Basically, tomato puree is nothing more than a tomato puree or tomato puree. In contrast to tomato pieces or whole tomatoes in cans, there are no pieces in the pulpy liquid in the tomato strains. The addition “happens” comes from the special manufacturing process in which the pre-cooked (and mostly peeled) tomatoes are pressed through a grid (sieve) in which all large pieces are retained and only the liquid and fine solid particles pass through the sieve.
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Purchased goods
It is very easy to make strained tomatoes yourself, but there is no financial advantage if you do not have your own garden where large quantities of tomatoes are produced in summer. Passed tomatoes are available in stores in very good quality. The advantage of this tomato puree is that only sun-ripened tomatoes are used for the production. As a rule, there are pureed tomatoes in a tetrapack or in glasses. In addition to a little salt, they only contain citric acid as a preservative. There are also tomato strained pre-seasoned with various herbs, onions, garlic or other flavoring ingredients.
What does “happen” mean?
When making soups, sauces or purees, straining, also known as straining, is an important step. With this technique, solid from liquid components (in soups) can be separated or solid ingredients such as fruit and vegetables can be processed into a smooth paste. If you want to pass solid foods like tomatoes, you need some muscle strength. You put some of the ingredient in a sieve and spread over it with a soup spoon or ladle. Since only the smallest solids and liquids can pass through the sieve, a fine pulp is created, which turns out to be more solid or liquid depending on the water content.
Passing devices
Since passing solid masses such as fruit or vegetables is relatively strenuous, special passing devices are often used in these cases to make the work considerably easier. Passing devices are also known by the following other names:
- Passing mill
- Strainer
- Passetout
- Great Lotte
- Passing fleet
- Go fast
All these names refer to one and the same object. It is a sturdy pot, often with a handle so that it is easier to grasp. Fine holes are worked into the bottom of this device (sieve bottom). The food is filled in and pushed through the holes in the base using a turntable operated by a hand crank.
Make tomatoes yourself
With the right equipment, it is easy to make your own tomato strains. This is particularly recommended when large quantities of tomatoes are ready to be harvested in the garden and cannot be eaten in the foreseeable future.
Choice of tomato variety
In order for the tomato sauce to be particularly aromatic, it is important to choose the right type of tomato. The tomatoes shouldn’t be too firm or too small. All variants that have few seeds but a lot of aromatic pulp are ideal. Cocktail tomatoes, for example, are not particularly suitable for making tomato strains. They are too small, contain a high proportion of water and have a large number of seeds. Better are:
- Beefsteak tomatoes
- Egg tomatoes
- Cooking tomatoes
- Bottled tomatoes
- rheumatoid
The varieties mentioned have a slightly more floury consistency and a lot of pulp. They are also used industrially for the production of tomato puree and tomato paste. When choosing tomatoes, make sure that the fruits are as ripe as possible. Ripe fruits are not only softer and therefore easier to strain, but also contain a lot of lycopene, a carotenoid that gives tomatoes their red color.
manual
There are basically two different ways of making tomato strained yourself. Which variant is right for you probably depends on your equipment in the kitchen. Do not try to push the tomatoes through a cloth. The gaps in the cloth are too narrow so that only the liquid can seep through and the procedure not only leads to undesirable results, but also degenerates into a real test of patience.
1. Traditional method: straining
The traditional method of making strained tomatoes can already be recognized by the name. The tomatoes are passed. That means nothing else than that they are pushed through a large-mesh sieve. Conventional sieves made of metal mesh or a special sieve are suitable for this.
Utils
- Metal sieve or strainer
- cooking pot
- kitchenknife
- Cutting board
- Spoon or ladle
Step 1 :Fill a saucepan halfway with water and place it on the stove over high heat until the water boils. In the meantime, scratch the underside of the tomatoes in a cross shape with a kitchen knife.
Step 2 : Place the cut tomatoes in the boiling water and put the lid on the pot. Let the tomatoes soak in hot water for a few minutes. Then take them out of the water with a spoon and place them in a bowl.
Step 3 : Skin the tomatoes, remove the green stalk and cut them into pieces. By blanching, the skin can be easily peeled off in one piece. To make the mass less runny, you should remove the kernels straight away and just put the meat in a saucepan.
Tip: It is not absolutely necessary to peel the tomatoes. However, the bowls clog the fine holes in the sieve, so that frequent emptying is necessary.
Step 4 : To make the tomato pieces easier to pass, they are heated in the saucepan and simmered over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Pour part of the mass into the sieve.
Step 5 : Then stroke the pieces through the holes with a spoon or a ladle. This is easier with a strainer. If you want to produce large quantities of strained tomatoes, you should think about purchasing such a strainer, as it makes the work much easier.
Step 6 : If the tomato mixture is still too runny for you, you can boil it down to the desired consistency with the lid open. Occasionally stir the mixture to prevent it from burning.
Tip: If the tomatoes are still too raw, they will be very difficult to push through the sieve. You should therefore remain in the hot water for a few minutes and not just briefly doused with hot water.
2. Alternative method: pureeing
This manufacturing process is not actually pureed tomatoes, but rather “pureed” tomatoes. However, the result is almost indistinguishable from the tomato strained.
Utils
- Hand blender
- cooking pot
- Cutting board
- kitchenknife
Step 1 : Wash the tomatoes and use the kitchen knife to make a small cross on the underside of the peel. Then place the tomatoes in a saucepan or heat-resistant bowl. Heat a sufficient amount of water in the kettle and pour the boiling water over the tomatoes. All tomatoes should be well covered with water.
Step 2 : Let the tomatoes steep for a few minutes. The hot water ensures that the skin is easier to peel off and the meat becomes softer. Take out the tomatoes one at a time with a spoon and peel off the skin. If the tomato does not peel easily, put it back in the hot water and wait another minute.
Step 3 : Cut the tomatoes into pieces and remove the green stalk and seeds at the same time. Then put the tomato pieces in a saucepan and let them simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Now you can chop up the tomatoes with the hand blender and boil down to the desired consistency, stirring occasionally.
storage
If the tomatoes are not processed further in the kitchen, they can be frozen in individual portions or filled into mason jars or other closable containers. In the latter case, it is necessary to briefly boil the tomato strains and pour them into the clean glasses while they are hot. Immediately close the jars with the lids and place them on a kitchen towel. When all jars are filled and closed, cover them with another kitchen towel and let them cool down slowly. In this way, a vacuum (negative pressure) is created in the container and the mass can be kept for many months without refrigeration.
Conclusion
With the right type of tomato and the right equipment, it is very easy to make tomato strained yourself. However, homemade tomato puree is not cheaper to produce than purchased goods, nor is it necessarily of higher quality. Nevertheless, it is a very special pleasure to cook with homemade tomato strains.
