Tomatoes are useful, have a bright color, an appetizing, pleasant sourish-sweetish taste that can not be confused with anything. It is not surprising that all over the world they are more often than other products used to prepare various sauces for various dishes. In some countries, tomatoes are made into meat sauce, in others - to pasta or pizza. It fits both fish and kebabs. Tomato ketchup can be found on the counter of any grocery store. However, many housewives prefer to make tomato sauce on their own, so as not to use artificial additives that are harmful to health. At home, tomato sauce can be made from fresh or canned tomatoes, from tomato paste or even from tomato juice, so it is available at any time of the year.
Cooking Features
Recipes for tomato sauce there is quite a lot. They can differ in degree of complexity, technology of preparation and the ingredients which are a part. However, there are general rules that must be followed regardless of which recipe is chosen.
- A sauce made from fresh fruits will be tastier and healthier. However, not all tomatoes are suitable for this purpose. It is necessary that they are ripe, quite juicy and meaty. Greenhouse tomatoes for sauce are not suitable too well, it is better to give preference to ground. You can even taste the tomato to understand how it suits your sauce: after all, its flavor will be dominant. It is no secret that all tomatoes have not quite the same organoleptic properties, therefore even sauces prepared according to the same recipe can differ in taste.
- The peel of tomatoes is quite hard. If the pieces are in the sauce, its consistency will not be too pleasant, and the use will not take much pleasure. For this reason, the skin is always disposed of. This can be done before cooking. Cut each fruit crosswise on the side opposite to the stem, lower it for 2 minutes into boiling water, cool it by transferring it to a container with cold water. After this, the skin is removed very easily. If the tomatoes were not cleaned immediately and the sauce was prepared from unpeeled fruits, wipe it up after cooking through a sieve and bring it to a boil again.
- It is also better to get rid of the seeds when preparing the sauce, since their presence also negatively affects the taste and texture of the finished product. The easiest way is to remove the seeds with a spoon, cutting the tomato in half. If you grind the tomato pulp through a sieve, the seeds will not get into the sauce anyway.
- For the preparation of tomato sauce it is best to use enamelled containers, preferring thick-bottomed dishes. The main thing is to remember that aluminum products are not suitable for preparing dishes from berries, fruits and vegetables, since such material reacts with acids, as a result of which harmful substances are formed.
- In order for the tomato sauce to have a thick texture, it is usually boiled for a long time. The use of flour or starch will quickly allow it to thicken, but this method is usually not used when preparing tomato sauce for the winter.
- There are recipes that allow you to preserve tomato sauce so that you can use it during the cold season. In this case, it is important to observe the recipe and pour the sauce only into glass and previously sterilized containers that can be hermetically sealed. It should pay attention to storage conditions, although in most cases, canned tomato sauce is well worth it at room temperature.
If you are preparing the sauce in order to use it immediately, you can experiment by adding certain ingredients, changing the proportions. One of the advantages of this sauce is that it combines with almost all other vegetables and fruits, with a variety of spices and spices, so it is almost impossible to spoil it.
Classic Tomato Sauce Recipe
Composition:
- wheat flour - 20 g;
- water (or broth) - 0, 35 l;
- butter or margarine - 20 g;
- carrots - 100 g;
- onions - 100 g;
- parsley root - 20 g;
- tomato paste - 0, 25 l;
- bay leaf - 1 pc .;
- vegetable oil - how much will leave;
- salt, sugar, ground black pepper - to taste.
Method of preparation:
- Wash and clean the onions, carrots, parsley root, chop them. Onions and parsley root is best finely chopped, grate carrots.
- Heat vegetable oil. Put chopped vegetables and roots in it, fry them over low heat until they are soft.
- Melt butter or margarine in a separate pan. Pour the sifted flour and lightly fry it.
- Dissolve tomato paste with clean boiled water or broth. They must first be cooled to room temperature.
- Add a thin stream of tomato liquid into the pan, whipping it intensively with a whisk.
- Cook for a couple of minutes, add toasted, bay leaves, salt, sugar and pepper to taste. Continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes.
- Strain the sauce through a sieve and return to the stove. Bring, while stirring, to a boil and remove from heat.
This sauce goes well with fish or meat dishes. Cooked on water, it is universal, but has a less pronounced taste and aroma. Therefore, it is better to cook it for meat on meat broth, and for fish - on fish broth.
A classic recipe for tomato sauce for the winter
Composition (1 l):
- tomatoes - 2 kg;
- onions - 100 g;
- garlic - 3 cloves;
- sugar - 120 g;
- apple cider vinegar (6%) - 20 ml;
- salt - 20 g;
- mustard powder - pinch;
- ground cinnamon - a pinch;
- carnation - 15 pcs .;
- allspice peas - 15 pcs .;
- black pepper peas - 15 pcs.
Method of preparation:
- Wash tomatoes, pour boiling water and peel them. Smash the tomato pulp with a blender or crank the tomatoes through a meat grinder.
- Place the tomato mass in a saucepan and put it on a fire. Bring to a boil, cook for 5 minutes.
- Cool and wipe through a sieve for a smoother texture and remove seeds.
- Peel and finely chop the onion, mix it with the tomato puree.
- Put the mixture on the stove and cook, stirring occasionally, until its volume is halved.
- Add spices, salt and sugar to the boiled tomato mass, as well as garlic passed through the press. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes.
- Wipe the sauce through a sieve a second time. This time it is done in order to separate the large spices.
- Pour in vinegar, stir. Return to the stove, bring to a boil. Boil just a minute, spread the sauce over sterilized jars.
- Put a napkin in the pan, put a jar of sauce on it, having previously covered them with lids. Pour water into the pan and sterilize the jars with the sauce for 20-40 minutes depending on their volume.
After that, it remains to close the banks tightly and wait until they cool down. You can keep the sauce safely at room temperature for the entire winter.
Spicy Tomato Sauce
Composition:
- tomatoes - 0.5 kg;
- water - 120 ml;
- fresh coriander - 20 g;
- hot peppers - 1 pc .;
- ground coriander - 5 g;
- garlic - 5 cloves;
- salt - to taste.
Method of preparation:
- Wash the tomatoes, cut them into 4 pieces, cover with water and place on the stove. Cook for 15 minutes, cool and wipe through a sieve.
- Wash, shake off water and chop cilantro finely.
- Cut the garlic cloves into several pieces, mash them in a mortar with coriander and salt.
- Wash the pepper, clean it from seeds. Cut as small as possible.
- Put pepper, garlic with coriander, cilantro in tomato sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil and cool.
The tomato sauce made according to this recipe is well suited to meat. In particular, it can be served with kebabs.
Tomato Sauce for Pizza
Composition:
- tomatoes - 0, 6 kg;
- salt - 5 g;
- garlic - 3 cloves;
- sugar - 10-15 g;
- dried oregano - 2-3 g;
- fresh basil - 1 sprig;
- fresh coriander - 3 sprigs;
- olive oil - 30 ml.
Method of preparation:
- Peel tomatoes and seeds. Tomato pulp smash blender.
- Cook the tomato puree for 20 minutes. Add salt, sugar, dried seasoning. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Wash and chop fresh greens.
- Pass the garlic through the press.
- Add the herbs and garlic to the sauce. Keep cooking it for another minute.
Tomato sauce, made according to the above recipe, goes well with Italian dishes. In particular, it can be used in the preparation of pizza to lubricate the base or served with pasta cold or hot.
Fast Tomato Sauce
Composition:
- tomato paste - 0, 2 kg;
- sour cream - 50 ml;
- water - 20 ml;
- salt, pepper, lemon juice - to taste.
Method of preparation:
- Mix tomato paste with water and bring to a boil over low heat.
- Salt and pepper, cook for 2 minutes.
- Add sour cream and lemon juice, mix and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
Beat the sauce with a blender and serve it cold or hot to any dish you like. It is suitable for fish, meat, and various side dishes. A good idea would be to put out meatballs or meatballs in it. However, for this sauce will need to be diluted with water.
Tomato sauce is one of the most versatile seasonings. It can be served with any dish, and its taste is enjoyed by almost everyone.
