Which types of tomatoes are suitable for straining?
In principle, you can strain any ripe tomato, but some varieties produce a better result. Meat, egg or bottle tomatoes are particularly aromatic, meaty and have a slightly floury consistency. Well-known varieties here are the “San Marzano”, an elongated and cut-resistant variety with a lot of aroma, as well as the ox heart tomatoes, which have an extraordinary amount of meat. If you use such tomatoes as a strainer, you will get a very creamy result.
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How is it properly done?
Passing tomatoes is done in three steps:
- Clean the tomatoes
- Cooking tomatoes
- Tomatoes happen
The work does not require much effort and is done quickly. It is worth using larger quantities, as the finished puree can be frozen as a reserve or also preserved.
- Use only perfectly ripe tomatoes.
- Wash the tomatoes under running water.
- Remove the stem attachment.
- Cut the tomatoes into large pieces.
- Heat some oil in a sufficiently large saucepan and steam the tomato pieces until they disintegrate (about 20 minutes).
Now you have different options for straining the cooked tomatoes.
The fleet Lotte
The lively Lotte is a kitchen utensil with a sieve and hand-operated crank, in which shells and seeds are collected.
If you have this kitchen appliance, take the disc with the finest holes, put the tomatoes in the filling funnel and turn the crank. The writing presses the tomato puree into the bowl below. The cores and shell remain in the brisk lot.
The sieve
Tomatoes can also be strained without a brisk Lotte. To do this, hang your finest sieve in a suitable bowl and add the cooked tomatoes. Stir with a spoon until only the skin and seeds remain in the sieve. You can make it a little easier to pass by peeling the tomatoes beforehand. To do this, cut the tomatoes crosswise opposite the base of the stalk and briefly put them in boiling water. The skin loosens and can be peeled off.
The hand blender and the blender
If you want to pass your tomatoes with the help of these kitchen utensils, you should peel them beforehand and also remove the seeds. If the kernels are crushed in the mixer, they can make the sauce bitter.
First, prepare the tomatoes and briefly cook the pieces. Put the tomatoes in a suitable container and puree the whole thing with the hand blender to a creamy sauce.
Using a stand mixer, add the cooked tomatoes, seal carefully and puree on the highest level. With the stand mixer, you can also puree the tomatoes raw (but skinned and pitted) and only then bring them to the boil.
Use strained tomatoes
Passed tomatoes can be stored well. They can be frozen very well or preserved in suitable glasses. So you always have a homemade tomato puree on hand.
The delicious tomato puree forms the basis for various delicious dishes. For example, prepare a tomato soup. To do this, sweat a diced onion in a saucepan and add tomato puree and broth. Taste the soup and pour in a dash of cream.
If you season the tomato puree spicy, you can use it as a base on a homemade pizza dough.
The tomato strains also belong in a good Bolognese sauce. Then add the right spaghetti and the Italian pasta is ready. Even in the chili con carne, the tomato puree that you pass yourself provides the necessary freshness.
Tomato puree can be combined with a wide variety of spices. If you love it Mediterranean, refined with basil, rosemary and thyme. If hotness is desired, a chilli pepper can be cooked and strained immediately.
The difference between strained tomatoes and ketchup
Bottled ketchup usually has a relatively long shelf life. Preservatives must also be processed for this. You do not use such an artificial additive in your tomato puree. In addition, ketchup always tastes sweet. This is achieved by adding plenty of sugar or sugar substitutes and is not really recommended. However, if you want a sweet note in your tomato puree, you can experiment with the addition of brown sugar or honey, as well as a mild vinegar and a pinch of salt.
