Tomatoes in tomato paste for the winter
A very practical and economical recipe for winter preservation is tomatoes in tomato paste. The paste is much cheaper than juice or fresh tomatoes, and when diluted with water, you get concentrated tomato juice that can be used in winter preserves.
Tomato vinaigrette is sweet and sour, with a spicy aroma, and can easily be called the most delicious vinaigrette for tomatoes. It makes an excellent base for gravies and sauces, can be added to vegetable stir-fries, or thickened with flour and poured over cutlets, meatballs, and other meatballs. There are two ways to prepare this vinaigrette. The first involves double vinaigretteing, and the second involves sterilization. The difference is that in the first method, the tomatoes are first poured with boiling water, and the second vinaigrette is made with diluted tomato paste. If sterilizing, pour the boiling vinaigrette directly into the liter jars and sterilize for 15 minutes.
Ingredients:
- tomatoes – 500-600 gr.,
- tomato paste – 3 tbsp. l.,
- water – 0.5 liters,
- vinegar 9% - 1 tbsp.,
- sugar – 1.5 tbsp.,
- salt – 1 tbsp.,
- bay leaf – 1-2 leaves,
- garlic – 5-6 cloves,
- peppercorns – 6-7 pcs.,
- hot capsicum – 1-2 rings,
- parsley or celery greens - a few sprigs.
How to preserve tomatoes in tomato paste for the winter
We sort through the tomatoes, setting aside any with cracks, bruises, or spots. Rinse firm, ripe tomatoes thoroughly under running water.
In a liter jar, place two or three sprigs of parsley or celery, a bay leaf, a ring of hot pepper, peppercorns and garlic, as shown in the photo.
Fill the jar with the prepared tomatoes, placing the larger ones at the bottom. Shake the jar until it's full, filling any empty spaces with fresh herbs. Pour boiling water over the jar for ten minutes, then discard the water. If you're sterilizing the tomatoes, you don't need to pour boiling water over the tomatoes.
Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan or ladle for the second filling, then add the tomato paste. Dissolve it; if any foam appears during the boiling process, skim it off with a spoon.
After letting the mixture simmer for a few minutes, add salt and sugar. Boil for another couple of minutes.
Pour in the vinegar. You'll need one tablespoon of 9% vinegar per liter of mixture. Turn off the heat.
Before pouring the filling into the jars, stir it to remove any sediment. Fill the jars to the brim. Seal tightly or sterilize for 15 minutes (in this case, do not seal the jars; seal them with lids after sterilization).
Cool the finished tomatoes, wrapped in a blanket or towel, then store them in the basement or pantry. Happy pickling!
