Buzz
As tomato season comes to an end, I often find myself with a surplus of tomatoes. While I could enjoy many tomato sandwiches, tomatoes, much like avocados, have a brief ripe period, so it's helpful to have a quick solution to use them all up before they spoil.
This is where my friend Amanda comes in, who had both grown and received an impressive amount of tomatoes this summer. Her clever solution was to use the Instant Pot to pressure-peel the tomatoes, and then, by using the slow cook setting, concentrate the savory, umami-rich flavors by allowing the excess water to evaporate. You will need a food mill—I bought mine for 20 bucks—and the only ingredients required are tomatoes, a liquid to bring the pot to pressure (I used wine), and perhaps a pinch of salt. It's so easy, it's barely even a recipe, but I'm happy to guide you through the process.
Start by gathering all the tomatoes you have (I had about five pounds), washing them, and placing them into your Instant Pot. Leave the stems on (some say they add a herby flavor). Don’t bother coring them. Definitely don’t remove the seeds. Pour in a cup of your preferred liquid. You can use water or wine, but avoid anything with a high alcohol content, as liquor can produce an ignitable vapor cloud, which is dangerous.
Close the pot and press the “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” button. Use the “+” and “-” buttons to set the cooking time to three minutes. After the timer goes off, let the pressure naturally release, then open the Instant Pot and transfer the contents to a large bowl.
Next, grab your food mill and start pressing the tomatoes back into the pot. At first, it might seem like all you have is just tomato juice, but don't worry. Keep milling those juicy tomatoes until only stems, seeds, and skins remain. Don’t toss these out—combine them with an equal amount of salt and dry them out in the oven to make tomato salt. (See the full process here.)
Leave the lid off the Instant Pot, press the “Slow Cook” button, and use the “Adjust” button to set it to “Normal.” Allow the sauce to cook and reduce for 15 hours, stirring occasionally if you feel like it. Personally, I stirred about three times during the whole cooking process, more for my own amusement than to help the sauce.
This will yield around a liter and a half of rich, saucy goodness. I prefer to keep mine on the thinner side so I can cook it further with other ingredients without worrying about it becoming too thick. If you prefer a thicker sauce, simply cook it for a bit longer. For tomato paste, let it cook for another 15 hours. Once your sauce has reached your desired consistency, spoon or pour it into jars or containers and store it in the fridge or freezer. Keep repeating the process until you’ve used up your tomato stash, and don't forget to take a break for a tomato sandwich now and then.
