Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 2 hrs

This recipe is a bit time consuming, but worth every second. You can freeze it and have fresh tomato sauce well through the winter.

Ingredients

• 2 ½ lbs fresh assorted tomatoes (or all plum tomatoes)
• 1 Tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves
• ½  small yellow onion
• 1 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 sprigs of fresh basil
• Salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Heat your sauce pot with oil, then saute diced onions and minced garlic until soft.
2. Add the tomato paste and cook until dry.
3. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for blanching. In shifts, drop tomatoes into water while boiling for about 30 seconds, until they begin to wrinkle and peel.
5. Use a slotted spoon to remove tomatoes and place in an ice bath to cool.
6. Use your hands to peel the skin from tomatoes. Use a pairing knife to carefully remove the hard tomato core. Roughly chop up tomatoes and add to pot with the onions and garlic.
7. Let tomatoes simmer on LOW for up to 2 hours – stir often.
8. When the sauce is finished, season with salt to taste, add a dash of black pepper, and stir in chopped fresh basil. Enjoy! See notes for storing tips.

To refrigerate: Completely cool sauce to room temperature, store in sealed airtight containers and keep in the fridge for 5-7 days.

To freeze: cool sauce to room temperature, then store in an airtight container and freeze for up to 5 months. When ready to reheat, remove and let thaw for 2-3 hours. Then add to pot and reheat.