes are good, but have a couple of blemishes.  Cut them off or your sauce will have a bad taste……something like that.     Step 4.  Make sure your pot of water  (in my case vat), is boiling.  Dump the tomatoes in and cook until tender.     Step 5.  Take the cooked tomatoes and place them into a grinder/strainer one at a time (this is where the magic happens).  The skin will pop out one side, and the pulp in another.  Put the skin through one extra time to get any excess pulp that did not make it through the first time.   Step 6.  Once the tomatoes are all ground up, place them back in the pot and let it cook until boiling point.  Once it boils, add salt for taste.   Step 7.  Every good sauce needs basil.  Make sure you have the basil cleaned and ready to go for the jarring process. Step 8.  It is important have sterilized your Mason Jars and lids – You don’t want to have a botulism outbreak. (http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_01/sterile_jars.html)     Step 9.  Create an assembly line.  Make sure someone is in charge of this process.  This needs to happen fast in order to keep the jars/lids sterile.  Place the basil in the jars, and load them up.     Step 10.  After you put the lids on, place the jars upside down and lay them close together under blankets – leave them alone for one week to cool off and reach room temperature.  Do not peak – you can ruin your supply.   Step 11.  Enjoy your sauce!  I like to store my jars in a temperature controlled room – probably best off.     P.S.  Oh yeah, as an old wives tale – if it is that time of the month (for women), then stay away.  The batch will all be spoiled……..I didn’t make the tale.  You have been warned.   ~Salvatore                   New Jersey Newborn, Baby, Children’s Portrait Photographer.