How To Make Passata?

[SusieG]

I have quite a few toms and would like to turn them into Passata for use in recipes - is it just as simple as whizzing the tommies in a food processor....?

[Scarlet]

I personally don't like the texture when it's been whizzed in a food processor but that's the way lots of peeps make it! You can sieve to get rid of the seeds and skins...I prefer something a little chunkier ochop and/or roast, simmer until reduced. I usually add lots of garlic

[Bigmallly]

I've never heard of it but there are quite a few recipes out there, here's just one to get you in the mood........

DIY passata - to make or to buy? | BBC Good Food

[happyhumph]

I'm sure someone who knows what they're talking about will be along soon but I'm pretty certain you have to sieve them to get rid of skin / seeds. Probably through a muslin or similar

[Scarlet]

When the boys cook meatballs, they'll defrost a bag of my toms and whizz with a handblender depending on what bag they pick it can turn out red, yellow or somewhere inbetween

[SusieG]

Thanks all - will give it a go ~ could add basil, mushrooms! Endless possibilities really

[roitelet]

I've made passata several times but it never comes out rich or thick enough so now I make a rich tomato sauce instead.

[Thelma Sanders]

You have to remove the skin and pips to make passata. Passata di Pomodoro It's just sieved bottled tomatoes.
The way my family does it
Put tomatoes into a saucepan of boiling water for a few minutesto lift the skins off.
Remove skins as soon as your fingers will allow and pass the tomatoes through a mouli, a passa pomodori machine or sieve to remove all the pips. The passapomodori machine will take the skins off as well but I prefer to do it first.
Put back into clean saucepan and bring to boil, simmer to thicken a little.
Add salt to taste...it's quite sweet by now so it needs more than you think

Pour hot passata into clean glass jars, heated in the oven, add a basil leaf to each jar, clean around the screw top to make sure you get a good seal and screw on lid.
Put jars into a pan of hot water up to their shoulders. I put an old tea towel on the bottom to cushion the jars a bit. Put on pan lid, or cover over with foil to keep heat in.
Bring the water back up to boil and leave simmering for 30 mins. Then leave jars to cool and the lids will pop down. I save the jars that have a dimple in the lid so you can see that they've sealed properly. Any that don't seal should go in the fridge and be used up within a week or so, to be on the safe side

[Thelma Sanders]

Thanks all - will give it a go ~ could add basil, mushrooms! Endless possibilities really

Be careful adding other things to passata, the tomatoes preserve well because they are quite acidic, as soon as you add other veg, you decrease the acidity and the sauce could go bad. Best to add the extras at the time of use for safety's sake.
At home we just can't get the pressure that the food factories use when they bottle food. Americans also use very good pressurised canning boilers at home - but these are very expensive in the UK.

[Bal]

I slow roast the tomatoes with some olive oil whole garlic cloves and basil salt and pepper for about 2 to 3 hours on a low heat, pass through the mouli attachment on the food processor bag up and freeze. Just finished last years tomatoes. Ready for some new ones

[SusieG]

Be careful adding other things to passata, the tomatoes preserve well because they are quite acidic, as soon as you add other veg, you decrease the acidity and the sauce could go bad. Best to add the extras at the time of use for safety's sake.
At home we just can't get the pressure that the food factories use when they bottle food. Americans also use very good pressurised canning boilers at home - but these are very expensive in the UK.

.....oooh, yes, never thought of that, thank you. As you say, 'extras' can be added at point of cooking.....

[Scarlet]

Be careful adding other things to passata, the tomatoes preserve well because they are quite acidic, as soon as you add other veg, you decrease the acidity and the sauce could go bad. Best to add the extras at the time of use for safety's sake.

I don't jar my toms anymore, the kids just eat it so fast I'd rather stick it in the freezer! Though when I have bottled it I get worried even though the jars popped so I used to add a good glug of red wine vinegar to the last couple of batches.

[SusieG]

Though when I have bottled it I get worried even though the jars popped so I used to add a good glug of red wine vinegar to the last couple of batches.

^^^^^^^^ what do you mean Scarlet, jars 'popped' ......^^^^^^^^

[Scarlet]

When the lid makes a seal, they make a pop sound ...the little dimple in the lid gets sucked in.

[SusieG]

When the lid makes a seal, they make a pop sound ...the little dimple in the lid gets sucked in.

Ooh, OK - I'm not using that type of jar. Mine is the 'Kilner' type with the metal closure-type-thingy.....
Will it be ok using this type......... I'm no expert on this preserve front ~ only ever pickled shallots before this year ..............?