Big Ol' Batch of Pizza Sauce

Got a bushel of garden tomatoes? Make a big ol' batch of pizza sauce!

Ingredients

About 25 pounds fresh tomatoes (enough to produce 2 gallons puree)

4 (12 oz) cans of tomato paste

1 Tbs. minced fresh thyme

1 Tbs. minced fresh basil

2 Tbs. minced fresh chives

2 Tbs. minced fresh oregano

4 cloves of garlic, minced extra fine

½ tsp. black pepper

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

¼ cup granulated sugar (optional)

1 to 2 tsp. salt (optional)

Directions 

Remove stems, skins and seeds from ripe tomatoes; chop tomatoes into 2-inch pieces.  Process, in batches, in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Transfer puree into a 9- or 10-quart stainless steel pot.  Simmer, uncovered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, for three or four hours, until reduced by half.  Do not allow to come to a full boil or it can scorch on the bottom—be patient.

If you have a tomato mill like this one, by all means use it, as it will remove stems, skins and seeds as it creates your puree. I was fortunate to find one at a hardware store for 75% off.

  Add tomato paste; mix thoroughly.  (You might want to transfer sauce to a smaller pot.)  Add thyme, basil, chives, oregano, garlic, pepper and cheese; stir to mix.  Simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes.  Add salt and/or sugar to taste (your tomatoes may be sweet enough; the salt may be unnecessary if you use salty toppings like pepperoni, bacon, or anchovies).

Place the pot in a sink full of ice to cool the sauce.  Divide into freezer bags or other airtight plastic containers.  Store in freezer until needed.  You may also can this sauce in mason jars.

Notes 

If you use dried herbs, cut the amounts in half.  The flavor of dried chives is a bit bland, so you might substitute 1 or 2 teaspoons of onion powder.

Canning Pizza sauce is my favorite way to preserve my herb harvest!