Pasta sauce canned in advance

Ingredients for 10 servings:

• 5 kg vine tomatoes
• 2 kg zucchini or carrots
• 1 kg onion(s)
• 1 bulb(s) garlic
• 1 lemon(s), zest and juice
• 5 tbsp vegetable stock powder
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp paprika powder
• 2 tbsp garlic salt
• ½ tbsp pepper, to taste, black or mixed
• 10 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 bunches of chives
• 2 bunches of large-leaf parsley
• 10 sprigs of thyme
• 10 sprigs rosemary
• 2 bunch basil, finely chopped
• 1 bunch of oregano
• 1 bunch marjoram
• 1 bunch tarragon
• 6 tbsp mild sunflower oil
• possibly vegetables, of your choice
• possibly minced meat or tuna

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour 10 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours 25 minutes; Total time approx. 4 hours 35 minutes

preserved tomato sauce, which can be refined with meat or other vegetables when eaten

Wash the tomatoes, remove the stems, and cut into small cubes. Peel the onions and garlic, then cut into small cubes. Halve and slice the zucchini according to their thickness, then drizzle with lemon juice. Sauté the onions and garlic in oil until translucent. Add the diced tomatoes and season with vegetable stock. Boil briskly for about 20 minutes. Add the zucchini slices and bring back to a boil. Add the tomato paste, lemon zest, and all the spices, except for the herbs. Simmer on the lowest heat for at least 1 hour, or preferably 3 hours. When the sauce has the desired thickness, add the herbs and season to taste. Now prepare 10 1.5-liter preserving jars. Fill well-washed, or better yet, boiled, jars with hot water. Dip a kitchen towel in hot water and wring it out well. Place the warm jars on the damp cloth and pour in the sauce using a preserving funnel. Please ensure that the rims of the jars are absolutely clean and free of grease, as otherwise the lids may seal and the sauce may spoil. Close the jars tightly and boil in a water bath at 80°C for 25 minutes. Note: This way, the sauce will keep for at least a year; I’ve even found jars in the cellar that were still perfectly edible after 3 years. Of course, you can use carrots or other vegetables instead of the zucchini. When preparing the sauce, you can add minced meat for Bolognese or tuna, or simply enjoy it as a tomato sauce. The sauce can be served with pasta, rice, or lasagna. Pureed, slightly thinned, and refined with a little sour cream, it makes a delicious hot or cold vegetable soup, or you can enjoy it cold as a dipping sauce with chips or chopped vegetables. This sauce supply allows me to prepare a quick meal without feeling guilty, as it is free from preservatives and other additives.