Crushed tomatoes is something that I use often, its in many of my recipes. At times I use canned crushed tomatoes when I am out of my homemade, that is why this year I planted extra tomatoes so I can make more, hopefully I will be able to make 3 batches this year! 

There really isn’t any measuring here, when I go picking tomatoes in the field I usually get a bushel worth, which doesn’t last me a whole year, this time since I planted so many tomato plants I think I will get 2 or 3 bushels worth, we’ll see by the end of the summer.

First rinse all the dirt from the tomatoes, then cut in half, place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and salt, then place them all skin side up, bake at 400 for 1 hour and half till skin is wrinkled and some are browned. Remove from oven and cover with foil wrap for about 5 minutes, the steam helps the skins separate for easy removal.

Remove skin and discard, add all the tomatoes in a large pot, repeat slicing and baking and removing skins until all tomatoes are done.

With your hand held blender, blend the tomatoes till they become ‘crushed’ add salt and taste. Using a ladle transfer the sauce into freezer bags, I use Ziploc as they are BPA free.

Store in freezer, if you have one of those vacuumed sealed bag units it will last in the freezer even longer, mine are good for about a year or so! I am thinking of investing in one since I freeze a lot, as I am not a ‘canner’! I just found a bag in the freezer from last summer, no freezer burn whatsoever! Oh that is another thing, make sure when you seal the bags to let the air out of the bags before sealing them in.

Some of my homegrown veggies, I’ve got beets, swiss chard and leeks in the garden as well!:) All pesticide and chemical free!

A variety of homegrown tomatoes

Cut tomatoes in half and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt.

Roasted tomatoes

Peeled roasted tomatoes, and strain liquid from tomatoes if need be

Crushed tomato sauce

Crushed tomato sauce in freezer bags