Bright, fresh tomato puree!By now all of you know that I am really, really saddened by the ending of our growing season. I have found several ways to prolong it but shortly I am going to be supermarket bound again! Yesterday though i took the girls to our local U-Pick and as I was at the cash desk checking out they had some irregular tomatoes (smaller ones than what you would normally buy) for real cheap. I bought 2 baskets of them knowing that I would pull out my handy ricer and get them frozen for a meal later on down the road when nothing but fresh, homegrown tomatoes would do!
I wanted to share with you the process because most of you are just coming into the summer season. Now, I have absolutely no idea where you would get this type of equipment but my MIL in rural Pennsylvania got it for me years ago. If you can get something like it they are generally called fruit and vegetable mills, click here for a reasonable example you will use it over and over.
Here is the whole process (took us about 10 minutes in all):
Clean and halve the tomatoes
The crank on the side gets turned and the tomatoes are removed of their skin and seeds. See all those tomatoes I got for $3.00?
The skin and the seeds get pushed out here and the puree goes to the other side.
I have a canner but this is the way I like to freeze my tomatoes. I simply put the puree in the bags and toss them into the freezer.We will use these in a simple spaghetti type sauce or maybe to cook a chicken in. Whatever we do end up using these for the couple of minutes it took to do this was sooooo worth it!!!
6 comments:
My mother used to have one of those! She gave it away when she moved to FL. I wish I had it now.
I am just in awe of the color, so amazing!
Oh my goodness, I was just telling my mom this weekend how I remember when she used to puree tomatoes to freeze and I used to drink the "pip juice".
Thanks for the memory - I have bookmarked to show my mom next time she comes around.
Hey SGCC-I think you can order them pretty cheap online. Click the link for info. It is so worth it.
Hi Brittany the color was incredible wasn't it?
Hi Nina-Glad to help refresh a good memory. That's what food is all about isn't it...the memories?
I want one! :o
Heck, I'd never buy canned again if I could stock the freezer like that.
Hi Mike-I just went and got some more today and I am going to try just blanching, shocking and peeling them to freeze whole. Let you know how that works out. I am really trying to not have to buy any cans this year!
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