Nutrition Homemade, Homegrown Tomato Sauce

Ryanne Kudla

homemade tomato sauce

I always hear people say they swear by homemade foods, specifically homemade tomato sauce, but I always thought that was so much work – especially when you have an endless supply of Costco tomato sauce right in your cupboard as I do. So why would I waste all that time and energy just for one jar of sauce? Maybe because it is the most amazing thing you will ever taste and I don’t even like tomatoes.

Every summer my boyfriend’s parents plant 4-5 big tomato plants in the garden and every year they try and get me to taste them because ” they are to die for!” Of course, I would always politely decline because of my extreme hatred for tomatoes. This year, their tomato garden was thriving, with huge, ripe tomatoes being picked off every day! It wasn’t until his parents went traveling abroad did I feel the need to use these tomatoes so that they wouldn’t rot and be wasted. I’m not a huge Italian food lover but my boyfriend and his brother are so I decided to see what the hype was all about and attempt to make homemade tomato sauce.

Besides the mess of the tomato juices, this recipe is super easy and so unbelievably delicious! The aromas that filled the house were incredible and I could still smell the roasted garlic and onions days after making it. I’m not quite sure how I will ever eat store-bought tomato sauce ever again. Hopefully, I can make enough jars that will last me most of the winter!

Ready to give it a try and surpass grandmas recipe? Here’s how:

Ingredients:
– 5 or 6 big tomatoes
– 1/3 cup Olive oil
– Half white onion, diced
– Two large garlic cloves diced
– 1 carrot, sliced and halved
– 1 jalapeno, diced
– Salt & pepper, eyeballed
– Celery salt, eyeballed
– Oregano, eyeballed
– Italian seasoning, eyeballed
– Fresh basil, 5-8 leaves, whole
Instructions:
1. Boil a large pot of water and place tomatoes in for about 2 minutes to loosen up the skin.
2. Cool tomatoes and peel their skin, cut off stems and any hard or white portions of the tomato. Roughly chop and set aside
3. Add olive oil to a large pot with diced onions, garlic, carrots, and jalapenos. Season with salt and pepper and cook until soft and translucent.
4. Add roughly chopped tomatoes to the pot along with dried spices, and bring to boil. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Once brought to a boil, turn the temperature down to a simmer and let cook until sauce is at your desired thickness.
6. Add whole basil about halfway through the cooking process and season with salt and pepper.
7. Enjoy right away or place in a reusable jar and enjoy it later!

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