bottling passata

[spinningfishwife]

There is a particularly fine Readers Digest publication called "Food From Your Garden" that claims to be "All you need to know to grow, cook and preserve your own fruit and vegetables". To my mind it`s one of the best books I own and though it`s somewhat out of date because it was first printed in 1977, it`s a hugely useful book and I feel everyone that grows food crops should own a copy.

Yes, it`s out of print of course but I`ve picked up four copies this past year to give to allotment friends. Look out for it in charity shops and jumble sales and seize it like the treasure it is! It has several pages on bottling fruits and purees, so worth looking out for it just for this. And there are sections on drying, pickle and jam making, salting and all sorts of other traditional methods of preservation.

[Tigger]

I bottled lots of passata last year. Basic recipe - tomatoes in a roasting tin with some olive oil, bake 'til cooked, whiz up in the food processor and put in hot, sterilised jars. For variation, add any/combination of the following; garlic, onions, basil or other herbs, anchovies.

If anyone's going to France or Italy this year, you'll find electric passata machines in the big supermarkets - same price as the Seeds of Italy one but faster.

[Malk]

I take the difference between passata and sauce is whether you add stuff to the passata. Passata is just sieved toms while the sauce could have herbs, onions, garlic, wine anything to give it more flavour.

[valmarg]

I bought my machine from Lakeland. I had seen it in the catalogue, but having seen old Hugh Fearlessly-Eatitall use the machine on his River Cottage TV programme, and when it was reduced in price, I decided to 'give it a go'.

I would have to say, it has been one of the best pieces of kitchen equipment I have bought.

It produces wonderful passata. But also, when you have very small/misshapen/etc tomatoes, which you would normally have discarded, you can chuck them into the machine and have no waste.

Personally. I tend to have a cook-up day when I make chilli/pasta tomato sauce, and freeze the product in Lakeland's stack-a-boxes.

If you take a tin of tomatoes, whether it be plum or chopped, if you shove them through a sieve, what you end up with is passata.

valmarg

[Mr Potato Head]

QE2's stationary office supplies the HMSO's 'home preservation of fruit and vegetables' and you can buy it online

[Chez]

Thanks for the book reference, Mr Potato Head. In my ignorance, I didn't realise that 'Ag & Fish' was the same as HMSO. Oh well, I am an alien in the home of my ancestors! Anyway, glad I can get hold of this book more easily than I at first thought.

Also, following the definitions between passata and tomato sauce (thanks), I am now in the market for a passata machine. I could not find one on the Lakeland site, so they must have sold out. Any other recommendations re which to go for, from anyone?

[valmarg]

Hi Chez,

I think if you go to the www.seedsofitaly.co.uk site, you will find that they have passata machines.

Best wishes

valmarg

[Chez]

Brilliant, thanks Valmarg, will head off to that site and have a look now.

[Tigger]

The only one I could find in this country was the Seeds of Italy one. It's quite effective but it's not electric and it's made of plastic. In the European supermarkets they sell domestic electric passata machines for the same price as the Seeds of Italy one. I'm bringing back a couple for people when we go over at the end of March. If you haven't found what you want by then, let me know. I can always bring it to Malvern!

[Chez]

Hello Tigger - yes I saw they were plasic too. I would love to take you up on your offer of picking one up when you are away next. However, we have not yet decided whether we are going to Malvern. We are going to Bruges toward the end of this month though (not sure if we would find passata machines there) and will look then. If no joy, as we are in Leics we would be happy to collect the machine from you if not too much trouble to bring back and if you wouldn't mind us doing so? Many thanks for such a kind offer too!

[Tigger]

Anytime - just let me know. Retail therapy is never a chore!

[valmarg]

Hi Tigger,

The machine I bought from Lakeland is a hand cranked plastic effort.

What are the electric machines made of?

I would have to say that the machine we have serves our purpose, but am interested in information on the electric machines you buy on the continent.

valmarg

[The Grock in the Frock]

got a friend going to paris next week,can she get one from there?if not im off to sunny spain with the girls,can i pick one up from there?really dont think i can make the spring malvern show as im saving up the pennies,but would love to see you all at the autumn show,and any how i enjoyed the latter one more.

[Tigger]

The European ones (France, Belgium, Italy) are usually made from Stainless Steel, dishwasher proof and very slick. I bought one a few years ago for no more than £20. Your friend will find it in any big supermarket/hypermarket amongst the electrical kitchen gadgets.

I think they are also available in Spain. I'll do a bit of homework for you.

I would agree - the Autumn Malvern Show is the best!

[The Grock in the Frock]

thats GREAT ,looks like i'll have one this time next week,ta chuck,and yes the autumn show is well better.do you know whos gonna b at the one your going to,if its my titchmarsh give him a BIG SLOPPY KISS,and say thats from the grock from l.pool he'll know who ye talking about ha ha