Small tips to appreciate as long as possible that unmistakable taste of tomato that refers to the Mediterranean, to summer, to the carefree time of the holiday.
The tomato it is among the most loved vegetables, especially in the summer season when we can choose from dozens of quality and we can count on its freshness and its unmistakable summer scent. But after August and September, finding good tomatoes becomes impossible so it is important to start stocking up now. And we don't throw anything away from tomatoes: from the seeds, which you can keep and sow for the next season, up to the peel. Here are the preparations for storing tomatoes all year round.
The classic sauce
How many of you remember grandmothers and mothers struggling with the famous salsa at the end of August? Made strictly with San Marzano tomatoes it is easy to prepare, even if with due care when sterilizing the vessels.
Then wash the cans with water and place them inside a large pot, better put a tea towel between the jars so as not to move them during the boiling. Fill the pot with water and boil for 30 minutes. Once cooled, they must be pulled out of the water and allowed to drip upside down.
Separately, cut the tomatoes into small pieces and cook them without adding flavorings (at least a few basil leaves) and a handful of salt, turning them often. Cover them and cook (with the lid open) for about 40 minutes.
Pass the tomatoes with the vegetable mill, fill the jars directly, close them with the lids and turn them upside down.
The pots must be laid back in the first pan with the tea towels and left to boil for another 30 minutes. Once completely cooled they can be turned and placed in a pantry in a dark place. To test the success of the sterilization it is necessary to check the vacuum, if pressing the cap in the center it will turn out flat then everything is successful, otherwise the sterilization must be repeated.
If you like, you can avoid the passage with the vegetable mill and put the tomatoes in pieces.
Dry tomatoes
What extra touch do the dry tomatoes canapés, salads or fish sauces?
Preparing them is easy, you just need a little patience. Different varieties can be used: the Ciliegini, the Piccadilly or the San Marzano. A word of advice: the smaller they are, the better the result.
Tomatoes should be washed, cut in half or quarters, if they are larger, and dusted with salt. They should then be placed on grills, such as those used for barbecuing, and left in the sun for two or three weeks. Remember to turn them at least once a day, so that they dry on both sides evenly. At night they should be stored in an airy place. Together with the tomatoes you can dry onions or garlic in thin slices.
When dried, they can be kept in tightly closed containers for a few months.
Dried Tomatoes in Oil
For an even more delicious result, dried tomatoes can be put in oil. In this case, put an equal amount of water and vinegar in a saucepan and boil them for a few minutes. After draining them, dry them with paper towels and place them inside sterilized jars, pressing them well, so that no air bubbles form. Cover everything with extra virgin olive oil, remembering to leave a centimeter of space between the cap and the food. To flavor them, you can add capers, thyme, garlic cloves and oregano.
Finally, sterilize the cans with tomatoes in boiling water for about an hour: after this time, turn them upside down leaving them in this position until they have cooled down. To make sure that the vacuum, press on the cap, making sure that a notch has been created and that pressing does not make you feel the classic click-clack. If it should feel, the vacuum has failed.
After two weeks, the tomatoes are ready to be enjoyed.
Confit tomatoes
Appetizing and surprising, confit cherry tomatoes can be eaten alone or as a side dish for various dishes. The technique, imported from France, consists of long and low temperature cooking. The most suitable tomato for this preparation is the cherry: cut in half and place on the side of the pulp on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. The cherry tomatoes are sprinkled with a spoonful of sugar and a pinch of salt, and, if desired, they can be covered with thin strips of garlic. Bake everything at 150 degrees for about two hours: once ready, sprinkle with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and cover with basil or oregano leaves. They can be kept in the refrigerator, in a tightly closed jar, for a few weeks.
Tomato powder
As we said: nothing is thrown away from tomatoes! If you have cooked San Marzano chili, you will have a kitchen full of tomato peels to throw away … but no! All the skins that the vegetable mill will discard must be collected and distributed on the baking trays and left to dry in the oven at 60 ° for at least 4 hours. When they are dry, beat them with a mortar and store the powder obtained in airtight jars.
It will be useful in winter, when you want to give perfume to your pasta or character to stewed meat dishes.
Tomato water
If you watch the cooking programs or like to wander among the starred restaurants you will have seen that among the trends of gourmet dishes there has been tomato water for some years: fresh and acidic, it allows us to pretend to be chefs for a day adding originality to the dishes.
It goes well with spaghetti and Sorbillo knows that it cooks his own, with tomato, a concentrate of flavor, but it is also suitable for other preparations, jellied and added to the salad, perhaps octopus or used instead of juice. tomato for a Bloody Mary in transparency.
How is tomato water obtained?
As we said, nothing is thrown away from the tomato and while you are preparing a pasta, the tomato water is already beautiful: cut the perini in half, squeeze them, emptying them of liquid and seeds and filter the liquid with a dense mesh strainer. Otherwise you can peel and cut the tomatoes and put them in the mixer, then place the pulp on a towel suspended on a bowl and after 12 hours collect all the liquid.
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