Canned tomato paste is perhaps one of the most popular and necessary products in the kitchen. Without it, it is impossible to cook many dishes - Ukrainian borsch, spicy kharcho soup, vegetable stew. Literally just one spoonful of tomato puree - and the dish takes on new taste shades. But is tomato paste bought at the store always good? The recipe for its preparation, which includes all the ingredients listed on the package, does not always inspire confidence. Is not it? Indeed, in addition to the presence of tomatoes, often on packs are all kinds of obscure, and therefore not entirely useful products and substances in the form of emulsifiers, flavorings and thickeners. But it can be cooked at home and tomato paste! The recipe is very simple - only fresh tomatoes and a little seasoning. This article provides a detailed description of the work. The result is a natural and healthy vegetable puree - tomato paste. Photos accompany the main stages, clearly showing the process. So, let's begin.
Tomato paste: recipe for thick tomato puree
The whole process consists of two stages, the first of them can be performed in different ways.
- Getting tomato juice. If you have a juicer, you can skip the tomato mass through this appliance. In this case, hard skins and seeds are quickly removed from vegetables. In the absence of this miraculous technique, you need to do differently. Sliced fruits (small can not be chopped) place in a large basin or a wide saucepan and put on medium heat. When heated, the tomatoes soften and put in a lot of juice. Stir with a spoon with a long handle or ladle, lifting a thick hot mass from the bottom. Let the tomatoes boil well evenly so that all the pieces become soft. At the same time, you should not cook for a long time. Then leave the pan off the stove to cool. In a slightly warm form, the mass can begin to be wiped. To do this, first place the parts in a large colander, with which the peel will be removed. Then “pass” the puree mass through the middle iron sieve, carefully pressing. Pure juice without excess particles will drain down, and the seeds will remain in the device.
- Boiling. Pour the tomato puree juice into a saucepan and cook for about 3-4 hours. Half an hour before cooking, pour sugar and salt to taste, if desired, you can add a little different seasonings. The paste has a reddish-brown color, and the consistency is no worse than a store. Lay the hot mass in clean jars and cork. Additional sterilization of this homework is not required. Store in a basement or cellar.
How to cook tomato paste in a slow cooker
Much faster and easier from a practical point of view (no significant hot and humid fumes) homemade tomato puree is made using modern technology. Pour the resulting thick juice into the slow cooker without peel and seeds (the technology is described above). Then set the appropriate mode and wait for the result. Periodically, you can control the process so that tomato paste is not digested too much. The recipe for cooking in a slow cooker differs from the usual one in that all the additional ingredients (salt, ground pepper, sugar) are mixed with juice immediately, before starting work. Bring to the desired consistency, hot mashed potatoes lay in jars and roll up the lids. Homemade pasta is ready!