Easy tomato paste/purée (concentrated)

Preserve excess tomatoes with an easy, homemade concentrated tomato purée/paste that can be made on the stovetop or in your oven.

Ingredients

· 6kg/13 pounds tomatoes (plum type for best yield) will yield in and around 1.8kg of puree.

Instructions for stovetop

1. Rinse the tomatoes well and remove stems and green parts.

2. Cut into chunks.

3. Add the tomatoes to a wide large pot and simmer until soft (approx. 1 hour).

4. Then strain out most of the seeds and the skin by using a food mill or sieve.

5. Continue to cook over a low to medium heat. Stir regularly and check consistency.

6. As it thickens turn down the heat and check more often to avoid burning.

In the oven- optional

If you want to give your tomato paste a more caramelised flavour and reduce it even further, you can bake it on low heat in the oven (150°C/300°F).

1. Pour on lined baking trays.

2. Occasionally stir/scrape the tomato paste from the bottom of the tray while checking its consistency.

How to preserve

Our preferred method is the hot fill in method.

The seven steps of Hot Filling

1. Clean jars (you can recycle glass jars) and let them air-dry

2. Wash and peel fruit/vegetables if necessary and cut or mash

3. Sterilise jars in one pot

4. Bring mashed fruit to the boil in another pot

5. Fill boiling mixture in hot jars

6. Close with twist-off lid.

7. Place upside down for a minute then let cool down covered with a towel.