Sometimes something from the past deserves a reinvention for a new time. Take this vintage cone sieve with wood masher which finishes your tomato sauce better than any sieve with a hand crank. I used it this afternoon to get the most puree out of the remaining seeds and skins which were leftover from my blanched tomatoes which has been seeded and skinned. All you have to do is place the contraption over a bowl, place the tomato guts — seeds and skins– into the cone and start mashing everything with the wood pestle until the puree seeps through the small holes and into the bowl. You’ll be left with at least a cup of sauce to add to your already simmering garlic, tomatoes and basil to finish off a delectable sauce.
Commonly used in the 1960’s this cone shaped sieve was used to make applesauce, baby food and tomato puree. You can find many Cone Shaped Sieves for an affordable price on ebay.
Don’t forget to use my recipe for Farm Fresh Tomato Sauce:
- 5-8 pounds tomatoes overripe, farm fresh
- 1/4 cup olive oil extra virgin, good quality
- 1 head fresh garlic 10 cloves, peeled and minced
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp sea salt good quality
- 1 bunch basil washed, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes optional (if you want it spicy)
- 1) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. 2) Using a knife, score each tomato with a small x. 3) Drop tomatoes “about 6 at a time “into the water to loosen the skin. Keep in the water for about 3-4 minutes. Remove, cool and repeat the process. 4) Once cooled, use your hands to remove the seeds and skin from the tomato placing seeds and skins in one bowl and flesh in another. Squish the fleshy part of the tomatoes with your hands to break up the tomatoes. Once finished, begin to make sauce. (And if you have a tomato press, place the seeds and skins through to get more sauce. Sometimes you can press through a sieve as well.) 5) Heat a large open and deep skillet with 1/4 cup olive oil. 6) Add the chopped garlic and cook for a minute or two over medium high heat before adding the tomatoes. 7) Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt and basil. 8) Bring to a rapid boil on a high heat and cook for about ten minutes. 9) Turn heat down and cook uncovered for about 90 minutes to two hours on a medium high heat until sauce thickens. Add the fresh basil at the end of the cooking time. 10) Cool and then package in airtight containers and freeze until ready to use!
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