1/2 a bushel of plum tomatoes

ANy suggestions on what I could do in terms of long term use?.. other than oven dried tomatoes?

Panfusine
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11 Comments

mainecook61 August 28, 2012
Don't skin them! Too much work! Do you have a food mill? That will take out skins and seeds at the end.
 
mainecook61 August 28, 2012
Cut the tomatoes into quarters or halves, depending on size. I use mostly paste tomatoes, but stray regular tomatoes and cherry tomatoes get tossed in there too.
 
Panfusine August 28, 2012
These are fabulous specimens.. perfectly ripe w/o blemishes.. I'll probably skin them and cook them down into the oven sauce.. Thanks much mainecooks61!
 
Darlene C. August 28, 2012
It may be that I just ordered 100lbs of tomatoes and therefore have canning on my brain....but, what about canned whole plum tomatoes. That way, you don't have to decide now if you want to turn it into sauce, or chopped into a soup, stew or braise.
 
mainecook61 August 28, 2012
Oven tomato sauce. It's what I do when I can't face canning any more. Fill a roasting pan one layer (overlapping) or so. Salt and pepper. Add a glug of olive oil. Whole garlic cloves are nice, as is an onion.
Put it in the oven on low heat, around 250, higher if you are in a hurry. But you shouldn't be. This can take 6 hours or more to melt down to a point where there is very little liquid in the pan. Put it through a food mill. Freeze it. I regularly made this when I was teaching full time and had to go back to school just as the tomato explosion hit (this being Maine). If you are overwhelmed with tomatoes and work, this recipe, such as it is, will save your life. In the winter, you can add basil or anything else to this to jazz it up, but right now, it should be, as Thoreau (who did not raise tomatoes) said, "Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity."
 
Panfusine August 28, 2012
Wow, this sounds great! shd I slice the tomatoes? or just quarter them?
 
SKK August 28, 2012
Generally I work with 60 - 80 pounds of roma's every year.

I make pasta sauce and can it - my favorite recipe is http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/recipes-summer-family-secret-tomato-sauce.htm

I make tomato paste http://food52.com/recipes/14681_homemade_tomato_paste and freeze it

I dehydrate tomatoes and reconstitute them all winter in soups, for salads ...
 
louisez August 28, 2012
I, too, have made and frozen Marcella Hazan's tomato sauce and frozen it.
Also, ketchup....
And tomato soup....
If you have a dehydrator, you could dry tomatoes. Good crumbled over salad in winter....
 
HalfPint August 28, 2012
Gilt Taste has instructions on making tomato concentrate (paste), http://www.gilttaste.com/stories
 
Panfusine August 28, 2012
Wow thanks for this link. Unfortunately, these aren't the juicy variety, but I'm thinking of going thru with the part 2 of this article.. Oven dry some of them..
 

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Bevi August 28, 2012
You lucky woman. I would make Marcella Hazan's tomato sauce and freeze it. I have been so happy to pull my stash out of the freezer and use it. If you have the time and the inclination, Jennifer Perillo's tomato jam is so delicious. I made a huge batch for last year's Food52 Book Party and gave away a ton of it for the holidays. It's a great relish or jam and goes with toast, sandwiches, barbecue, curries, and savory crackers. Have fun!
 
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