Easy homemade tomato paste

Take advantage of the season that now is full of fragrant fresh tomatoes and prepare your own tomato paste at home! I still remember my mother doing this every Summer (and she continues...) so to have her homemade tomato paste in hand for later on... So useful for all those Winter-time recipes and knowing that it is made by yourself out of just a few ingredients

Prepared by Tony Kavalieros,
a renowned Head Chef

from "Cook Book" magazine of "ETHNOS" newspaper

Ingredients (for 1 medium jar):
1Kg of ripe tomatoes (preferably the oval Italian variety  or "pomodori")
2 tbsp of granulated sugar
50ml of extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp of salt

Method:
Wash thoroughly the tomatoes, peel and transfer into a blender. Whiz until they are completely mashed.

Transfer the pulp into a spacious pot, add the rest of the ingredients and cook in medium heat until all the liquids are evaporated and the pulp is thickened.

Transfer the pulp back to the blender and whiz again. Leave aside to cool down a bit and transfer the paste into a sterilised jar, adding on top a bit of olive oil to cover the tomato paste.

It can be stored nice and fresh for up to 3-4 months. Each time you take some out of the jar don't forget to add a bit more of oil in it.