Tomato Preserving Versatility- Tomato Coulis or Sauce

 This recipe, adapted from a cookbook called Heirloom by Sarah Owens, caught my eye.  My garden overflows with tomatoes.  I prefer to canning over freezing - I would never have enough freezer space and how convenient it is to just open a jar of beautiful tomato sauce?

This recipes makes about 2 500ml jars. 

Ingredients

2 tbsp      olive oil

3.5 lbs     paste tomatoes- San Marzano or Roma, halved

3.5 lbs     salad or heirloom tomatoes, quartered

1 head     garlic

1 tbsp     thyme

2 tsp       oregano

3 tbsp     balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp     sugar or honey

2 tsp       salt

1/2 tsp    ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Grease a large roasting pan with the oil and arrange the tomatoes cut side up in the pan.  Distribute the garlic cloves among the tomatoes and sprinkle the thyme and oregano, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper overall.  Toss to coat.  Roast, stirring occasionally, for about an hour.  Continue roasting until the tomatoes begin to take on a caramelized glow but are still swimming in their juices.  I often remove them from the oven to finish cooking down the juices on the stovetop where I can give it a stir when I walk by.  

For a rustic sauce, cool and coarsely chop.  For a smooth coulis, blend in a food processor then run through a coarse sieve or food mill.  Add water to thin if you are looking for a smooth consistency.  

You can place the tomatoes in bags for freezing. Or, to can, add two tablespoons of lemon juice to each 500ml jar.  Process in a steam canner or boiling water bath for 30 minutes.