[mumofstig]

After skinning, chopping, passing through the Mouli and cooking to reduce.......I've just put 12 x 400g polybags of passata, into the freezer.

I'm shattered now, and the Kitchen is still splattered and smells of tomato and basil 

Now to cook tea, and it isn't pasta...I've had enough of that with all the sampling 

[arugula]

So I'm sure more than one will want to know your passata recipe mum and I want to know what you're having for tea. 

[MJS]

Well done!

[mumofstig]

Put tomatoes into a saucepan of boiling water for a few minutesto lift the skins off.
Remove skins as soon as your fingers will allow and pass the tomatoes through a mouli, a passa pomodori machine or sieve to remove all the pips. The passapomodori machine will take the skins off as well but I prefer to do it first.
Put back into clean saucepan and bring to boil, simmer till thick as you like. Add 2 teaspoons of bottled lemon juice to each pint of passata, and  add salt to taste...it's quite sweet by now so it needs more than you think
Either cool and pour into bags with a little olive oil and a sprig of basil. Which is what I did today as there is room in the freezer.
Otherwise
Pour  hot passata into clean glass jars, heated in the oven, add the oil and basil, clean around the screw top to make sure you get a good seal and screw on lid.
Put jars into a pan of hot water up to their shoulders. I put an old tea towel on the bottom to cushion the jars a bit. Put on pan lid, or cover over with foil to keep heat in.
Bring the water back up to boil and leave simmering for 30 mins. Then leave jars to cool and the lids will pop down. I save the jars that have a dimple in the lid so you can see that they've sealed properly. Any that don't seal should go in the fridge and be used up within a week or so, to be on the safe side


As for tea...cheese and beans on a jacket spud, a bit of coleslaw on the side, and a cornetto for 'afters'

[arugula]

Brilliant, thanks.  We had ice cream too, Mackies honeycomb..... 

[Janeymiddlewife]

I take it you have a greenhouse mum, as my outdoor ones are still very green!
I'll be about 6 weeks behind you mum, I'd always frozen til now, but might try the jars if i can get enough of them as freezer space is at a premium, come to think of it, all space is at a premium 

[arugula]

Our greenhouse, well polytunnel, ones are green, but at least they are there. 

[Trillium]

Despite hot weather, my toms for saucing are green too. At least I have a lot this year.

But the cherry toms are ripening faster than Ii can eat them. Yummmm

[mumofstig]

I checked and it is a week earlier than last year.
I tried a new Variety this year, which I would recommend for sauce cooking...Rio Grande from Seeds of Italy. I grew them as double cordons and have a huge yield off 5 plants, lots more still green, as well, impressive!
The San Marzano which I've preferred till now have nowhere near as many toms on and are still green

Wth the Rio Grande it looks as if they will be picked and out of the greenhouse in good time to leave room for the winter salads.

[strangerachael]

I slow cook the tomatoes in the oven on a low heat before putting through the passata machine, instead of reducing it afterwards. Works well. 

[plum crumble]

thanks MUM! Will try Rio Grande next year - my various varieties are all green still! Is Rio Grande just for Greenhouse growing?
ta
Plum

[mumofstig]

it doesn't say it's a greenhouse only one, but I didn't grow any outside.

[sunshineband]

Thanks for the heads up with the Rio Grande.

I've been a bit disappointed with Roma this year (which is what I have grown for suaces etc) with a poor yield.

Luckily the Alicantes, whilst not the best flavoured tomatoes in the world, have come up trumps so i shall be 'passata-ing' to get them all done before we go on holiday at the weekend 

[Trillium]

The San Marzano which I've preferred till now have nowhere near as many toms on and are still green

/quote]

I've had that problem too with san Marzano - lovely flavour but very low yield. I'll give Rio Grande a try as sometimes even my Romas disappoint in yield.

[mumofstig]

Raining this morning so made another batch, put into jars this time.
They've just started popping ...I  love the sound of a job well done.