Conference turris::cooks

    To make homemade tomato sauce from scratch takes time.  I usually
    make mine in huge kettles (the same size as for boiling the canning
    jars).  If I have mostly roma tomatoes (pulpy), I may not have to
    cook the sauce as long.  I usually have to cook the sauce for a
    day or so.  I add some paste to mine to help it thicken.  I core
    the tomatoes and pop them in the blender to the specification I
    want.  I do not season it until the sauce starts to thicken.  This
    is usually the next day.  I put in Basil, Oregano, Bayleaf, garlic
    powder, little salt and pepper, and optionally baking soda to reduce
    some of the acid.  Sometimes I add chopped onion and pepper to the
    sauce while cooking.  It depends on the size pan you are using.
    I do not know many people that have specific measurements written
    out.  Mine is based on a few years of experiments.  Everyone lives!
    
    Another thing I've seen people do is saute' minced garlic clove(s)
    in olive oil (called the base) before adding the tomatoes.  I do
    not use oil.
    
    Joy

    Do you simmer it with the cover on or off?
    
    Dave

    Simmer it with the cover off.  The excess water will evaporate
    faster.  This is before you add the spices.
    
    Joy
    

    I've been making tomato sauce for years using canned tomatoes.
    
    Can anyone here share an Italian tomato sauce recipe using 
    
    Fresh tomatoes   (I have a new garden)
    
    
    Thanks,
    
    ....Bob

    I also have a garden with fresh tomatoes.  I use no standard receipe.
    Here's how I get tomatoe sauce:
    
    Wash tomatoes.  Boil some water.  Drop tomatoes in water for 30
    seconds (you need to peel tomatoes before you do anything else).
    Next I chop tomatoes up (this does not have to be done any special
    way because cooking them will break them down).  Before I place
    them in a pan I first saute some onions and garlic in a little olive
    oil (this is done to taste), I will also saute mushrooms if I have
    them on hand.  Add in the tomatoes, bay leave, oregano or basil
    some red pepper (ground) and black pepper -- all to taste.  Simmer
    this mixture, uncovered for 2-3 hours slowly.  Do not boil this
    or it will burn to the bottom of the pan.  I like nice thick sauce
    so I will turn it off after 3 hours let it cool and the next night
    simmer again.  This has sure worked for me and the stuff freezes
    great.

    This recipe uses fresh tomatoes, cheese, garlic, and basil...and
    doesn't get cooked!!!
    
    Pasta with Tomatoes and Four Cheeses
    
    2 3/4 lbs. tomatoes, cored, seeded and cut into 3/4 inch dice
    1/2 cup shredded fresh basil
    1 1/2 tsp. coarse kosher salt
    1 large garlic clove, minced
    
    1 cup ricotta cheese, room temperature
    2 tbsp. whipping cream
    Freshly ground pepper
    Freshly grated nutmeg
    2 ounces Fontina cheese, cut into 1/4 inch dice (1/2 cup)
    2 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4 inch dice (1/2 cup)
    
    1 lb. rotelle or other short pasta
    2 tbsp. olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
    1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
    
    Combine first 4 ingredients in bowl.  Let stand at room temperature
    1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
    
    Fluff ricotta with fork.  Thin to creamy consistency with whipping
    cream.  Season with pepper and nutmeg.  Mix in Fontina and mozzarella.
    Let stand at room temperature.
    
    Drain most of liquid from tomatoes, leaving just enough to keep
    moist.  Add pasta to large amount of rapidly boiling salted water,
    stirring to prevent sticking.  Cook until just tender but still
    firm to bite.  Drain well.  Place in heated bowl.  Mix in oil. 
    Add cheese mixture and toss until cheese begins to melt.  Spoon
    tomato mixture over top; toss mixture at table.  Sprinkle each serving
    with some Parmesan.  Pass remaining cheese separately.
    
    
    Christine ~8*}
    
    
    

    	I often have a problem with bitterness in my sauce made from scratch. I
    assume its because of the acidity of the tomatoes. Does anyone know
    what to do about it?
    	Reply .2 mentioned baking soda. I was considering that too. Has
    anyone got other ideas?  
    
    Paul

    Two suggestions that I've heard are to add sugar to taste or don't cook
    it so long.

    I thought this was really interesting.  A manager of a cafeteria said
    that her secret to removing the bitterness/acidity in the sauce is to
    simmer the sauce with several "WHOLE PEELED" carrots in it the entire
    time it is cooking.   She said that the carrots reduce the acidity in
    the tomatoes and the spaghetti sauce that was made from this was very
    very good with no acidic taste at all.....
    
    Sarah

My impression is that bitterness is more due to low sugar than acidity.
Very ripe tomatoes work best for tomato sauce, and ripe tomatoes have
both lower acid and higher sugar then less ripe. Baking soda will
neutralize acid (while increasing saltiness, so take that into
account), but doesn't seem to have much effect on bitterness. Sugar
does; carrots, for example, contain a *lot* of sugar. I sometimes add
sugar to tomato sauce when it's not sweet enough, but very sparingly
(it's easy to overdo).

We get the best results with very ripe peeled tomatoes. We buy "grade
B" (at a low price) whenever we see it at the store. These are bruised
and too ripe for "premium" pricing. Be very careful to keep the
temperature low. Never let the sauce more than gently bubble, if that.
I don't think long cooking hurts the sauce, but too hot definitely
will. Also, don't use an aluminum pot (unless, maybe, it's anodized,
like Calphalon and cousins).

    According to my experience, the tomato peel and maturity do determine the
    acidity. The greener they are, more acid the sauce is.
    
    The bitterness is due to the tomato seeds. Did you remove them ??
    
    Luis Camacho
    a_week_end_spaghetti_cook  

    	Thanks for the responses. I think the culprit is the boiling down
    process; probably too agressive. I'll try the various remedies
    recommended with different batches.
    	  

    You may be right. I use to boil the sauce very tenderly (very low fire) for
    4 to 6 hours. It makes the sauce to show a very homogeneous aspect.
    
    The ingredients, I use are:
    
    	Tomatoes (no peel, no seeds) passed through a blender
    	Onions
    	Garlic (previously fried on olive oil)
    	Salt
    	Pepper
    	Oregano
    	Mangerona
    	Laurell
    	Olive oil
    
    It just tastes GREAT !
    
    Good luck
    	

What is Mangerona?

Art

    My Nonni taught me to add sugar to the sauce to cut that bitterness!

    Oh! Dear.
    
    It's the italian name for a very tasty herb. I'll check in my dictionary, 
    home, and will place the english name here, tomorow.
    
    I'm sure that I've already bought it, when in Toronto (Augusta Street),
    under this name. But ... you know...
    
    Sorry about that.
    
    Luis Camacho

    Marjoram? 

    A little of a late addition to this conversation - I've had very good
    results with the previously mentioned *carrots* in tomato sauce.  I
    don't eat sugar but I like my sauce a little bit sweeter than straight
    tomatoes - this did the trick.  However I didn't cook them whole - I
    shredded them and then strained the whole think afterwards...
    
    D!

> I don't eat sugar

By this you mean that you don't eat refined sugar, preferring sources
of sugar which are less processed? Carrots have *tons* of sugar.
Probably nearly as much as beets and cane (the main sources of refined
"table" sugar).

    
    Does that make carrots bad for diabetics?

    RE: .15
    
    I think you are right, Art.
    
    Marjoram = Mangerona
    
    Thanks for the help.
    
    Luis Camacho

    On the bitterness note - 
    
    Too much dried oregano can make your sauce bitter tasting as well.
    
    	marianne

    I've also added carrot baby food to sauces rather than
    raw carrots.  It works!
    

    what do you feed a baby carrot?
    
    ed

        <<< Note 341.20 by PERLE::glantz "Mike, Paris Research Lab,
    776-2836" >>>
    
    >> I don't eat sugar
    
    >By this you mean that you don't eat refined sugar, preferring sources
    >of sugar which are less processed? 
    
    Correct.  I don't eat table sugar (dextrose or sucrose based), corn 
    syrup (high fructose or otherwise), honey, maple syrup, etc.  I do eat
    fruit and vegetables with naturally occuring sugars (obviously), and
    limited quantities concentrated fructose (in moderation, as stated)
    aren't harmful either.
    
    Sugar in unrefined form (such as in fruits and vegetables) is
    metabolized more slowly than "table" sugar, and thus does not result in
    the blood-sugar level spike/dip.
    
    D!

    Being Italian, I find I have about 3 or 4
    recipes for different kinds of tomato sauces/gravies
    (see note 4060 "Growing up Italian" for a
    discussion of the terms sauce versus gravy)
    
    Anyway, I have a marinara sauce which I cook
    about 15 minutes only and use either fresh
    or canned plum tomatoes--I can't imagine using
    any other kind of tomatoes--and season with
    onions, garlic, celery, carrots, mint, basil,
    oregano, and parsley.  Use very little oregano,
    btw.
    
    I have a tomato sauce that I cook.
    
    I also make a tomato sauce that I do cook, adding
    paste to thicken it.
    
    And I have a gravy, thickened with paste as well, 
    but the difference here is that I use meat in 
    this and cook it for a long time.
    
    All, of course, use very good tomatoes or a good
    puree and FRESH herbs.
    
    Each is made a little different, cooked for
    different amounts of time, and served with different
    kinds of pasta.
    
    I don't add any sugar to my recipes, since I
    usually try to avoid refined sugar..also I hate
    the taste of a sweet sauce/gravy.