Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Recipe below! Never buy store-bought again! This small batch of freezer-friendly version of tomato sauce is made using in-season fresh tomatoes to really capture their peak flavour. San Marzano or Roma tomatoes are perfect to use because they are fleshy and have few seeds and not a lot of excess water, making for richly flavoured, smooth tomato sauce.
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Makes about 8 cups (2 L)
Prep time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 75 minutes
You can refrigerate this in an airtight container until the expiry date of the buttermilk or sour cream you made it with, whichever is first.
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• Ingredients •
6 lb (2.7 kg) fresh San Marzano or Roma tomatoes
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 large cloves garlic, sliced
1 Tbsp (12 g) granulated sugar
2 Tbsp (8 g) chopped fresh oregano
1 Tbsp (4 g) chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp kosher or coarse pickling salt
½ tsp black pepper
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• Directions •
1. Bring a large pasta pot of water up to a rolling boil. While waiting, score the skin at the bottom of each tomato with an X to make it easier to peel after blanching. Have a large bowl of ice water and a slotted spoon ready.
2. Drop about twelve tomatoes into the boiling water and let these boil for 30 to 60 seconds—you will see the skins of the tomatoes start to split. Using the slotted spoon, quickly remove the tomatoes from the hot water and drop them into the ice water. Repeat with the remaining tomatoes in batches until all have been blanched and cooled. Drain the tomatoes well.
3. Use a paring knife to peel away the skin from each tomato, saving the skins in a bowl. Cut the tomatoes in half and use a spoon or your fingers to pull out any seeds and watery pulp into the same bowl as the skins, removing the stem ends as well. Put the leftover skins and seeds into a sieve over a bowl for about an hour to drain. Save the liquid to add to the sauce and discard the skins and seeds.
4. Place the now-empty pasta pot back on the stove and drizzle in some olive oil. Add the onions and celery and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the onions become translucent. Add the tomatoes, the reserved tomato liquid from straining, garlic and sugar and give the tomatoes a good stir. Add the oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring this up to a full simmer, covered, stirring occasionally. Once a simmer is reached, remove the lid and continue to cook until the tomatoes start to break down, about an hour. Remove the pot from the heat. Purée directly in the pot using an immersion blender or in a blender in batches.
5. Cool the tomato sauce to room temperature, then pack into freezer-safe containers, label and freeze.
Recipe below! Never buy store-bought again! This small batch of freezer-friendly version of tomato sauce is made using in-season fresh tomatoes to really capture their peak flavour. San Marzano or Roma tomatoes are perfect to use because they are fleshy and have few seeds and not a lot of excess water, making for richly flavoured, smooth tomato sauce.
--------
Makes about 8 cups (2 L)
Prep time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 75 minutes
You can refrigerate this in an airtight container until the expiry date of the buttermilk or sour cream you made it with, whichever is first.
--------
• Ingredients •
6 lb (2.7 kg) fresh San Marzano or Roma tomatoes
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 large cloves garlic, sliced
1 Tbsp (12 g) granulated sugar
2 Tbsp (8 g) chopped fresh oregano
1 Tbsp (4 g) chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp kosher or coarse pickling salt
½ tsp black pepper
--------
• Directions •
1. Bring a large pasta pot of water up to a rolling boil. While waiting, score the skin at the bottom of each tomato with an X to make it easier to peel after blanching. Have a large bowl of ice water and a slotted spoon ready.
2. Drop about twelve tomatoes into the boiling water and let these boil for 30 to 60 seconds—you will see the skins of the tomatoes start to split. Using the slotted spoon, quickly remove the tomatoes from the hot water and drop them into the ice water. Repeat with the remaining tomatoes in batches until all have been blanched and cooled. Drain the tomatoes well.
3. Use a paring knife to peel away the skin from each tomato, saving the skins in a bowl. Cut the tomatoes in half and use a spoon or your fingers to pull out any seeds and watery pulp into the same bowl as the skins, removing the stem ends as well. Put the leftover skins and seeds into a sieve over a bowl for about an hour to drain. Save the liquid to add to the sauce and discard the skins and seeds.
4. Place the now-empty pasta pot back on the stove and drizzle in some olive oil. Add the onions and celery and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the onions become translucent. Add the tomatoes, the reserved tomato liquid from straining, garlic and sugar and give the tomatoes a good stir. Add the oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring this up to a full simmer, covered, stirring occasionally. Once a simmer is reached, remove the lid and continue to cook until the tomatoes start to break down, about an hour. Remove the pot from the heat. Purée directly in the pot using an immersion blender or in a blender in batches.
5. Cool the tomato sauce to room temperature, then pack into freezer-safe containers, label and freeze.
