Tomato Sauce - my version

I've learned over the years that there is a plethora of tomato sauce recipes out there.

I've learned that what one calls "from scratch" and what someone else calls from scratch is also quite different.

This is my Version of tomato sauce made this year.

Take your tomatoes. skin them. If doing yellow ones... learn from my mistake. They DO NOT need to blanched as long as red tomatoes. Do them too long and they become mush and you waste a fair amount. REALLY easy to squeeze the seeds out of them though.

Smoosh out the seeds, be as anal as you'd like about getting the seeds out (or not). :)

Stick them in your food processor and process until pureed with some lumpiness. You don't want it to be totally smooth. Lumpier is better than smoother.

Measure out 8-12 cups of pureed tomatoes.

FINELY dice
- two bell peppers - colour unimportant : i like to do one yellow and one red. But have been known to do two red, two green, two yellow...basically whatever is ready in the garden or cheapest in the store.
- 1 tsp minced garlic (or two cloves minced)
- 1 big stick of celery...or about four small ones.
- one largish onion depending on if you do 8 cups or 12 cups.
- about 1 tbsp of oil.

Saute those veggies in the oil until the onion is clear.

Then add pureed tomatoes (about 2 cups worth) to the veggies. Stir well. Add one can (if doing 8 cups) two cans if 12 cups of tomato paste...flavoured or not...up to you. Stir really well.

Then add the rest of the puree.

Bring to boil.

Turn down to simmer.

Let it just simmer away 6-8 hours. Stirring it once in a while.

part way through the day add up to 1/4 cup of sugar to the pot. Stir well.

About 1-2 hours before done add some seasoning. I like to add 1-2 tbsp of Italian seasoning. Depends on how strong you like it to be. You can vary it by adding a bit more garlic, or doing 1/4 cup fresh basil/oregano/etc.

NOW if you want really smooth tomato sauce...stick it in the food processor again once it has cooled enough to handle.

I can it (10 minute water boil).
But some folk stick it in the freezer.

Totally up to you. :)
If I remember I'll take a pic of the finished product.