Like many good things, tomato season is fleeting. Because tomatoes have been hybridized to have thick skins so that they ship well, it is difficult to find thin-skinned heirloom tomatoes in Winter at the grocery store.
Take advantage of the end of season tomatoes at the farmers’ markets (or your garden) and make up big batches of tomato sauce while the available tomatoes still have flavor. And get raves when you add a little sumac as your ”secret ingredient”
Jump to: RECIPE | What is Sumac? | More Preserving Methods
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Turn Low Carb Meals into “Comfort Food”
Often people think that diet food, or low carb food, is comprised of salad, vegetables and lean meat. Actually low carb meals can be full of flavor and can be very satiating.
Sauces and spices play a huge roll in making low carb dishes feel like “comfort food”
Fresh, robust tomato sauce is certainly one of those sauces that can make a low carb dinner a welcome meal for the whole family, no matter what kind of food preferences or diet they may have. Particularly in the depths of Winter.
Another low carb, quick and easy recipe that allows tomatoes to shine is this 30-minute spicy tomato soup. For those on a gluten free diet, this soup will satisfy your tomato cravings.
The Secret Ingredient of this Freezer Tomato Sauce
Sumac! Sumac is a spice that is relatively new to the American palate. It was noted by several chefs that I follow that it was a good complement to tomatoes, so I thought I’d give it a try. They were right.
It gives a slight tweek to an already great tomato sauce and makes people ask…”What is that thing I taste in the background?”
Add this freezer basil pesto to your meal and you’re golden.
More (much more) on Heirloom Tomatoes:
Check out this category on heirloom tomatoes for a wide range of posts on how to grow, select and cook with heirloom tomatoes.
Or get some tips from the post links below on how to preserve your end-of-summer herbs and vegetables.
Beyond Freezing: 10 Methods for Preserving Summer’s Produce
- Easy Green Tomato Pickles
- Dehydrated Tomato Powder
- Freezing Summer Tomatoes (plus freezer tomato sauce recipe)
- Preserving Fresh Herbs as Herbal Infused Salts
- Freezing Compound Butters made with Fresh Herbs
- Red Pepper & Eggplant Spread for Cheese Trays & Sandwiches
- Homemade Dandelion Jelly
- Salt & Vinegar Cucumber Chips
- Quick & Easy Pickled Onions
- How to Make Shrub Syrups (cold process vs. hot)
- Sun dried tomato butter
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Low Carb Freezer Tomato Sauce
Equipment
- Dutch oven (Or large pot)
Ingredients
- 7 lbs fresh tomatoes
- 1 large onion
- 2-4 cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tsp spicy chile pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp sumac
Instructions
- Coarsely chop tomatoes, onion and garlic7 lbs fresh tomatoes, 1 large onion, 2-4 cloves garlic
- Add olive oil to dutch oven or large pot and heat up over medium heat. Add onions and saute about 5 minutes or until caramelized. Add garlic for last 30 seconds2 Tbsp olive oil
- Add tomatoes, herbs and spices and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Lower heat and simmer for about 1 hour1 bunch fresh basil, 3 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 tsp spicy chile pepper, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp sumac
- Optional: Cool slightly and add a cup of the sauce to the food mill situated over a bowl. Turn the food mill to grind the tomato peels, seeds and pulp, releasing the sauce to the bowl below the food mill.If you want to leave the sauce more rustic, you don’t have to run it through the food mill. The tomato peels are the main problem, as they can put people off the texture. You could just pull the peels out with tongs as it is cooling. Alternatively you can peel the tomatoes ahead of time, but you will lose some of the intensity of flavor.
- Pour the bowl of tomato sauce into ziplock freezer bags (carefully), label with date and place in the freezer
Video
Nutrition
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Sumac?
@dorothy stainbrook,
Sandy….i find Sumac at Asian Indian stores in my area.
Yes! Sumac goes really well with tomatoes and brings out the flavor. It used to be hard to find in powdered form, but it’s getting more popular now and you can often find it in the local grocer.
Is the nutritional values for a serving or the whole recipe?
@dorothy stainbrook,
Thank you
It is for one serving. The whole batch is considered 8 servings.