Basil Garlic Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

2.5kg tomatoes
40mL lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried herbs (garlic and basil)
500mL glass preserving jars, lids and bands

Method

Prepare water bath preserving pot. Wash jars, lids and bands in hot soapy water. Heat jars in simmering water until ready to use. Do not boil. Set lids and bands aside.

Wash and sort tomatoes, removing any bruised or discoloured product. Quarter 6 tomatoes and place in a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Using a potato masher, crush tomatoes to release juices, stirring constantly.

While maintaining a boil and stirring to prevent burning, quarter additional tomatoes, adding them to the saucepan as you work. Make sure the mixture continues to boil vigorously while you add, stir and crush the remaining tomatoes. When all tomatoes have been added, boil, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are soft and juicy, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Press tomatoes through a fine sieve or food mill, working in batches, to remove skins and seeds. Discard skins and seeds.

Return mixture to saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-high and boil until volume is reduced by at least one-third for a thin sauce.

Add 15mL bottled lemon juice to each hot jar. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs, if using, to each hot jar.

Ladle hot tomato sauce into each jar, leaving 1cm headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding sauce. Wipe rims. Centre lids on jars. Apply bands and adjust to fingertip tight.

Process filled jars in boiling water for 35 minutes. Remove pot lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store up to 1 year.

Credits: Jarden Home Brands

Photo Credits: Jarden Home Brands