Making homemade tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes is a great way to use up summer fresh tomatoes! When you use a food mill, there’s no need to prep for the tomatoes. You’ll end up with a rich, flavorful tomato sauce you can enjoy for pasta, pizza, and so much more!
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Table of Contents
You’re going to love making Tomato Sauce from Fresh Tomatoes. This is one of the easiest recipes to make because there is no peeling required! Everything goes right into the pot. After simmering for a few hours, you can simply process the tomatoes through your Food Mill, and voilà you’ve got the best Fresh Tomato Sauce.
Give it a try—you’ll love how easy it is, and once you do, you can try your hand at making applesauce with a food mill. If you’re looking for other ways to cook tomatoes, try this easy marinara sauce, homemade tomato soup, or fermented tomatoes.
Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with measurements below.
To make tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes you will need:
- Roma tomatoes: Works best for making tomato sauce. These tomatoes contain fewer seeds and have more flesh and less water, which means they cook down into a flavorful sauce.
- Aromatics: We will cook the tomatoes with onions and garlic to infuse them with more flavor.
- Red wine: Cooking the tomatoes with red wine gives your tomato sauce richer and more vibrant flavors. You can also use port or vermouth.
Be sure to check the recipe card for the full list and quantities of each.
How to Make Fresh Tomato Sauce
Making tomato sauce using fresh tomatoes is so easy to do! Here’s a look at the main steps.
Step 1 – Cook the tomatoes, onions, garlic, and red onion in a large stock pot until it boils. Reduce the heat and cook covered on low heat for about an hour.
Step 2 – Check the sauce and give it a stir, crushing the tomatoes. Cover it with a lid and cook for another hour.
Step 3 – Remove the lid and stir the sauce. Continue to cook uncovered for one hour or longer until the sauce thickens.
Step 4 – Remove the pot from the heat and allow the sauce to cool for 10 minutes.
Step 5 – Place the food mill over a deep bowl or pot and use a soup ladle to carefully transfer some of the sauce to the food mill. Crank the food mill so the pureed sauce drops into the bowl below.
Step 6 – Discard the skins and other debris left in the food mill. Decant the sauce into a jar, place the lid on the jar, and refrigerate your sauce.
How to Use and Serve
You can use this fresh tomato sauce in recipes or dishes just like you would use canned tomato sauce.
- It works great to make stuffed shells, baked pasta dishes, and lasagna.
- Use it to season and add flavor to your favorite soups, stews, or casseroles.
- Add it to rice or other grains for flavor.
- Use it as a base for homemade pizza.
Recipe Tips
- Store your tomato sauce in airtight jars or containers. This tomato sauce will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and 4-6 months in the freezer.
- Use caution when transferring the cooked tomatoes to the food mill. It’s a good idea to let it cool slightly, use a ladle, and move the pot close to the food mill to prevent spilling any on yourself.
- Make in multiple batches so you can store tomato sauce to use in recipes in the future. You can even package it up in 1 or 2-cup portions so you can easily pull out exactly the amount you need.
More Tomato Recipes
Canning Crushed Tomatoes with Water Bath Tutorial
Easy step-by-step process to water bath can tomatoes for your pantry shelf.
How to Make Slow-Roasted Candied Tomatoes
Enjoy these soft, tender, and absolutely scrumptious tomatoes!
How to Make Tomato Powder
Create this delightfully tasty flavoring powder in the oven or the dehydrator.
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Homemade Tomato Sauce using a Food Mill
Ingredients
- 8 pounds Roma tomatoes whole
- 6 medium Onions rough chopped
- 2 heads garlic cut in half
- 2 cups Red wine You can also use port or vermouth.
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Immediately turn your heat down to low, cover the pot, and allow it to simmer on low for one hour.
- After one hour, check on the sauce and stir well. Crush the tomatoes in the process. Re-cover your stock pot and allow it to simmer on low for another hour.
- Remove the pot lid and stir sauce. Allow to simmer one hour or longer until the sauce thickens.
- Once the sauce has thickened sufficiently, remove the pot from heat and allow the sauce to cool for 10 minutes.
- Place food mill over a deep bowl or pot and carefully transfer some of the sauce to the food mill. A soup ladle works well for this process.
- Crank the food mill as the finished sauce drops into the bowl below. The skins and other debris will remain in the food mill.
- Once all the sauce has been processed through the food mill, discard the skins and other debris. Decant the sauce into a jar, place the lid on the jar, and refrigerate.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Favorite Cooking Supplies
- Weston Stainless Steel Food Mill
- Duralex Made In France Lys Stackable 10-Piece Bowl Set
- OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Ladle
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- Le Creuset 20-Quart Stockpot
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