Fresh tomato sauce in the slow cooker

Directions

Step 1

*Cut a small X in bottom of each tomato. Bring 8 qt. water to a boil in a large stockpot; add tomatoes, and boil 30 to 60 seconds or until peel begins to separate from tomato flesh. Remove with a slotted spoon. Rinse immediately with cold running water, or plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain. Peel tomatoes, and discard skin. Cut tomatoes in half, and gently squeeze to remove seeds. Coarsely chop tomatoes.

Step 2

Stir together chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic tomato paste, white wine vinegar, sugar, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 4 to 5 hours or until tomatoes have broken down and are very soft. Cool 20 minutes. Stir in basil and thyme.

Step 3

Process the tomato mixture with a handheld blender until smooth. Or process in batches, in a food processor or in a blender. Season tomato sauce with additional salt, pepper or sugar as needed.

Step 4

Freeze sauce in 3-cup portions. Put sauce in 1 qt. freezer safe jars or freezer bag to allow for expansion as the sauce freezes.