How to Make Homemade Tomato Sauce

1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile prepare an ice bath. Core out the stems from the tomatoes and slice a shallow "X" in the bottom of each tomato.

2. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 30-60 seconds, then transfer to ice bath. Remove the skin from the tomatoes.

3. Chop the tomatoes into small chunks and set aside.

4. In a large pot heat olive oil. Add chopped onion and sauté over low heat until golden, about 7-8 minutes. Add crushed garlic and sauté for 2 minutes more.

5. Add chopped tomatoes to the pot, season with salt, oregano and basil. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 60-90 minutes, until reaches desired consistency (until almost all the liquid has evaporated and the tomatoes are reduced to a thick, jam-like consistency). Stir frequently. At the end add the vinegar, stir and turn the heat off.

6. If you prefer smooth tomato sauce, puree the sauce using a hand blender. Transfer to a jar.

Notes:

• The best tomatoes for making homemade sauce: there are many types of tomatoes, I would recommend making homemade tomato sauce with Roma tomatoes, Plum tomatoes, San Marzano or a combination of serval kinds. It is important to use ripe tomatoes.
• Onion, garlic, basil and oregano are just optional additions. You can omit them all or use some of them.
• Canning: Pour into sterilized canning jars and twist on sterilized lids until very secure. Place jars in a pot of boiling water for 30 minutes. Let cool completely on the counter. Make sure that the lids have sealed completely. If the lid pops up when pressed, the canning process did not work properly. Store in your pantry for up to one year!
• How to store tomato sauce in the fridge: transfer the sauce to a sterilized jar and keep in the fridge up to 2 weeks
• How to store tomato sauce in the freezer: let the sauce cool completely, transfer to a jar/can or container and freeze up to 2-3 months.

Recipes you can make with homemade tomato sauce:

• Lasagna
• Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce
• Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
• One Pot Pasta with Tomato Sauce