Sow, cook, eat – September

It’s important to appreciate that passata is not simply liquidised tomatoes, nor tomatoes passed through a mouli, both of which will be cloudy and bitty. True passata should be smooth and velvety, with a thick consistency.
 
You could make it the traditional way and dip the tomatoes in boiling water, removing the skins and passing them (hence the name ‘passata’) through a sieve, though this can be time-consuming as the sieve is likely to keep blocking up.

For a quick and easy way to process large volumes of tomatoes, why not treat yourself one of our Rigamonti ‘Velox’ Passata Machines, which will process up to 50kg of tomatoes per hour into perfect passata that can then be bottled and kept for up to a whole year in the larder.
 
Simply fix the machine to a worktop using the large suction pad, put the tomatoes into the hopper, and turn the handle. The passata comes out one side, and the dry skin and pips the other. 
 

Sterilising and correctly sealing your jars are key to ensuring your passata keeps for as long as possible.

 Always sterilise your jars before use, and don’t forget to do the lid too.  One method is to wash the jars with hot soapy water, then sterilise them in boiling water, and dry with a clean tea towel.

Once filled (fill just to the start of the neck, and not all the way to the top of the jar or bottle), simply screw the lid on until hand-tight, place the jars into a deep saucepan of cold water (always cold jars into cold water!), place an old tea towel in between the jars, bring the water to a rolling boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

Turn the heat off and allow to cool before removing the jars, which will now be hermetically sealed, from the water. Store in the larder or a cool dark airy place like under the stairs or in the loft.
 
If you like, you can flavour your passata with a slosh of olive oil and a pinch of salt (both are also preservatives), or add an extra ingredient such as basil, chilli, thyme or caramelised red onion. Just remember to label your jars!
 
There is never enough freezer space, so when it comes to passata versus freezer, for me, passata wins hands down. But if you have room, why not do a bit of both !