A simple recipe for tomato dressing for the winter at home step by step

Who wouldn't want to have a homemade, always-fresh version of tomato paste on hand at all times? It’s easy to make yourself - a dressing from fresh tomatoes for the winter is prepared quickly, and the preparation lasts for a long time. During periods of rising vegetable prices, you can continue to pamper yourself and your family with natural dressings. Add it to dishes and salads, use it as a sauce for meat or fish - it will fit everywhere.

Specifics of preparing tomato dressing for the winter

No matter what you do with tomatoes, they will not lose their beneficial properties - these vegetables are equally resistant to heat treatment and freezing. That is, after preparing supplies of such homemade tomato paste, you can defrost it and still get a healthy product.

This, however, is very easy - even an inexperienced housewife can cope, who, having once compared the sauce on homemade pasta and the same on purchased pasta, will forever make a choice towards the first option.

Product requirements

Obviously, the tomatoes must be fresh. You should not believe the stories that for paste you can use tomatoes that are discounted due to bruising, small areas of rot and spoilage. Even if you remove these spoiled places, the vegetable itself is no longer fresh, does not have the proper elasticity, and its taste is spoiled.

You should not take unripe tomatoes either - they will cook slowly, give less juice, and will not peel well. The signs are: white core, green or yellow spots (not to be confused with the Black Prince variety - dark green spots are normal for it).

Ingredients needed for delicious homemade pasta

For the most part, the recipes offer approximately the same set of products. The cooking methods differ only in the number of tomatoes and the types of spices required for cooking.

What you will need:

• three kilograms of fresh, suitable tomatoes;
• a tablespoon of salt;
• two or three large cloves of garlic;
• black pepper (not peppercorns) to taste;
• red pepper (one pod or a quarter teaspoon ground).

If desired, you can add a variety of spices such as cloves, bay leaves and mustard - here the tastes of housewives and their households can vary greatly, so the issue of seasonings remains at the discretion of each individual.

The process of making homemade tomato paste

Since tomato paste is a one-component preparation, it is easy to make even at home. You need to spend a minimum of time preparing vegetables and watch them a little while cooking. If done correctly, this tomato paste can last throughout the winter or for a longer period when fresh vegetables are not available.

Proper preparation of vegetables

Tomatoes are always washed, even if they were brought from the supermarket in a net or cling film. Tomatoes are dangerous not because of dirt, but because of traces of chemical treatment, which is inevitable both in industrial-scale and small-scale farming.

You will need a meat grinder - this is the easiest way to grind tomatoes to a puree, but first you need to cut out their core, which will give off bitterness. Ideally, the tomato should not have any hint of dense pulp left in the center. Tomatoes peeled in this way are thrown into a meat grinder, without paying attention to the skin.

Sterilization of jars and lids

If this is not done, bacteria will remain inside the jars of prepared pasta. In the warm and nutritious environment of jars of pasta, these microorganisms will begin to multiply, provoking the process of rotting. This should not be allowed under any circumstances - the entire product in the jar will go down the drain, and if you notice it too late, even a “can explosion” is possible.

Jars are sterilized over a burner fire with or without special attachments. The lids are boiled in boiling water - they are designed for this, so they will not bend.

Cooking tomatoes

The tomatoes should reach the state of a homogeneous pulp - then they can be boiled. It is advisable to use a wide and deep pan so that the paste can boil (it can boil strongly), then add all the spices and salt there, stirring. Fifteen minutes is enough for the pasta to boil and be completely ready.

Vegetable packaging

There are two options. If you want to preserve the pasta without freezing, you need to pour it into jars with a ladle and tighten the lids with the necessary device for this. Then you will have to allocate a cool and dry place for preservation.

If there is no space for jars, use simple plastic containers (with tight lids) and place them in the freezer. This will not make tomato paste worse; on the contrary, it will be stored safer and longer. Don't worry about possible swelling of the lids and bacteria - they cannot live without heat.

How do you know if the paste has turned out?

If the tomatoes are chosen correctly, then most of the work is already done. Fresh and rich pulp gives the main taste, spices emphasize it - this is a tasty preparation. You can taste it. It should not be bitter, sour, or give off any other smell other than tomato.

If its taste is clearly reminiscent of borscht frying, everything is in order - it is a good pasta.

Storage periods and rules

Paste in jars can be stored in the refrigerator or any other cool place without direct sunlight. The product in plastic containers is also well stored in the freezer (the glass will crack there).

You can store from a year to five years (in theory - the paste usually does not last that long). As long as the jar is not bloated or otherwise damaged, the product is safe to eat or add to food..