Set aside that jar of store-bought tomato sauce full of added sugar and switch it up with some Fresh Heirloom Tomato Sauce, using the best of what the season has to offer. Use it on top of some meatballs, in layers of lasagne, as a pizza sauce, or as a regular old pasta sauce. Such an amazing flavor and a great way to preserve the season. Get the kids to help and they will be lapping up those tomatoes in no time.
This sauce is just perfect when paired with these Spanish Meatballs.
Fresh Heirloom Tomato Sauce
One of the things I love most about shopping at the local farmer's markets is the great bargains that tend to pop up every week.
Coming to the end of the season it is always possible to get big boxes of gorgeous tomatoes for next to nothing.
The perfect time to buy up and get to making some homemade tomato sauce.
This will last for 4 days in the fridge if stored correctly, and at least 6 months in the freezer if stored correctly.
What Type Of Tomatoes To Use
If heirloom tomatoes are available to you for a reasonable price, then I highly suggest you try them out for this recipe.
They have a much more complex, sweet flavor than a regular tomato, and just make the most amazing tomato sauce.
If you can only get your hands on regular tomatoes then don't worry, they can still be used.
Paired with lots of garlic you can't go wrong!
The sauce will still be amazing, I promise.
Batch Cooking and Freezing
If you are going to go to the effort of making homemade tomato sauce, then you may as well double or triple the recipe and make a huge batch.
This sauce will last in the freezer for at least 6 months (sometimes longer depending on the method of storage).
It comes in handy for pulling out of the freezer and enjoying on:
- pizza
- pasta
- meatballs
- casseroles
- soups
- lasagne
- on cannelloni (check out this Mushroom and Herbed Ricotta Cannelloni)
Especially handy when fresh tomatoes aren't available.
A great way to preserve the season.
This butternut pasta sauce recipe is another great one to prep and freeze.
More Heirloom Tomato Recipes
I tend to go a little bit crazy when heirlooms are in season.
The variety of colors and the intensity of the flavor just make them the best and prettiest addition to so many recipes.
If you have some leftover heirlooms then be sure to check out these amazing recipes:
- Creamy Roasted Heirloom Tomato Soup
- Zesty Heirloom Tomato and Nectarine Salad
- Summer Stone Fruit and Spinach Strawberry Pecan Salad
- Heirloom Tomato Salad
If you try out my heirloom tomato sauce I would love to hear all about it so be sure to leave a comment below.
Sometimes the skin on an heirloom tomato can be especially thick and can add bitterness to the sauce when cooked.
I prefer to peel tomatoes when they have this thick skin.
However it is not necessary, and the sauce will still work if you skip this step.
In traditional tomato sauce recipes using regular tomatoes, it is common to add a pinch of sugar whilst cooking to cut through the acidity.
I find that heirloom tomatoes tend to be sweet enough and do not need added sugar.
However, feel free to add it if preferred.
Happy Eating
xx
Recipe
Fresh Heirloom Tomato Sauce
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Ingredients
- 5 lbs (about 2kgs) heirloom tomatoes or vine ripened tomatoes
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 6 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Peel your tomatoes. Mark the bottom of each tomato with an X with a sharp knife. Pop them into a pot of rapidly boiling water, remove with a slotted spoon, and pop into a bowl of iced water. Allow to cool and then peel - discard the skins
- Chop the tomatoes into chunks, making sure to remove the stems
- In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil and garlic, until the garlic is aromatic. Add the tomatoes and salt, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer, add in the oregano and thyme, and allow the sauce to simmer until nice and thickened. I usually leave it for about 30 minutes, as I like a thick sauce
- Once thickened to your liking, season with some pepper, and remove from the heat. Keep stored in a glass jar in the fridge. Also keeps well in the freezer
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Melody says
Absolutely delicious! I added onion and jalepeno to suit our preferences. I despise cooking so I have an extra appreciation of a recipe that is simple and delicious ~ thank you!!
Donna says
So glad you enjoyed, love the addition of the jalapeno!
Cassie Ulmer says
Made and canned this sauce today!! I tripled the recipe. My hubby loves spaghetti with andoli sausage to spice it up a little. So we will be trying this later this week!!! I kept tasting it through the cooking process and it made my house smell delish!
Donna1 says
Oh yay, I am so glad you tried it. I literally just bought 30 pounds of tomatoes at the markets today to make some more up, as we just finished our batch from last season. It is so handy to have on hand in the cupboard!!
Debra says
I LOVe fresh tomato sauce! This sounds so good!
Pam says
Pinned this! The perfect homemade sauce.
Becky says
Beautiful recipe! Great tip for removing the skin, thanks for that!!