How to make coulis and tomato sauces)

Transforming tomatoes into coulis and sterilising them: it couldn´t get more easy! With a little planning, you can process large amounts in a short time.
What tomatoes can be used for canning? All varieties are suitable but if you have the choice, opt for fleshy varieties that contain less water.
A tomato contains 90 to 95% water. And the small 5% difference makes a real difference. Pick when fully mature to enjoy great flavours.
What preparations? None! Slice them roughly and take all the seeds out. The skins and seeds are removed and when the pulp is pressed strongly all the flavours remain. Another advantage is that you have a smooth and silky texture that promotes the diffusion of the aromas.
Removing seeds: manually or electrically? If you have some spare cash to invest in an electric model, it is well worth it. It´s so fast that preparation is no longer a problem.
Boil or not boiled. Both are possible:
- They are not much more difficult to process when raw, and we do have to cut the tomatoes => This is the best solution for small amounts
- Boiled: boil all the tomatoes. Use your pasteuriser to boil the water and a ""tomato racket"" to recover them. By the time you have put one batch into the hopper of the strainer, the ones in the pasteuriser are ready: ultra fast!
Reduce or decant? The pressed pulp that you will recover is often too rich in water. Two solutions are available to you.
You can decant in a basin. The pulp will fall to the bottom and you just pour the water gently away.
You can also reduce by heating gently in a wide basin to facilitate evaporation.
Or you can combine the two solutions: reducing to focus on the flavours ...
What type of basin? The key is a large one in order to fully evaporate the water. It works much faster than a pan with high edges ...
- No copper
- Aluminium conducts heat well but is sensitive to the acids in your tomatoes
- Stainless steel consumes less heat but is insensitive to acid.
- Nothing is perfect ...
The recipe. Each family has its own secret recipe!
During cooking, taste and correct the seasoning. I am giving you the basis for 10 kilos of coulis:
- 15 cloves of garlic
- ½ litre of olive oil
- 50/100 grammes of sugar to sweeten
- salt, pepper, onion, thyme, bay leaves, celery, salt ...
Putting into jars or bottles. Using a good jam funnel or a ladle, you can move from one jar to another without dribbling or messing up your jars. Juice bottles are very convenient. The wide aperture also allows rapid filling using the funnel and twist-off caps close easily. ½ litre bottles take up little space and you can store them easily.
Sterilisation One hour of boiling. Tomatoes are acidic and keep very well, up to 1 year in a cool place away from the light. Label your jars with the date and make a note of the recipe. For cleaning use, express soluble labels.