Comments on: Tomato conserva

By: Molly Watson

Molly Watson — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 17:57:07 +0000

Thanks June! Hear that everyone? No water-bath processing for this conserva (it never lasts long enough at my house to do anything but stick it in the fridge with a slick of oil on top anyway!).

Jessie – you are cooking it down and reducing it, not just cooking it a long time, so I’m not sure how well the crock pot would work. You could always try it and if, at the end of the day, it wasn’t reduced enough finish off in the oven before you went to bed….

By: Jessie

Jessie — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:19:15 +0000

Do you think you could do this recipe in a crock pot rather than the oven? I’ve had a lot of success making apple sauce and other “oven recipes” in a slow cooker and this would work much better with my schedule. It sounds delicious!

By: June

June — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:42:07 +0000

You would be best to pressure can your tomato paste. They no longer recommend water bathing for tomato product that does not contain higher amounts of acid. Gone are the days of water bathing tomatoes. I remember growing up and checking for jar lids that were bulging because of them spoiling. I really wonder how much “flu” really hit our house or was it the tomatoes.

By: Old Route 66 Service Stations should have served Mama’s Lasagna! | thekitchensgarden

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 13:55:00 +0000

[...] When you are almost done add a jar of tomato conserva or a little tin of tomato paste. Not yet though. Your sauce may catch on the bottom of the pot [...]

By: Heirloom Tomatoes- A Man’s Munch. | thekitchensgarden

Heirloom Tomatoes- A Man’s Munch. | thekitchensgarden — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 16:24:22 +0000

[...] tomato conserva If you have a day at home, go for it, the results are fantastic. I am making jars of this .. it is divine. [...]

By: Molly Watson

Molly Watson — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 11:39:06 +0000

Yes, I think of it as like gold but more precious! So glad you find the process as I do – long, slow, and completely and utterly worth it.

By: cari

cari — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 21:50:18 +0000

I made this from Bertolli’s book two years ago. I spent way more than you did, both in cash and time and ended up with about four ounces of what I called gold paste. I could not have been happier about the project. It was worth every single penny, every single minute. There is just something remarkably satisfying about the process of long, slow days in the fall kitchen. Great post!

By: Molly Watson

Molly Watson — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 13:55:59 +0000

I read a recipe for canned tomatoes that insisted one use bottled lemon juice for the known pH level (as opposed to fresh lemon juice, which can vary) and that level of precision needed made me think I’ll just stick with my freezing tomato sauce method!

By: paula

paula — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 04:29:46 +0000

one of the key issues with canning tomatoes is the pH. citric acid needs to be added to avoid the dreaded botulism.

By: Molly Watson

Molly Watson — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 02:34:13 +0000

Thanks Hank – I had a feeling you would have the answer and I wouldn’t have to go to all that hassle of googling it. Thanks! I’m going to make another batch this weekend and try processing it.