Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce - Page 4

beeman · December 25, 2014

For the first time this year we froze the sauce toms for 24 hours, removed the skins easily after thawing them out over a collander. This drained out a mass of juice water, clear as a bell but tastes very strong tomato.
We then made sauce as usual, but thicker than normal, and really tasty.
The freezing saves the hours of cooking trying to thicken it up, so the taste in my opinion is even better this year. Will use this method in future as it's definitely better.

tam91 · August 17, 2015

Oh dear, the original recipe is gone. Do I remember correctly - it is just tomatoes, onions, garlic, fresh basil, and probably some oregano or something? Olive oil? Anything else?

TheClaw · August 17, 2015

tam91,
You got it. The evoo is important. We upgraded from the oxo food mill to a kitchen aid attachment.

**coronabarb** · August 17, 2015

Tom, if you see this, your photos from a few yrs ago are amazing. I can imagine what your kitchen smelled like. What temp do you roast the toms at and for how long?

TomNJ · August 17, 2015

Hi Barb,

It's been a while since I made oven roasted tomato sauce, but I do remember how nice the kitchen smelled! As I recall I believe I set the oven to 400F and roasted them until the skins began to caramelize. My oven at the time tended to read low, so the temperature may have been as high as 425F.

I haven't grown paste tomatoes for a while, but decided I will next year and put up some roasted sauce.

TomNJ/VA

August 18, 2015

This is what I copied and cooked from last year and it was wonderful!
Ronaye

I’ve been making a lot of oven roasted sauce lately. It’s an easy way to turn your excess tomato harvest into a tasty, rich sauce to enjoy throughout the year. I originally got the idea from critterologist on Dave’s Garden, who wrote an informative and detailed article about it there. She says it is "pure ambrosia", and I agree! I’ll never go back to slaving over a hot stove top to cook down tomatoes into sauce again. This method frees up my time to get some other things done while the sauce is roasting, and tastes much better.
Any tomatoes you have on hand can be used. Meaty paste types are not necessary. Got a buildup of cherry tomatoes? Throw ‘em in too.
The recipe is rather flexible, and has been modified slightly for my own preferences. I tend to use what is on hand if I have most of the ingredients and don’t have time or inclination to run to the store. When I made a batch last fall, I didn’t have onions, but plenty of garlic. So, I just doubled the amount of garlic (we really like garlic!) I’ve also made it without oregano and used more basil, added more peppers for a spicier sauce, etc.
I should add that based on reader feedback, if you put fresh basil or oregano leaves or other ingredients on the top like I have pictured, they can burn. It is probably best to combine everything by stirring a bit before you pop your pan(s) into the oven.
Here’s my basic recipe:
5-7 pounds of tomatoes, washed – halved or quartered depending on size
1 large onion, or two small – diced
18-25 garlic cloves, peeled
2-3 moderate heat peppers, jalapenos or similar
1/4-1/3 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil (I use Colavita)
2 Tbs of dried oregano or Italian seasoning – or fresh oregano if available
1-2 Tbs dried basil, or large handful of fresh basil
Combine ingredients in roasting pan(s), and cook at 400 – 450F for 2 to 4 hours to desired consistency – larger batches may take longer
Salt to taste – I don’t usually find the need to add salt
Let cool and run through food mill
Peeling and deseeding tomatoes is not necessary. The original recipe suggests coring the tomatoes, but I don’t bother as my Spremy Electric Tomato Strainer does a great job at removing seeds, skin and cores. Be sure and cut off any bad spots, including severe cracking in case mold or bacteria is present.
I usually process several hundred pounds of tomatoes a year, so the Spremy was a great investment for me. However, if you are looking for a more affordable alternative (about $50), some who have tried this recipe say the OXO Food Mill works great too.
Note: If you don’t have a food mill, you can still make this sauce. I would recommend blanching and peeling the tomatoes first and removing the cores, though. Peppers would need to be diced – or use powder. Use a hand-held potato masher or food processor to break the roasted tomatoes up a bit. Finished product will be more chunky than what you would get by using a food mill, but is still delicious.
Tip: To quickly and easily peel the garlic, separate each bulb into individual cloves, and microwave on high for one minute between two paper plates (they may pop a bit, so don’t be startled.) Allow to cool for a few minutes before attempting to remove the clove covers, or you may burn your fingers. This will lightly "roast" the garlic and loosen the skins so that they slip right off. However, if you have a good quality food mill, you can likely throw in the garlic cloves without bothering to peel them first if you wish.
You will need to periodically check on the roasting tomatoes. I like to set a clip-on timer for about 45 min and take a look every time the timer goes off. Stir or mash occasionally to distribute the bottom layers to the top. You do want some light blackening of the cut tomato surfaces to occur, but not burning. The recommended temperature in the original recipe is 450F, but I sometimes roast at 400F so I can extend the time between checking/stirring while I am doing other things. As the sauce starts to really thicken up, you’ll want to pay more frequent attention.
Tip: I use a hand-held potato masher a couple of times during the roasting process, as it seems to speed things up a bit.
Roasted sauce can be made in small or large batches, just adjust the recipe accordingly. I prefer to make very large batches when my harvest starts to pile up, as it’s a quick way to clear oodles of counter space. I save a lot of seeds and like to combine my seed saving with sauce making whenever possible, so I don’t waste the tomatoes after extracting the seeds. Larger batches may take more time, hence the wide range of suggested cooking times. Cooking to a thick consistency will take longer, so will using the lower suggested temperature range.
This sauce is probably only safe to keep in the refrigerator for about 5 – 7 days tops. For longer term storage, put into freezer bags, label and lay the bags flat in a stack in your freezer. I’ve found that a quart sized freezer bag filled to about a 1″ thickness when laid flat is plenty for a dinner for two. Roasted sauce can be pressure canned, but the boiling water bath method is considered unsafe, mainly because of the olive oil. Consult the current Ball Blue Book or other authoritative canning guidelines for recommended times and procedures if you are considering canning the sauce.
35-40 pounds of tomatoes make about a gallon of sauce, but if you don’t cook the sauce down to an almost paste-like consistency as I do, you may end up with a little more volume. A gallon may not sound like a lot of finished product for all those tomatoes, but one cup will sauce about a pound of pasta. Roasted sauce is very concentrated and rich.
When reheating sauce to serve, do not simmer for extended periods of time. Doing so can cook out some of that garden fresh goodness, which was the whole point in making this wonderful oven roasted sauce in the first place. Warm on medium or med-low heat to the desired temperature, then combine with cooked pasta and serve. If adding ground meats (sausage, ground chuck, etc), brown and drain, then combine with sauce and heat.

greyghost · August 18, 2015

Ronaye, Thank you for posting this recipe! I thought I had it saved (twice)
and looked for it to post a link only to discover the site no longer exists
(the Settfest site). Thanks for copying the recipe and repeating it here!

tam91 · August 18, 2015

Yes, thanks indeed! It's in the oven now

FarmerShawn · August 19, 2015

We've been making this kind of stuff this year, and the trick my wife came up with is to put olive oil in the pan first (we use half sheet pans) then the herbs, onion, garlic, and any other stuff, then the tomatoes, salt and pepper topped with more olive oil. Keeping the herbs, especially, covered with tomatoes and the use of the shallow sheet pan minimizes both burnt herbs and any need to stir or mash during the roast.

**coronabarb** · August 19, 2015

Tracy, that looks SO good! Shawn, that's a great tip. Crispy herbs are not so good.

Salsacharley · August 19, 2015

Here's my first attempt. It is based on Craig L's recipe in Epic Tomatoes, but I added jalapenos and Jimmy Nardellos and more garlic! It was most excellent.

**coronabarb** · August 19, 2015

I haven't had breakfast yet! You guys are making me hungry

tam91 · August 19, 2015

I actually poked all the herbs under the tomatoes. After the first bit, it didn't seem to matter how I stirred it, they didn't burn.

greyghost · August 19, 2015

The photos are great!! I'm so glad this recipe was saved. I would have been
horrified to have all the ingredients and then discover no recipe!

wildcat62 · August 19, 2015

The pics look delicious.

August 17, 2015	#47
tam91 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Crystal Lake IL Posts: 2,484	Oh dear, the original recipe is gone. Do I remember correctly - it is just tomatoes, onions, garlic, fresh basil, and probably some oregano or something? Olive oil? Anything else? __________________ Tracy

August 17, 2015	#48
TheClaw Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Garner, NC Posts: 183	oven roasted heirloom tomato sauce (orhts) tam91, You got it. The evoo is important. We upgraded from the oxo food mill to a kitchen aid attachment.

August 17, 2015	#49
coronabarb Tomatoville® Recipe Keeper Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Roseburg, Oregon - zone 7 Posts: 2,821	Tom, if you see this, your photos from a few yrs ago are amazing. I can imagine what your kitchen smelled like. What temp do you roast the toms at and for how long? __________________ Corona~Barb Now an Oregon gal

August 18, 2015	#51
Ronaye Guest Posts: n/a	Oven roasted tomato sauce This is what I copied and cooked from last year and it was wonderful! Ronaye I’ve been making a lot of oven roasted sauce lately. It’s an easy way to turn your excess tomato harvest into a tasty, rich sauce to enjoy throughout the year. I originally got the idea from critterologist on Dave’s Garden, who wrote an informative and detailed article about it there. She says it is "pure ambrosia", and I agree! I’ll never go back to slaving over a hot stove top to cook down tomatoes into sauce again. This method frees up my time to get some other things done while the sauce is roasting, and tastes much better. Any tomatoes you have on hand can be used. Meaty paste types are not necessary. Got a buildup of cherry tomatoes? Throw ‘em in too. The recipe is rather flexible, and has been modified slightly for my own preferences. I tend to use what is on hand if I have most of the ingredients and don’t have time or inclination to run to the store. When I made a batch last fall, I didn’t have onions, but plenty of garlic. So, I just doubled the amount of garlic (we really like garlic!) I’ve also made it without oregano and used more basil, added more peppers for a spicier sauce, etc. I should add that based on reader feedback, if you put fresh basil or oregano leaves or other ingredients on the top like I have pictured, they can burn. It is probably best to combine everything by stirring a bit before you pop your pan(s) into the oven. Here’s my basic recipe: 5-7 pounds of tomatoes, washed – halved or quartered depending on size 1 large onion, or two small – diced 18-25 garlic cloves, peeled 2-3 moderate heat peppers, jalapenos or similar 1/4-1/3 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil (I use Colavita) 2 Tbs of dried oregano or Italian seasoning – or fresh oregano if available 1-2 Tbs dried basil, or large handful of fresh basil Combine ingredients in roasting pan(s), and cook at 400 – 450F for 2 to 4 hours to desired consistency – larger batches may take longer Salt to taste – I don’t usually find the need to add salt Let cool and run through food mill Peeling and deseeding tomatoes is not necessary. The original recipe suggests coring the tomatoes, but I don’t bother as my Spremy Electric Tomato Strainer does a great job at removing seeds, skin and cores. Be sure and cut off any bad spots, including severe cracking in case mold or bacteria is present. I usually process several hundred pounds of tomatoes a year, so the Spremy was a great investment for me. However, if you are looking for a more affordable alternative (about $50), some who have tried this recipe say the OXO Food Mill works great too. Note: If you don’t have a food mill, you can still make this sauce. I would recommend blanching and peeling the tomatoes first and removing the cores, though. Peppers would need to be diced – or use powder. Use a hand-held potato masher or food processor to break the roasted tomatoes up a bit. Finished product will be more chunky than what you would get by using a food mill, but is still delicious. Tip: To quickly and easily peel the garlic, separate each bulb into individual cloves, and microwave on high for one minute between two paper plates (they may pop a bit, so don’t be startled.) Allow to cool for a few minutes before attempting to remove the clove covers, or you may burn your fingers. This will lightly "roast" the garlic and loosen the skins so that they slip right off. However, if you have a good quality food mill, you can likely throw in the garlic cloves without bothering to peel them first if you wish. You will need to periodically check on the roasting tomatoes. I like to set a clip-on timer for about 45 min and take a look every time the timer goes off. Stir or mash occasionally to distribute the bottom layers to the top. You do want some light blackening of the cut tomato surfaces to occur, but not burning. The recommended temperature in the original recipe is 450F, but I sometimes roast at 400F so I can extend the time between checking/stirring while I am doing other things. As the sauce starts to really thicken up, you’ll want to pay more frequent attention. Tip: I use a hand-held potato masher a couple of times during the roasting process, as it seems to speed things up a bit. Roasted sauce can be made in small or large batches, just adjust the recipe accordingly. I prefer to make very large batches when my harvest starts to pile up, as it’s a quick way to clear oodles of counter space. I save a lot of seeds and like to combine my seed saving with sauce making whenever possible, so I don’t waste the tomatoes after extracting the seeds. Larger batches may take more time, hence the wide range of suggested cooking times. Cooking to a thick consistency will take longer, so will using the lower suggested temperature range. This sauce is probably only safe to keep in the refrigerator for about 5 – 7 days tops. For longer term storage, put into freezer bags, label and lay the bags flat in a stack in your freezer. I’ve found that a quart sized freezer bag filled to about a 1″ thickness when laid flat is plenty for a dinner for two. Roasted sauce can be pressure canned, but the boiling water bath method is considered unsafe, mainly because of the olive oil. Consult the current Ball Blue Book or other authoritative canning guidelines for recommended times and procedures if you are considering canning the sauce. 35-40 pounds of tomatoes make about a gallon of sauce, but if you don’t cook the sauce down to an almost paste-like consistency as I do, you may end up with a little more volume. A gallon may not sound like a lot of finished product for all those tomatoes, but one cup will sauce about a pound of pasta. Roasted sauce is very concentrated and rich. When reheating sauce to serve, do not simmer for extended periods of time. Doing so can cook out some of that garden fresh goodness, which was the whole point in making this wonderful oven roasted sauce in the first place. Warm on medium or med-low heat to the desired temperature, then combine with cooked pasta and serve. If adding ground meats (sausage, ground chuck, etc), brown and drain, then combine with sauce and heat.

August 19, 2015	#54
FarmerShawn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Vermont Posts: 1,001	We've been making this kind of stuff this year, and the trick my wife came up with is to put olive oil in the pan first (we use half sheet pans) then the herbs, onion, garlic, and any other stuff, then the tomatoes, salt and pepper topped with more olive oil. Keeping the herbs, especially, covered with tomatoes and the use of the shallow sheet pan minimizes both burnt herbs and any need to stir or mash during the roast. __________________ "Red meat is NOT bad for you. Now blue-green meat, THAT'S bad for you!" -- Tommy Smothers

December 25, 2014	#46
beeman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 692	For the first time this year we froze the sauce toms for 24 hours, removed the skins easily after thawing them out over a collander. This drained out a mass of juice water, clear as a bell but tastes very strong tomato. We then made sauce as usual, but thicker than normal, and really tasty. The freezing saves the hours of cooking trying to thicken it up, so the taste in my opinion is even better this year. Will use this method in future as it's definitely better.

August 17, 2015	#50
TomNJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Floyd VA Posts: 771	Hi Barb, It's been a while since I made oven roasted tomato sauce, but I do remember how nice the kitchen smelled! As I recall I believe I set the oven to 400F and roasted them until the skins began to caramelize. My oven at the time tended to read low, so the temperature may have been as high as 425F. I haven't grown paste tomatoes for a while, but decided I will next year and put up some roasted sauce. TomNJ/VA

August 18, 2015	#52
greyghost Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: southeastern PA Posts: 760	Ronaye, Thank you for posting this recipe! I thought I had it saved (twice) and looked for it to post a link only to discover the site no longer exists (the Settfest site). Thanks for copying the recipe and repeating it here!

August 19, 2015	#60
wildcat62 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2014 Location: Zone 6 Northern Kentucky Posts: 1,094	The pics look delicious.