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Uh, trying to make simple marianara sauce

post #1 of 10
10/17/07 at 5:10pm
Thread Starter 
I went shopping and bought a bunch of tomatoes on a green vine. About 3 pounds worth. I don't know how to 'crush' them. Here's the recipe. Can someone help me quickly? I want to do this tonight.

Marinara Sauce:
Everyone has his own variation of marinara sauce. Borgatti's is basic and can be used throughout this book whenever marinara is called for—the seasonings and herbs can be adjusted, to taste.

1/3 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed plum tomatoes
10 basil leaves, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the oil. Saute the garlic, salt, and pepper for 5 minutes or until the garlic is softened. Add the remaining ingredients, then raise the heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Simmer for 30 minutes. The sauce can be stored for up to 5 days in the refrigerator and several months in the freezer.

Yield: about 5 cups
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post #2 of 10
10/17/07 at 5:30pm
The easiest thing to do (although not the most elegant) is simply to cut the tomatoes in half, empty out the seeds, then chop the tomatoes into small pieces and make the sauce as the recipe says.

It's a little more refined if you skin them first: bring a big pot of water to a boil, and set up a bowl with ice and water. Core the tomatoes (cut out the stem end), cut an X at the other end, and drop them into the boiling water for 15, maybe 30 second, until the skins start to loosen. Scoop them out and drop them into the ice water, then peel. Again, cut them in half, remove the seeds, chop, etc.

And if you're using fresh herbs, add them when the sauce is almost done, not early in the cooking; cooking them even 30 minutes will lessen their flavor. (Do cook dried herbs the full time, though).

I hope this is in time to help you. :smiles:
"Notorious stickler" -- The New York Times, January 4, 2004
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post #3 of 10
10/17/07 at 5:35pm
Thread Starter 
This seems complicated. And something that can't be accomplished tonight.

wouldn't you want the seeds and all the juices?

i know the skin is a bad idea but, well, that takes A LOT of time and patience.

i don't know what you mean by cutting an X in the other end.
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post #4 of 10
10/17/07 at 5:57pm
Thread Starter 
What kind of tomatoes is this recipe asking for?

I'll just use these for something else. Supposedly this recipe is the best, so I want to give it my all. ;-)
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post #5 of 10
10/17/07 at 6:02pm
Don't worry about the skin. The x means that you make two small cuts on the bottem of the tomato that are perpendicular to each other, hence an "X" or a cross.

The seeds and core can make the sauce bitter. If you have got a strainer, put the seeds in the seive so you can collect the tomato juices to add to the sauce.


So here is what you do:

1)Cut out the core (the hard white/brown piece on the stem end) and throw away.

2)Cut tomato in half. Scoop out seeds into a strainer and save the juice.

3)Dice the tomatos. Large or small, your choice.

4)Use diced tomatoes and juice in place of the canned tomatos.
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post #6 of 10
10/17/07 at 6:11pm
You could also just put the cooked tomatoes through a food mill and that will take out the skins and seeds for you. Then you will have pureed tomatoes for your sauce.
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post #7 of 10
10/17/07 at 7:17pm
Try grating them thru a very course grater, like the big holed side of a box grater. If you don't mind the skin and seeds this is the quickest way.
 Don't handicap your children by making their lives easy.
Robert A. Heinlein
 
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post #8 of 10
10/23/07 at 4:35pm
Thread Starter 
Okay, I give in. For number 2, what do you mean? Why do I want to put the seeds in a strainer? Why not just toss them out? Save the juice in the same container as the diced tomatoes?

And if I wanted to peel the skin, just use a normal peeler - something you'd use to peel an apple? Or can you use a knife, etc?

Thanks...
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post #9 of 10
10/23/07 at 5:41pm
All the juice and goop is on the seeds, so you would cut the tomato in half and scoop out the seeds/goo into a strainer. After you have fininished cutting your tomatoes in half and seeding them, swish your fingers against the bottem of the strainer so all the juice goes through. Once you've done that, discard the seeds. The diced tomatoes go into the same container as the juice.

A vegetable peeler will not work with a tomato. You'll need to use the blanching method described above, or you can roast or broil the tomatoes and peel the blackened skin off.
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post #10 of 10
10/25/07 at 4:30am
When I make Marinara, I just take my tomatoes out of the freezer, run them under cold water and the skin comes off ...... throw them in a pot, strain out some of the seeds , ( you are proabably suppose to take them all out but I don't)...

but if using fresh tomatoes I leave the skin on, but take a small amount of them and puree them add this to the fresh tomatoes and continue adding ingrediants for the sauce
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