Can any one help with some tomato tips?

Question

My dad has grown hundreds (or so it seems!) of tomatoes in his allotment this year, and I was wondering if anyone knows how we can either keep them fresher for longer, or how we could make a kind of tomato puree and if it's possible to freeze this? Or any recipe tips would be appreciated as they all need eating up! Any tips would be much appreciated!

Answer 1

Remove the skins (blanch the tomatos in hot water for a few minutes to make it easier) and then smash them up (use a blender or food processor).   Take the mashed up tomatos and simmer them in a pot until reduced by 1/2.    You now have a base tomato sauce that can be canned and stored for later use.  Be sure to can it properly tho...

Answer 2

pick your tomatoes green or not fully ripe  wrap in newspaper and place in dark cool place . they will ripen slow. puree is freezable for short time maybe three months.  puree is strained tomatoes simmered to puree stage (thickand not runny). chili sauce is good too  look in canning book for recipe. hope this helps

Answer 3

Freezing tomatoes is bad for them, they become limp and watery. Why not try canning them instead?

HOW TO CAN TOMATOES

1. Wash and drain enough fresh, firm, red-ripe tomatoes for one caner load. Place in wire basket.

2. After dipping into boiling water 30 seconds to loosen skins, dip into cold water; drain. Slip off skins.

3. Cut out cores and trim any green spots. Pack small tomatoes whole, large ones in halves or wedges.

4. Pack tomatoes in hot jars, pressing tomatoes to fill spaces with juice to 1/2 inch to tops of jars.

5. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt per pint. Run rubber spatula between tomatoes and jar to release air bubbles.

6. After wiping rims and threads of jars with damp cloth, add lids, rubber sides down; s***w bands tightly.

7. Stand filled jars on rack in hot water in canner. Add hot water to cover jars by 1 to 2 inches.

8. Put cover on caner. Heat water to steady, gentle boil. Process pints 40 minutes, quarts 0 minutes.

9. After removing jars and cooling 12 hours, test each seal. Remove bands; store in cool place.

Answer 4

You can find home made ketchup recipes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, pasta sauce on the internet by either Google, ask.com, or other search engines.

Answer 5

Sounds like you could use tastefulgarden.com

You can definitely freeze pureed tomatoes.

Enjoy!

Answer 6

You could eat them in salads or something but If its legal sell them.

Answer 7

No worries.  You can make semi sun dried tomato pesto although the process is quite involved for a beginner.  First cut the tomato's into segments 8Th's is generally accepted and then add salt and oregano.

dry out the tomato on low heat (really) low and waith for them to dry out. This is not really cost efficient but in large commercial kitchens we have lots of ovens.  when dry blend them with vege oil, pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper and there you go a tasty tomato puree that will freeze.   Good in cream sauces, in marinades, as a spread anything really.  Good luck.

Answer 8

Now I dont know off hand the recipes for puree or how to keep them in relishes or anything but I do know that Tomatos have naturally occuring MSG (as do mushrooms) so you can add them to just about any dish as a flavour enhancer. My dad used to put them in stirfrys which made the whole dish sweeter.  

Answer 9

You can roast them and make a pasta sauce which can be frozen.

I use peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic parsley and basil and black pepper. You can also use courgettes and/or aubergines if you like but I'm not that keen on them.

For 2 people the quantities I use are;

3 peppers

1 large onion

6 mushrooms

6 - 8 tomatoes

1 clove garlic

pinch of the herbs and plenty of black pepper.

Spray a roasting dish with oil then chop your veg and chuck it all in the dish.  Spray with oil and roast for about 30 - 40 mins about gas mark 200 until the peppers begin to go a bit black. Stick it all in the blender and its ready to eat.  You can spice it up with chillies if you like.

You can also make tomato soup. I found this recipe and I'll be trying it myself as we also have lots of tomatoes from the greenhouse

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Garden-Fres...

Answer 10

You will need to get your timing right to harvest the tomatoes for this. It is well worth the effort.

Green Tomato Chutney.

This recipe makes about 6 half pint jars. Please do not double recipe as unsatisfactory results may occur.

4 lbs green tomatoes

2 medium onions

1 and 1/2 green apples, peel and core

1 cup golden raisins

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground red pepper-may add more if you want it hotter

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp curry-may increase to taste

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups cider vinegar

Coarsely chop first three ingredients

In a saucepan, add chopped tomatoes, apples and onion. Add all other ingredients, stir to mix well

Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour until chutney is thick, stirring to avoid burning

Ladle into jars leaving 1/4 inch head-space

Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath

Let set for 1 month minimum for flavor to develop

http://www.tomatocasual.com/2007/08/29/r...

Sweet Tomato Relish.

(4 pints)

Ingredients

40 ounces tomatoes (canned or fresh)

3 onions, chopped

3-4 sliced sweet peppers

2 small hot peppers

2 cups sugar

1 cup vinegar

clove

cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1 Mix all the ingredients together in a large pot, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until desired thickness about 3 to 5 hours.

2 Pour the relish into hot, sterilized pint jars, cover, and process in a boiling bath for 15 minutes.

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/getreci...

Answer 11

Tomato Sauce(for bolognese)

As many tomatoes as you want. Slice an "X" at bottom of the tomato, near the green bit. Boil some water. And place tomatoes in the water. Wait for the skin to start peeling. And peel the rest of the skin away. Place in a big bowl and squash the tomatoes until a chunky sauce is made. Add a slight pinch of sugar. Some seasoning(to taste). Throw in some basil and oregano. And there you go.

Add to some mince to make a bolognese sauce.

It is freezable also. Enjoy

Answer 12

recipe ideas

tomato ketchup

tomato puree(just puree them together with a blender.)

tomato chutney

tomato sauce

dishes with tomato in them

bolanais

lasagna

curry`s

tomato flan

stews and casseroles

tomato soup

salads

tomato and mozerella

infact the list is endless,look in any good cook books and books on freezing vegetables.enjoy your cooking.tomato ketchup is a good present to take when invited to a B.B.Q.