Cooking With Rania: Tomato Sauce
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- This week, Rania Harris is in the Pittsburgh Today Live kitchen making tomato sauce with ingredients from her own garden. She also offers tips on canning tomatoes.
Tomato Sauce from Rania's Garden
- 1 – 10# box home grown tomatoes ~ washed ~ cored and each cut into 8 wedges
- 5 large garlic cloves ~ peeled and cut into halves
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 large bunch of basil ~ stems removed and leaves chopped
Directions:
Put the tomato wedges into a large pot and over medium high heat and bring to a boil. The juices from the tomatoes will release quickly, but do stir from time to time, to prevent sticking. Boil the tomatoes until they are very soft and cooked through.
Working in batches, begin to run the tomatoes through the Sauce Master Food Strainer into a large bowl. When all of the tomatoes are completely strained, place the tomato puree back into the pot and bring back to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and add the garlic pieces, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer the pot, uncovered, until the puree turns into a slightly thick sauce. This should take at least 25 minutes or longer, depending on how thick you like your sauce. Add the chopped basil to the sauce and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
Note: Because all tomatoes contain a different level of water, the cooking time does vary. I continue to watch my sauce and cook it until I feel that it will hold up well over pasta. I stir if often, to prevent sticking. If you don't cook your sauce long enough, it will be a bit watery and runny,
Sterilize 4-pint jars with their lids and rings. Pour the hot sauce carefully into each jar (leaving about 1 inch of headspace). Cap and seal. Place the jars in the canner of the pressure cooker with 2 - 3 inches of hot water. Process for 20 minutes / high-pressure setting. Follow the directions that come with the pressure cooker for careful removal.
Yield: 4 pints sauce
