EASY FREEZER TOMATO SAUCE



If you have a bounty of tomatoes this year, or are lucky enough to have access to a big bunch of garden fresh tomatoes, I recommend making this sauce.  It's as easy as throwing some tomatoes in a food processor, then boiling them for a bit.  Your future self will thank you when you're pulling cheery bags of homemade tomato sauce from the freezer in the middle of the winter. 

This sauce is very versatile- I've used it for pasta, over summer squash noodles, and for making tomato-based soups.  It's fresh and light and nothing like it's supermarket counterpart.

makes: about 32 cups // or double, triple or reduce the recipe to suit your needs
takes: 15 minutes prep, 30-45 minutes cooking
YOU WILL NEED:
10 lbs. or  Tomatoes (preferably a plum variety- San Marzano is the best!)
1 c. loosely packed fresh Basil
2 T. fresh cracked Black Pepper
1 bulb Garlic, cloves peeled
1 medium Onion, peeled
2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1 T. Olive Oil
1 T. Cornstarch (if not using plum tomatoes or a mixture of varieties)

In a food processor, pulse garlic and onion until chopped finely.  In a large stockpot, drizzle olive oil and turn on to medium heat.  Add chopped garlic and onion and sautee until fragrant and slightly golden.  Remove from heat.

Wash and remove stems from tomatoes.  Add to food processor in batches and pulse until smooth.  Pour each processed batch into the stockpot.  Add basil to last batch and process until minced finely with the tomatoes.  Add salt, pepper, and pepper flakes to stockpot and turn on to medium-high heat.

Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occassionally.  If sauce has thickened to desired consistency, remove from heat.  If you would like a thicker sauce, scoop 1/2 cup of the sauce into a bowl and whisk the cornstarch into it.  Slowly pour cornstarch mixture into sauce while stirring and simmer for 5-10 more minutes, stirring occassionally, then remove from heat.

Allow the sauce to cool, covered, for 15 minutes.  Ladle two to three cups each into freezer bags, removing air before sealing.  Lay each bag flat into a large cake pan and freeze.  Once frozen, remove from cake pan (the flat shape will save a lot of room in the freezer and also allow for quick thawing when you need sauce).  Enjoy!