The Best (I GIVE UP!) Home Made Tomato Sauce EVER

We laughingly call this our "I GIVE UP" sauce here on the ranch.   What that really means is we have Tomatoes, bellpeppers and every other veggie coming out of our ears AND we have had the first hint of cooler weather.

Since the farmers market tables are brimming over  what does that mean?  Time to make a one time push, make a pile of sauces and can.   We are all about no work here so we do it a little different.

No Work " I GIVE UP" Tomato Sauce

Our secret?  We make the sauce over several days in the OVEN in a huge dutch oven.   This lets us add to it as we are gleaning out the garden and gives it that slow cooked taste.  Our other secret? Put anything in.. and can up special versions of sauce as we go!

In a BIG covered Dutch Oven in your Oven (at 250 degrees)

Use Tomatoes from the Farmers Market

• Fill the bottom with 1/4 an inch of olive oil and coat the sides
• All the tomatoes you can find 
• Bell peppers
• Other peppers (if you like it a little spicy)
• Basil
• a Few shredded carrots (this cuts the acid from the tomatoes)
• and anything else...(wine, a little water?)
• Since we have the oven going anyway we always put garlic in oil and let it roast... THEN put it in the pan.

Or just keep adding all your garden tomatoes 

Just let it cook... but don't let it scorch so figure out your oven.  You can continue to add to it for a few days if you like... giving you time to tackle those out of control garden areas one at a time and add them to the pot

NOW.... From time to time use a strainer and push the mixture through it removing tomato skins or things you don't like.   

THEN... Pot up in different pots mixtures as you go (and have time) and turn the tomato base into  salsa or hot sauce.   Or, add chilies  and beef broth and create enchilada sauce, or egg plant to make a smooth purple marinara ... but just keep cooking your big dutch pan base. 

Go ahead and can each special sauce version.  Ladle it out of the main Dutch Oven, put it in a food processor then back into a new pot to cook for 25 min at a very low boil with any special veggie or seasoning add ins.  Put directly in sterilized jars leaving a 1/2 an inch.  Immerse in a pressure cooker for the recommended time. (read all about canning here)

At the very end take any remaining  tomato sauce left in the Dutch Oven and can that too.

HINT:  Eat Pasta or dinners with your special sauces each night... that takes care of  meal planning AND you can for the future.

Photo credit E. Borgnis

-------------------

Follow the Castle Gardener.   Perfecting permaculture and organic practices that are NO WORK and can be done by a farm girl with nails..