Fall Freezer Tomato Sauce

Every year it seems that there’s an overload of tomatoes in the fall, so I make and freeze this sauce to use up all those great tomatoes.  It gets us through until tomatoes are fresh again next year.  The recipe is adapted from The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash.

7 lbs. tomatoes

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups finely chopped onions 

1/2 cup finely chopped carrots

1 1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1 cup finely chopped red or yellow pepper

1/2 cup beef, chicken, or vegetable broth

1 cup tomato paste (this can be omitted but the sauce must be simmered substantially longer to achieve consistency)

2 bay leaves

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup freshly chopped basil or 1 tablespoon dried

1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme or 1 1/2 teaspoon dried

1 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano or 1 1/2 teaspoon dried

Peel and chop the tomatoes; or run them through a tomato strainer (I use a Roma® food mill available from Lehman’s).  Heat the oil, and saute the onions and carrots until the onions start to brown.  Add the celery and peppers, and saute until they’re limp.  Add the broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add the herbs and simmer for 5 more minutes.  Remove the bay leaves.  If the tomatoes were not initially run through a strainer, immersion blend the sauce to the desired consistency.  Allow the sauce to cool, fill freezer containers, chill in the refrigerater, and then freeze.  Makes about 6 pints.