Tomayto, Tomahto: The Harvest of Tomato Idioms

Growing up, I had a strong aversion to tomatoes or tomato sauce. But as an adult, my palate has done a complete 180. Now, I can’t get enough of tomatoes and their saucy counterparts. However, I’m quite particular about how I enjoy them. I love them either uncooked and fresh, bursting with garden flavor, or well-blended and creamy in a luscious sauce. This newfound appreciation fuels my passion for growing a variety of tomatoes and crafting homemade sauces that cater to my specific tastes.

This year, my garden has been a vibrant tapestry of cherry, grape, and pear tomatoes, perfect for adding a burst of flavor to salads. Among the varieties, my newfound favorite are the Indigo Cherry tomatoes. I stumbled upon these delightful seedlings at a local farm stand, and they’ve quickly become a staple on my plate. Their unique taste and beautiful color ensure they’ll be a yearly addition to my garden. Alongside them, I’ve also nurtured red and yellow grape tomatoes, pear tomatoes, as well as the classic red cherry tomato, each bringing their own charm to my culinary creations.

The only challenge with my abundant tomato harvest is that I can’t consume them quickly enough! Naturally, I had to find a way to preserve them while crafting a culinary delight. Now, hear me out—this didn’t sound appealing at first, but I stumbled upon a fermenting recipe that’s absolutely divine! Initially, I was skeptical, but I thought, “Hey, I love garlic, basil, and fresh tomatoes, and it’s easy peasy, so why not give it a try?”

To my delight, it turned out to be a fantastic way to enjoy them longer. I loved them so much that I brought a batch to a picnic, and they were a huge hit! Easy to create indeed, all you need is water, salt (I used kosher salt), fresh basil, garlic cloves, fresh cherry, pear or grape tomatoes, and a mason jar. This gem of a recipe comes from the book “Can It & Ferment It” by Stephanie Thurow.

Once you’ve made your fermented tomatoes, be sure to burp them (release the ferment pressure) twice a day. I encourage you to taste one each day, as the flavor evolves daily. In the first few days, the garlic’s bold aroma and taste take center stage. As the ferment progresses, the tomato flavor intensifies, developing a delightful tang. After about five days, I transfer my jars from the countertop to the fridge to slow the fermentation process and extend the enjoyment of them. These tangy treats make a fantastic snack and are perfect companions for green salads or pasta salads. Give them a try and let me know what you think! Happy Fermenting!

Cue the saucy counterpart! My favorite method for preserving tomato sauce involves creating and canning a versatile tomato sauce base. This base can be transformed into a variety of delicious sauces, including pasta sauce, pizza sauce, chili sauce, tomato soup, or even ketchup. The base has a slightly sweet profile, which perfectly balances with the robust herbal, vegetable, or meat components added to each specific sauce. This way, you can enjoy a range of flavors from one simple preparation.

To begin, gather all necessary items: a large pot for boiling water, a large bowl of ice water, a large bowl for the peeled and cored tomatoes, a slotted spoon, a masher, and an immersion blender if you prefer a smooth, creamy sauce.

Blanching the Tomatoes:

• Bring the pot of water to a gentle boil. Carefully place as many tomatoes as possible into the water, ensuring there is enough space to monitor when the skins start to split.
• Once the skins split, transfer the tomatoes to the ice water bath. This will make peeling easier and cool the tomatoes to prevent burns.

Peeling and Coring:

• Remove each tomato from the ice water bath, peel off the skin, and de-stem and core them. Place the processed tomatoes into a bowl.

Preparing the Sauce:

• Crush the tomatoes with a masher and transfer them to a large pot.
• Add the other ingredients: apple cider vinegar, salt, sugar, black pepper, and my secret ingredient—carrots. The carrots add nutrition, complement the sweetness, and thicken the sauce.

Simmering:

• Simmer the mixture for at least 2 hours, until the sauce reduces by at least one-third.
• At this point, I like to carefully pulse with an immersion blender to achieve a creamy consistency and puree the carrots. Continue to simmer if needed to reach the desired thickness.
• Remember, this is a base sauce, so it can be adjusted later depending on its final use.

Preserving Your Sauce:

Once your sauce is ready, it’s important to preserve any that you won’t use immediately. I typically use water bath canning for this purpose. If you don’t have the necessary canning equipment (such as canning jars, lids, and a canning pot), you can also freeze the sauce for later use.

For those interested in canning, whether you’re a beginner or an expert, I highly recommend the book AMISH Canning & Preserving: How to Make Soups, Sauces, Pickles, Relishes, and More. This resource provides comprehensive guidance on canning and includes wonderful sauce variations that can be made using your base sauce. Keep in mind that this base sauce is on the sweeter side, so you may want to adjust the sugar content in your final product accordingly.

Happy preserving! See Tomato Sauce Base in my Recipe Library for the complete recipe.