Tomato Sugo for the Freezer

Sun-ripened tomato sugo from the garden - frozen in portions for later. Few ingredients, lots of flavor.

Ingredients

• 2 kgripe tomatoes (e.g. beefsteak tomatoes from the garden)
• 1onion
• 3 clovesgarlic
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 1 bunchfresh basil
• 1 pinchsugar
• to tastesalt & pepper

Instructions

1. Wash the tomatoes and roughly dice them (10 min)
2. Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent (5 min)
3. Add the tomatoes and simmer over medium heat for 45 minutes (45 min)
4. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar, then stir in the basil (5 min)
5. Purée finely with an immersion blender (5 min)
6. Let it cool, fill into freezer containers or bags in portions and label with the date. Keep in the fridge (7 °C at most) and use within 2–3 days, otherwise freeze: at −18 °C cooked vegetables keep for up to 12 months (German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, BfR, "Pre-cooking for several days"). (10 min)
7. This sugo is not suitable for canning: with onion, garlic and oil, tomato sauce counts as low-acid – tested times exist only for a pressure canner, not for a water bath (National Center for Home Food Preservation, NCHFP, "Spaghetti Sauce without Meat"). For jars in the pantry: can plain passata without onion and oil (knowledge article "Canning a big tomato harvest") and add onion, garlic and oil only when you cook with it.