Savour the taste of summer for the colder months ahead with this tomato pasta and pizza sauce. 

Words: Kristina Jensen

I started growing Jean and Jimmy’s tomatoes four years ago and discovered they’re perfect for my mother Nancy’s freezer sauce recipe. While mum used to stack up square containers of sauce in her freezer, I bottle it (it lasts up to a year). It’s the best thing for pasta, soup, stews, and casseroles, a taste of a perfectly ripe summer garden at your fingertips.

Makes: 2-3 litres
Time: 3-4 hours

INGREDIENTS

5kg ripe tomatoes, chopped
4 cooking apples, chopped with skin on
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
2 red and/or green capsicums, chopped into small chunks
3 medium-sized zucchinis, grated
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup sugar
6-10 large cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
1½ tbsp salt
2 tbsp dried mixed herbs, or
4 tbsp freshly chopped mixed herbs (eg rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, chervil, parsley, coriander)
½ tbsp mustard powder
1 tbsp freshly ground black peppercorns
¼ tsp chilli or cayenne pepper

METHOD

Put all the ingredients in a large, heavy-bottomed pot.

Mix, and slowly bring to the boil. Boil rapidly for 2-2½ hours with the lid on (it plops dangerously), frequently stirring until thick and pulpy. Blend with a stick mixer or food processor.

Bottle in hot, dry, sterilised jars or bottles. Label and store in a dark, dry place.