Tomato Puree

Photo: flickr user irrational_cat

Ingredients

16 cups blended tomatoes

3 cups chopped onions

3 carrots, cut up

3 stalks celery, cut up

1 bell pepper

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

teaspoon pepper

3 teaspoons herbs (basil, oregano or

Preparation

Blanch tomatoes in boiling water until they split and put in a sink of cold water for easy handling. Slip skins, core, then blend. Blend (or food process) other veggies, using 1-2 cups tomato puree to ease the blending/chopping. Mix all the ingredients and season. Cook down about 1 1/2 hours, slowly, until thick. (I start in 6 quart pot, very full, and it cooks down to about 1/2 the amount). Put in sterile pint jars and screw band on new lids. Cool, chill in refrigerator, then freeze. About 6 pints.