Want to make your own passata?
- Now is the time to make passata, when tomatoes are at their best and cheapest. The main time for passata making used to be January but it is weather dependent and Rosemary explains that because this year had a lot of rain, it is a bit later. The best tomatoes come from Victoria according to Rosemary.
- It is best done as a team or family effort. Sometimes families share the tasks and the number of bottles of passata taken home are related to the number of boxes of tomatoes brought.
- Each box has between 18-20 kilos of tomatoes and you should get between 15-18 bottles from one box.
- You can get roughly 200 bottles of passata for 12 large boxes of tomatoes (Rosemary and Joe's record is 800 bottles one year)
- Use red, ripe Roma tomatoes or San Marzano tomatoes if you can get them.
- A press is a necessity. A motorised one helps speed things up immeasurably. Press tomatoes three times.
- Wear clothes that you don't mind getting dirty (sorry that is obvious isn't it?).
- Leave a couple of inches at the top for the passata to expand when it is being boiled. Otherwise your bottle will explode and the top will come off.
- A good seal is vital.
- Cook the bottles for at least two hours.
- Store the passata in a dark, cool place. Much like wine.
So tell me Dear Reader, do you do much preserving or canning? Have you ever been to a passata day? Is there a dish that you make as a family or group?