Preserving Summer - Passata

Passata, a word that, for me at least, evokes the feeling and smells of a preserved Summer.

A classic Passata, I'm told, includes tomatoes, onion, a little garlic and basil.  Other suggestions leaving out garlic and basil to keep it "plain".  Other additions to mix include red peppers, celery, oregano or bay (instead of the basil).  I have also made it in smaller batches, with chilli, additional garlic and dill.  But label your jars or freezer boxes accurately!

The Passata that I make, is more inclined towards the former classic rather than the paired down version and I do tend to add a little more onion than is, I gather, the norm.  For each five measures of tomatoes and I use one measure of onion.  I also use celery as I think it complements the basil very well.

Another difference is that I tend to freeze mine rather than bottle it.  But the method of actually making it remains the same.

For about two and half litres of Passata the following quantities should be sufficient, but if you like to make your Passata slightly thicker, obviously the remaining quantity will be less than this.

• 5 Kg of ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 Kg of onions, roughly chopped
• 100 grams of celery
• 5 good sized cloves of garlic, chopped
• 60 grams of basil
• 25 mls of good olive oil

In a deep pan, a preserving pan is ideal, add the onions and oil over a gentle heat.  You are aiming to release the onion's own juices without them evaporating.  As the onions start to soften, add the chopped garlic and continue to cook gently, being careful not to burn the mixture.

Add the tomatoes and mix thoroughly and allow to warm through, add a little water if your tomatoes are not quite the end of season - so this assists in their pulping down.  Once warmed through, you can turn up the heat to moderate and allow tomatoes to come to a gentle simmer.  Keep watching though, if the heat is too high it will catch.  If this starts to happen, take the pan off the heat immediately, add half a cup of cold water, mix thoroughly and return to the heat, but on a lower setting.

Keep simmering until the mixture is reduced by a quarter and a third and then add your basil.  Keep on a low simmer until the basil has completely softened (stalks and all) and then take off the heat and cover and leave to cool.

After about 30 minutes, and using either a sieve or a mouli work the mixture to a thin paste.  Using a mouli is very quick, but a sieve will need a little more patience.  At this point you will have an idea as to whether you want to reheat and reduce further, or to leave as is.  This is also the point where you taste the Passata for seasoning. 

Seasonings:

• Black Pepper
• Salt
• Cayenne Pepper
• Chilli
• Paprika

Using these seasonings for your Passata is completely up to you.  I prefer not to add any of the above with only one exception, Paprika, and this is only if I make a very thick Passata and intend to use it more as tomato concentrate, rather than a Passata. 

Once you have your initial puree, simply pour back into a clean pan and add your seasoning(s) and heat again to either reduce the liquid further or to bring up to a sufficient temperature to bottle up (in sterile jars/bottles in a similar way to jam making).

Personally, for this amount I normally add one full teaspoon of sweet paprika and I reduce the sieved amount by a further quarter or so, just enough so I have enough Passata to fill two 1 litre jars or (when cooled) four 500 ml freezer boxes.  Any surplus, I use on the day for pasta.