Ingredients

• Ripe or slightly over ripe local tomatoes
• Garlic
• Basil
• Olive Oil

Method

1. It is preferable to make outside on a bbq or open fire pit as my mother does, this way you avoid pebble dashing your kitchen with tomatoes and you can use a bigger pot.
2. Take the biggest pot you have and half fill with whole tomatoes, add 1 peeled garlic clove and 4 basil leaves per 2kg of tomatoes.
3. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil, simmer slowly for 2 hours, take care to stir frequently as you need to avoid the tomatoes burning at the bottom of the pot, add more water if the mixture gets too thick.
4. After 2 hours the tomatoes should be bubbling like molten lava. Remove and pass through a mouli (or food mill) into sterile containers. Pour the tomato into jars leaving a 2cm gap from the rim.
5. Push a peeled clove of garlic and basil leaf into the jar and pour in a little olive oil, enough to cover the tomato passata by 5mm. Seal the jars.
6. Place the jars into the washed pot that you used to cook the tomatoes and cover with cold water. Put back onto the heat and bring to the boil slowly and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool overnight.
7. Remove the jars, dry and label. You now have your own fresh passata to use over the next year. Store in a cool dry place and you will have 12 month of shelf life.