Homemade Marinara Sauce

Basic Recipe Marinara

Boiling tomatoes for skin removal
or blanching 

Marinara sauce is something that eluded me for years. I was talking to a client one day about my garden and tomato growing and she told me how she made her own sauce. Since then I have worked on the seasoning, but the basic sauce is vibrant in veggie flavor and a wonderful alternative to store bought versions.

Homemade marinara is an easy afternoon cooking project. Start with fresh, ripe tomatoes and a few herbs. Chop and add supporting vegetables for seasoning flavor and you'll have a delicious sauce in no time. 

The project takes a little under two hours from prep time to finished product. See step by step instructions for blanching tomatoes and a follow along with this basic recipe. Homemade is always a better alternative than store bought sauce. Tomatoes on sale make this a very economical choice.

This is a fantastic project for a bulk of garden tomatoes. Let tomatoes ripen a day or two on the counter to build up juices.

Basic Recipe

Nutrition Facts Panel for Tomatoes

Homemade Marinara Sauce

25 ripe tomatoes (Romas are ideal)
2 tablespoons of chopped garlic
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large green pepper (chopped into 1/4 inch pieces)
1 large yellow onion (chopped into 1/4 inch pieces)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Dried Herbs:
(*For fresh herbs double the ingredients)
4 tablespoons  Basil
3 tablespoons Parsley
2 teaspoons Oregano
1 teaspoon Thyme
2 teaspoons Marjoram
2 teaspoons Rosemary

Instructions: 

Wash tomatoes and cut off  top and bottom portion. Blanch tomatoes by dropping several at a time in a pot of boiling water. Let tomatoes submerge for two - three minutes and remove from water. The tomato is ready to remove when the skin splits. Let tomatoes drain and cool slightly. Remove skins. Chop tomatoes with a knife or pastry cutter. Tomatoes may also be crushed by hand. Set aside.

Simmer garlic and oil in a stock pot over medium heat until warmed. Add onions and peppers. Saute for about three minutes or until onions are transparent. Add chopped tomatoes and coat well with oil mixture. Let simmer for about 20 minutes and add herbs and salt and pepper. Let steep for 35-40 minutes stirring occasionally. The sauce is ready when it is thick and sticks slightly to spoon. Sauce may also be baked in an oven for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Makes about 2 1/2 quarts

Video Instructions:

Tags: marinara sauce, tomatoes, cooking, stewing, homemade, creative video, step by step, blanching, video instructions,

Triple Berry Syrup - A Berry Nice Canning Project

Triple Berry Syrup is the Best!

Berries - Image Courtesy  Bonnie Henderson
Morguefile.com

Berries make the best jams and syrups. I was craving a berry syrup I used to find at a local diner in Florida and decided to make my own. The recipe is simple and is similar to the Strawberry Jam recipe I have been using for years. I just substituted the measured berries in place of the all strawberry mix and tada!! Triple Berry Syrup...

This delicious concoction took about 3 hours from prep to finished processing. The stirring was the hardest part of the production. The canning process was as easy as boiling water.

Freeze Berries in Advance

I had already set aside frozen berry mash I saved from packages I bought at the store. I could not use all the berries: raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries so I popped them in the blender and made ice blocks to save them for later. After the liquid turned solid I pulled the ice block out and set it aside in the freezer until I had enough to create a preserving project. Melt the ice berry blocks ahead of time in the refrigerator or drop them in a stock pot. 

Nutritional facts - berries

Nutritional information: 
Berries are all similar in nutritional levels. They are very low in fat and high in vitamin C. The helpful elements of iron and calcium are present and they contain a  few grams of fiber.

Ingredients:

4 quarts berry mash

4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon butter

The syrup does not need to gel so pectin is not necessary.

                                Instructional Video for Triple Berry Syrup 

Before You Begin Any Canning Project

Set up an area where you can place hot jars after they are finished The area needs to be able to handle the heat of the jars and be in a spot that you can leave your project overnight. DO NOT place hot jars on finished wood surfaces or metal directly. I suggest using a piece of unfinished wood OR several layers of toweling under the jars. Place a towel folded in half under the jars first then lay another one over the top. If you have a jar explode it will not blow pieces everywhere.

Do not disturb the jars once they are placed. They will cool eventually.

24 hours is the rule for all preserves.

Canning Equipment

You will need several pieces of equipment for this process. A water bath canner is optional. You may just fill the jars if you like and turn them upside down. My sister and mother do this with most of their jams and jellies. I prefer to do the entire water bath procedure. It saves me the anxiety of wondering if my product is well preserved. I know that if I do things the right way, trouble tends to stay away. Food sanitation is an extremely important part of being a successful canning enthusiast. I sterilize everything after washing in hot, soapy water and rinse. Every step taken in safe, sanitation is a move into healthy food consumption. If all the bacteria is deleted ahead of time the chances of them getting into the foods are minimal. 

Waterbath Canner

Fill the canner in advance and set it on medium-high heat. It will be hot enough when you get your preparations finished. After the product is ready to be placed in jars, crank the heat on the canner to high so that the temperature will be right when your jars are ready. Reduce heat back to medium high again when the canner is ready to be filled. Always be cautious about steam. In a split second, the vapor can cause a painful injury. Open the lid AWAY from you always.

Be sure to have a small pot of hot water waiting for lids. The rubber seals soften and adhere easier when they are heated up. Set the lids in this pot when you start filling the jars. The lid will be ready when you are.  

Canning Equipment is a helpful set of tools. The jar and lid lifters save a few burning fingers and fussing with a set of tongs.  The jar lifters are life savers. I love the coating that helps the jar stay put. There are no dropping jellies with this tool! The lid grabber holds a lid steady while the ring is placed and its magnetic end stands ready for the next lid. 

The leveler helps see an exact fill line and the reverse side is great for sliding down the interior wall and removing bubbles.

Last but not least, the jar funnel directs hot liquids where they belong, in the container and not on surfaces. I always place my jars in a bowl as I fill them. This helps keep spills in a place I can easily clean and...taste. 

As jars are filled, leave them on the stove top so they are at a stable heat temperature before placing int he water bath canner. 

Enjoy your syrup! =)

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Egg Recipes - Storing and Rotating Farm Fresh Eggs

Farm Fresh Eggs on The Menu

Ingredients for Banana Bread - Add an extra egg for a firmer, moister bread.

 
Farm fresh eggs are on our menu again soon and they often overwhelm the refrigerator as the supply increases. Using them up in a timely manner will get that creative cooking rolling in a new direction and keep the stock fresh. Here are some of the ways to use up that fat supply of eggs your hens have produced.

Did you know? One egg contains 6 g of protein and only 70 calories (Canada's Food Guide.) They are important sources of Omega-3. They are essential providers of the building blocks our bodies need to grow hair and fingernails. The elements Vitamin A and D are found in them and they make healthy snack choices. Hungry? Fry up an egg for a sandwich. Boil them and keep them in a container in the fridge. Boiled eggs drop easily in the lunch box. They make a great grab and go snack.

Wash your eggs BEFORE you use them, not as they are collected. There is a special coating that is covering the shell called a bloom. Washing the egg too soon will cause it to lose a valuable protective coating.

Cooking Eggs - Recipe Ideas

Eggs are primarily a breakfast food.

• Fried 
• Scrambled 
• Breakfast Burritos
• Egg Sandwiches
• Omelets
• Poached 
• Egg Pancakes
• French Toast

French Toast with homemade Apple Butter - A personal favorite  

Adding them to lunch and dinner menus provides vital proteins and nutrients.

• Boiled 
• Quiche
• Stir Fry
• Baked Goods
• Egg Drop Soup
• Egg Salad
• Potato Salad

Toss a few boiled eggs into a potato salad. Use 
egg whites to make homemade mayo.

Eggs can be used in sauces for things like mayonnaise (egg whites) and hollandaise (egg yolks.) These two items are on my list of things to learn to do this summer when my hens start producing. They are still too young at this time, but I am currently working eggs into my diet so that I can keep up with my hen house. I can't tell you how irritated I am at having to use store-bought eggs at this moment...grin...

Egg Storage

I don't know about your preferred egg storage, but for me, I store them in the refrigerator. I live in Las Vegas and it is plain hot here when the summer hits. I trust the cool compartment to keep eggs at a stable temperature. They are stored in a bowl or egg carton and rotated as the stock increases. Store them small side down.

Processing Farm Fresh Eggs

Egg Collage Image Description (Clockwise)

Figure 1 - Date marked on an egg - As soon as I collect an egg, I mark it with a Sharpie so I know when I got it. I'm not sure that the ink does any damage and so far it has helped keep the rotation in line.

Figure 2 - Bag dated for storing eggs in the freezer. Eggs may be stored in the freezer compartment for up to six months. Thaw and scramble or add to baking recipe.

Figure 3  -  Dried egg shells - Set aside eggshells for crushing later and adding to the garden or chicken area. The shells are high in calcium and both garden and hen will make good use of this mineral.

Figure 4 - Testing egg freshness - Submerge eggs in a bowl of water to observe floating behavior. Eggs that stay on the bottom are fresh. Eggs that stand and float are to be tossed. The egg develops an air pocket in the top as it ages. 

Figure 5 - Eggs to be stored in the freezer. Place serving size in a bag and squeeze the air out. This set is for scrambling later. The bag contains 3 whole eggs. This is a good serving for one breakfast + one egg for pet treat.

Placing these items on the menu and freezing extra eggs as needed will help keep a constant egg supply under control and help the family enjoy the small bounty compliments of the family chickens. Rotation is everything to a proper kitchen and often a recipe is needed to help keep fresh items moving through the menu. This is true of all the foods we keep. Keep ir fresh and the quality will stay high. One final note: Find friends you'd like to give eggs to that aren't squeamish about the farm fresh goodies. This will also help you keep up with supply. 

Check back for new developments. I will be adding my personal recipes for items above as I can find time to write them up. 

Thank you for visiting!