Tomatoes to Tomato Paste - It Just Takes a Little More Time

Tomatoes to Tomato Paste

It Just Takes a Little More Time

In the post, "The Journey, Tomatoes to Tomato Paste", I made the statement that the process for the creation of tomato paste was the same with one exception - Time.  So once you've gotten the tomatoes to the crock pot and they look like this: 

Set the crock pot to low and leave the lid perpendicular over the top to allow to plenty of steam rising. It will take about 24-48 hours to evaporate enough of the liquid to create excellent tomato paste. If you're available to stir the mixture with a rubber spatula every few hours, the color of your paste will be more consistent. I was not.  So the pictures below show patches of caramelized paste. It did not burn so the caramelization didn't effect the taste.

In terms of volume, a full crockpot only netted 10 tablespoons of paste. However, this is excellent tomato paste. Being that this paste would only fill (1) 1 cup canning jar, I decided to freeze the paste in 2T blocks.  I did this by spreading wax paper on a cookie sheet and with a two tablespoon measure,  I scooped up the paste. 

Leveled my measuring spoon and the holding it over the desired position on the cookie sheet, I flipped it over quickly and gave it a hard rap against the sheet.

 This dislodged the paste in a fairly cube like shape. 

I took the tray to the freezer and left to set for about about 12 hours, which was overnight. In the morning, I fetched the tray with the frozen cubes from the freezer and grabbed a quart-sized freezer bag.  I labeled the bag (I no longer trust my memory; I label the bags faithfully).  The label read, "2T tomato paste 2016."

I stirred 2T of this paste into some beef broth left over from a roast I made.  It made a delicious sauce to pour over fried egg plant.   

Beef & "Yes, I Made These" Egg Noodles

Beef & "Yes, I Made These" Egg Noodles

Ingredients: 

Feeding 6-8 and some leftovers:

Roast:

1 - 2-3lb beef roast (I like arm or chuck)

2 T of oil

salt and pepper for seasoning

1 whole onion quarterd

bay leaf

sage leaf

Noodles: 

2 c. flour plus a small amount of dusting the counter

4 eggs 

2 tsp salt 

1/4 c. water

Equipment/Supplies:

rolling pin

open counter space

deep pot for cooking roast

tongs

knife or pizza wheel

bowl & sturdy spoon (or machine with dough hook)

tea towel (optional)

small jar or storage container

Timing: 

Night before: Stir up noodles and roll out to dry

AM of: Brown roast cook slowly until late afternoon.

Late afternoon/early evening of: remove roast from pan to cool.

1 hour before assemble, cook, serve.

Make noodles:

In the bowl of the mixer or a standard bowl, add 

2 c. flour 

2 tsp salt.  Stir to combine

Make a well in the flour.  Add 1 whole egg to the well.

Over the small jar or storage container, separate the egg whites from the yolks.  Put the yolk in the flour well. 3 egg yolks in all. 

 The most painless and efficient way I've found to separate eggs is with my hands. I'm right handed so I crack the egg and pour it into my left hand. My hand is over the container that I'm storing the egg whites in.  I separate my fingers a bit and the white slides through and the yolk stays complete.  

Add the 1/4 c. water to the well. 

 Use the dough hook and mix on medium speed until a solid mass of dough has formed, leaving the sides of the bowl clean.  

If you are working by hand and spoon, start by stirring in the well, bumping at the flour walls and widening your stir until you are physically not strong enough to stir.  Then on a very lightly floured surface, turn the contents of the bowl out on the counter and knead with both hands until you've achieved a nice smooth dough ball. This might take 5 minutes. 

On a heavily floured surface, roll out the noodle dough.  The dough should be thin but not have holes. I roll two or three passes and then I fold back one side of the dough and push more flour under, ensuring the dough doesn't stick. The noodle dough will measure about 3 1/2 feet by 2 feet wide.  Yes, it takes quite a bit of clear space.

Turning back the edges of the dough, reflour the surface below the dough.  Then, using the pizza wheel or a knife, cut the noodles.I cut my noodles about 3/4" x 8" strips.  (These are your noodles, so cut them as short or long and wide or thin as your family enjoys.) Before I head off to bed, I cover my noodles with a clean tea towel. This is optional if you haven't any concerns of mice or dust getting onto the surface of the noodle. 

AM of the Meal.

Uncover noodle. Check for dryness.

Start roast. Heat the large deep pot for several minutes until a drop water will sizzle and dance.  While waiting for the pot to heat, remove the roast from its wrapping, dry the roast on paper towels if its damp and season both sides with salt and pepper. 

When the water droplet dances,add the 2 T of olive oil, swirl the pot to spread the oil, then place the seasoned meat into the hot oiled pot.  The meat will hiss and be quite loud.  Leave the meat to sear for 3 or 4 minutes.  Using the tongs, turn the meat over and repeat the searing process.  

While the meat is searing, cut the onion into fourths, and gather the bay and sage leaves. At the end of the 2nd sear, add the onion to the pot and enough water to nearly cover the meat.  Add the bay and sage leaves.  Simmer slowly until tender, which is about 2-3 hours.  It is possible to allow it to cook on the stove top all day about 6 hours with a tight fitting lid, which is what I do. Before leaving for the day I ensure the flame is quite low and the broth is barely bubbling. (If you are nervous about this transfer your meat to a crock pot after the 2nd sear and follow all the same directions except reduce the water added by half)

Shred the meat. To to this, remove the used veggies and seasoning leaf to a bowl and pull out the bone. I use these as pet treats.

Putting the meat out on a cutting board I use two forks and pulling in opposite directions shred the meat into bite sized pieces.  Then I return the meat to the broth.  Heat the broth to boiling. Do not skip the boiling broth.  The noodles will break down and become a gluey thickener in the broth if it is not boiling.

Using a stiff spatula, mine is metal, or your hands remove the noodles from the counter and place them gently, in small batches into the broth and stir after each addition of noodles. 

I then scrap up all the left over flour and stir into vigorously into the boiling noodles and broth. This thickens the overall dish.  

The noodles will be tender in about 15-25 minutes.  It is a good idea to taste one not only to check for done-ness but to check for seasoning.  It might be necessary to add more salt or pepper. 

Add a green veggie side dish or a salad; this is a complete and satisfying meal. 

The Journey - Tomatoes to Tomato Sauce

The Journey - Tomatoes to Tomato Sauce 

I had a young man come by our retail store early last week and ask if I'd take the remainder of his tomatoes, which he was pedaling at the farmer's market.  I agreed and he returned with 3 enormously heavy flats of tomatoes.  Looking over my bounty, I decided to make tomato sauce.  Even tomatoes that weren't ripened properly can be used.  I use poorly ripened tomatoes to make tomato paste, which would allow the little bit of flavor that did develop in the tomato to concentrate.  The steps for tomato paste are the same for tomato sauce except the cook time is longer. 

Supplies for Excellent Tomato Sauce

-Your biggest stock pot

-Long handled, sturdy spoon

-Long handled ladle

-Paring knife

-Crock pot (A stove and a pot can be used but tomatoes scorch easily for this reason I use the crock pot)

-salt

Steps to Excellent Tomato Sauce:

Step One:  Thoroughly was the tomatoes in a veggie wash (sink full of cold water, 1 glug of distilled vinegar, and 5 drops of lemon EO.)

Step Two:  Using the paring knife, cut out the core and any bad spots of each tomato. Put 1 cup of water in the bottom of the pot and begin adding the cored tomatoes to the pot. Put as many tomatoes as will fit comfortably, set over the stove top over a moderately low heat, and place on the pot lid.  Every  minutes of so, stir the pot.deeply, bringing the warmer, softer tomatoes to the top, Cook the tomatoes until they look like this. . . 

Step Three:  Set the food mill over a large bowl.  Ladle several scoops of hot, soft tomatoes into the food mill (BE CAREFUL this is hot) Process tomatoes through the food mill. The pulp will begin to press through the holes in the mill and leave the seed and peels inside the mill. 

The skin/seed waste will have to scooped out of the food mill and into either the trash or a scrap bucket.  (Personally, I set the scrap bucket beside me on the floor and just plop the waste in as needed. I feed the tomato waste to my chickens) 

I know when all the pulp is squeezed out when the skin/seed waste clings to the wooden dowel like so . . .

This is the point when I hold the dowel over the bucket with my left hand and using my right hand as a squeegee push the waste into the bucket.  (I'm right handed, reverse the hand hold if you are left handed)  

Step Three:  When the bowl is full or all the softened tomatoes have been pressed through the food mill, pour the tomato juice (Yes,  you have just made one fine quality tomato juice) into the waiting crock pot.  Return back to step Two if you haven't finished processing all of the tomatoes.  When all the juice has been added to the crock pot, turn the crock pot to high.  Leave the lid off. I set the lid across the pot, forming an X with the lid and the pot.  I makes me uncomfortable having a open pot of hot liquid, could drop something in and splash myself or a family member.  The lid set X style across the pot might deflect the falling object. (Okay, I might be a worrier)

Step Four:  Cook in the crock pot, uncovered for nearly 24 hours.  The juice should reduce my half to be sauce (48 hours+ and you'll have tomato paste) For each quart of sauce add, 1 tsp of salt. (I prefer celtic processed sea salt from the Atlantic Ocean.  I have strong opinions about salt, based on research and experience.  Perhaps one day I'll blog about it)

Step Five: Use your new sauce within the week or preserve by freezing or canning.  I can mine.  Water bath canning is another post entirely.  Perhaps, I'll blog about that too someday until then check out websites like your local agricultural extension office or Ball Jars.  

Up-Cycle Wrapping - Who Knew Newspaper Could be So Cute.

Up-Cycle Wrapping - Who Knew Newspaper Could be So Cute.

This is the package of Handy Man Handy Wipes all decked out and ready for the birthday party.  To up-cycle newspaper into this attractive packaging you will need.

Supplies:

Scissors

Newspaper

Tape (I used double stick tape)

Recycled box

Our local 'free' paper comes with a yellow cover sheet and the insides are the standard news-white.  One of the full page ads was multi-colored so I used that page for the card. 

Step One:  Choose the sheet of newspaper with an article or photo you'd like to highlight on your package.  Wrap the box. 

Step Two:  Select a sheet of paper to make ribbon.  I wanted my bow to be as wide as the box so I placed the fold of a white sheet on the edge of the box and then trimmed the page to the width of the box. 

Step Three:  Using the trimmed down folded edge of the paper, begin to cut ribbons.  I do this by folding my sheet so that I only have to make about four or five cuts and achieve fairly standardized sized ribbons. 

Step Four:  Begin forming the bow loops.  Open out each ribbon and place a small piece of double stick tape directly over fold. (No double stick. Make a small tape loop and press it over the fold of the newspaper) Fold one end of the newspaper ribbon toward the center fold. 

Fold the other end of the newspaper ribbon to the center forming a second loop. Like so. . . 

Continue making bow loops until you have created all the bow loops you will need.  The bow pictured here contained 7 bow loops. 

Step Five:  Placing a piece of tape at the center of the first bow loop adhere the first loop to the package at the desired location. 

Place the next bow loop perpendicular to the first and then the third on the diagonal. Continue on until the bow is built. 

Step Six:  Using a newspaper ribbon, create a ribbon loop for the center.  Tape to the center of the box. 

 

Step Seven:  I saved a full page multi-colored ad for the card.  Looking over the page, I found a section I wanted to highlight.  I cut a large square from the page and folded it into fourths. Then I cut a small square from yellow paper and taped the small yellow square inside. I wrote my greeting on the plain page inside.  Then I taped my card to the package.