An easy, fast and no waste way to make fresh tomato sauce and broth.
Making fresh tomato sauce is quite easy with the Instant Pot. When I think about the many years of blanching tomatoes, removing seeds, grinding the tomatoes, cooking for hours to get just the right texture before finally canning the sauce, I cringe at the lost time. I have 2 8-quart Instant Pots and 2 16-quart pressure canners, making the homemade-sauce-process quite efficient.
This process to make fresh sauce is EASY!
- Wash the tomatoes
- Cut away any bad spots (but don’t take the time to cut off the tomato tops; they disintegrate in the pressure cooking process).
- Toss into the pressure cooker.
- Add water.
- Turn on and move to another activity (maybe a podcast and glass of wine?). The timer will let you know when to return to the kitchen.
- Release the steam .
- Open the lid and remove the hot pot.
- Drain the tomatoes, reserving the hot tomato juice.
- Use an emulsion blender to create thick fresh sauce.
- Allow to cool before freezing. Keep hot if canning or adding to a recipe.
Use the sauce for your favorite recipes such as marinara sauce, lasagne, chili, and more. The tomato juice is a great broth for risotto and soups. In my house it is liquid gold!
Try these recipes:
Smoked Sauce
To make smoked tomato sauce, you can use the same instant pot method. I have a Green Egg and a grill that has a smoker option. Prep your smoker to 350 degrees. Add soaked oak chips. Smoke the tomatoes on indirect heat for 20 minutes. Remove and immediately add to your Instant Pot. Follow the instructions for fresh tomato sauce.. Don’t forget to reserve the smoked juice, as it is AMAZING in your favorite recipes (including Bloody Marys!).
Buy Local
If you do not have a garden, consider buying your tomatoes from local sources, such as farmer’s markets, farm stands, and urban garden clubs.. Not only do you support the local economy via small business purchases, you also get the freshest, best tasting options! My little garden supplies a surprisingly large amount of tomatoes each year; enough to make about 15 quarts of tomato sauce. I purchase about 150 pounds of extra tomatoes from our local non-profit urban farm to stockpile sauce for my kids’ families and my own. Our local urban farm, Fresh Food Farms, provides low-cost fresh, organic vegetables and fruits to the community, helping families in food desserts have access to nutritional foods. Supporting local garden and farm initiatives helps make your community a healthier place to live. 🙂
Fresh Tomato Sauce via Instant Pot
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
- Emulsion Blender
Ingredients
- 9 lbs Roma or San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 cup Water
Instructions
- Wash the tomatoes well. With a paring knife, cut off any black spots or unripe sections.
- Cut large tomatoes in half or into quarters. Place into the Instant Pot. Leave an inch gap at the top of the pot.
- Add the water to the pot.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, close the vent and turn on the machine. Set to manual high pressure for 20 minutes.
- When the alarm rings, turn off the Instant Pot and quick release the pressure. If you have time, allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Open the lid and carefully remove the pot. Pour the contents through a large sieve, reserving the tomato juice in a separate container.
- Return the tomatoes to the pot and puree with the emulsion blender.
- If canning, keep the sauce hot and divide into 2 quart sized jars. The tomato juice will fill 2-3 quarts, so you can seal all 5 in a canning machine at the same time. If freezing, allow the sauce and juice to cool and then pour into freezer safe containers.If using for a recipe, keep hot and season appropriately.