Garden Tomato Paste

[Garden Green]

8 quarts peeled, chopped and cored tomatoes
1 1/2 cup chopped sweet red peppers
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon salt
1 clove garlic, optional

Combine first four ingredients and cook slowly one hour. Press through a fine sieve. Add garlic if desired. Continue cooking slowly until thick enough to round up on a spoon, about 2 1/2 hours. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. Remove garlic and while still hot, pour into hot Ball jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Adjust caps. Process 1/2 pint jars for 45 minutes in boiling water bath. Yields 9 1/2 pints.

Some tomatoes best for making paste:
Giant Paste
Grandma Mary's Paste
Amish Paste
Martino's Roma
Opalka
Polish Paste
Roma
San Marzano
Sausage
Super Italian Paste

This list is in no particular order and there are many more tomatoes available that make good paste, these are just a few that I know. :)

[HomesteadBaker]

Thanks! This doesn't seem like the supermarket "superglue" stuff! Good deal!

[plantoneonme]

I know this was posted quite some time ago but I am now thinking of what I am going to do with all the tomatoes I will (hopefully) be getting this summer. In the ancient past, I saw a recipe where you cooked down the tomatoes in the oven. You have any idea on how to do this? I tend to burn things on the stove. Kim

[Sinfonian]

Ooh, I just saw an episode of Good Eats on this. He baked or broiled the tomato halves seasoned then grinded it all in a juicer. I saved it because two days later I forget the details. I plan on using tomatoes for this this year!

[Garden Green]

Ack, what episode was that? I haven't seen it.

[SimplyForties]

Part one -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYPvCOe91VI

Part two -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Yytld1ibks&feature=related

Luckily for us, Good Eats is on YouTube!

The recipe, which is for baked tomato sauce is in part 2, along with a delicious sounding recipe for stuffed tomatoes!