TOMATO PUREE
This Recipe Makes ± 100ml Puree
Tomato puree is a thick fluid made by cooking & straining tomatoes. The method that I use to prepare the puree is a much quicker & efficient way.
The distinction between tomato paste, tomato puree, & tomato sauce is consistency; tomato puree has a thicker consistency & a more profound flavor than sauce.
Tomato Puree Ingredients:
- 5 tomatoes – I prefer jam / rosa tomatoes for that brighter shade of red & they cook & taste better.
- salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon sugar
Method:
- The blanching method is to be used.
- Rinse tomatoes & slice them in halves.
- Cut off the top stem pieces as well as the bottom parts as this will make it easier for the skin to come off.
- Place halved tomatoes flat side down in a microwavable casserole.
- Microwave on high for 10 minutes.
- Carefully remove from the microwave using kitchen mitts or a kitchen towel.
- Notice the skin of the tomatoes have shrunk.
- Allow to cool for a bit & remove the skins utilizing a fork or a knife.
- Using a tablespoon, smash the pulp so that it is all combined & no hard pieces of tomato is left behind.
- If there are a few hard pieces that cannot be smashed, discard of it.
- Add salt to taste & the sugar. (I usually do not add this step as I use purees for cooking & add salt & sugar in the entire dish itself as per taste).
- The sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes, removing the sour taste.
- Use puree as normal.
