Best tomatoes for passata

[Alison]

I roast tomatoes in the oven until they go soft then mush them through a potato ricer to get rid of the skins and seeds.

I read somewhere that this would work so found the potato ricer out of the back of the cupboard where it's been resting since we were bought it as a wedding present (tried it once and found I hated the way it made mash, horrible stuff like that creamed stuff you get when you go out, yuk) but found it very messy. The coarse disc still let pips through and the fine one just blocked and the tomato came past. Swore a lot and then went back to using a sieve until I got a freebie money off voucher for Westfalia and treated myself to the press / mill and a double saucepan

[Bren In Pots]

Alison mine doesn't have disks its metal and in one piece wonder if thats why yours didn't work too well.

[Alison]

Dunno, we're about to have a new kitchen (yeah, only 10 years after we decided we needed one ) and it's almost certainly going to be making a visit to the charity shop as part of the clear out. It's very well made and everything but a totally useless item for me, didn't work for passata and I like my potatoes crushed not creamed and I can do that with a normal masher.

[mudpies]

What a great community this is - suggestions, recipes and links all in a couple of hours - fantastic. Will look into those varieties and suggest the machine as a handy valentines gift to OH. Failing that will box up toms and send them up to you BB! Thanks all

[mudpies]

Just followed your link Alison and the machine you mention is on offer at �8.99 - bargain!

[veggiechicken]

Is there something the matter with me? I eat the seeds, skin and everything when I cook tomatoes. If there are any really tough stringy bits of skin I pick them out of my teeth (not with my teeth) and just get on with it. Its all roughage!!

[Alison]

I eat mine quite a lot as well but sometimes I want a smooth paste and I find that seems to store better for some reason when I pasturise them.

[chris]

lol vc

[mudpies]

Oh, I agree, but my youngest is really into cooking and gone all fancy on us, so like Alison we use both!

[veggiechicken]

I just bung it in the freezer. Most of the time I just chuck the tomatoes in the freezer and pull a bag out when I want to use them.

[mudpies]

Now there's a thought !!!

[Alison]

I just bung it in the freezer. Most of the time I just chuck the tomatoes in the freezer and pull a bag out when I want to use them.

Not got room in the freezer for all the amount I make so have to find other ways to store

[mudpies]

Does it keep Ok Alison?

[veggiechicken]

My freezer is somewhat oversized these days so I have to fill it up with something. I'd like to be a kitchen goddess (no offence Alison) with a pantry full of preserves but I'm just not committed enough. Maybe one day.

[veggiechicken]

Now there's a thought !!!

When frozen tomatoes defrost slightly the skins peel off easily. Or you can squirt the tomatoes out of their skins when they defrost completely.