Making Traditional Tomato Sauce In Italy

The task ahead

We arrived in Italy around 6.00 pm and already our social calendar was full.  On this particular Friday evening we had been invited to Vincenzo and Carla's home where Carla's sister Antionetta was cooking up something special.  If there is one thing that the Italians can claim to be very good at (and there is a long list), it's hospitality.  We have been here less than 2 weeks and the food that we purchased at the local market in Ceccano on our first Wednesday morning, has rotted in the fridge because we have not been home long enough to eat any of it.

I would have taken pictures of the meal that Antionetta laid out before us, but I thought it a little rude to take the camera, although I do wish I had.  She had selected the crystal glasses that Carla hadn't used in years for the ocassion and arranged them on the table with specially chosen plates and cutlery.  Long enough to seat 15, the table looked beautiful.  Placed upon it throughout the evening were a total of 6 courses which began with a refreshing Bellini Cocktail presented in Carla's crystal jug and stuffed with fresh peaches.  Let me give you the menu:

Bellini Cocktail & Crustini Appetisers

Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese, Tomato and Hot Pepper, Black Olive Tapenade

Seafood Spaghetti

Mussels, clams, calimari and shrimp in a light tomato sauce carefully tossed with spaghetti

White Fillet of Fish with Lemon

Baked simply in a little white wine and fresh lemon juice

Mixed Leaf Salad

A simple refreshing fresh salad tossed in olive oil

Fresh Peach and Fig Compote

Carla's House Speciality Tiramisu

Espresso

When we arrived, and during our meal, there was talk of tomatoes and the task of making the family supply of tomato sauce for the coming year.  Vincenzo showed us his tomato cellar and what was left of last years work.  It may look like a lot of bottle to you and me, but for Vincenzo and his family these neatly stored beer bottles packed with tomato sauce, will barely last until the end of the month!

Vincenzo's sauce

When he took us to see the tomatoes for making his next years supply there was only one thing to do and that was to offer our services by way of help.  He went on to tell us that they start at 6.00 am and that to produce the 500 bottles required between himself and other family members, it would take 2 days work.  We arrived at 8.00 am a little bleery on the first day, but keen to help out and record the efforts for you all - ah the sacrifices we have to make.

Vinenzo is a very organised person and there were clearly designated areas of work where, between 10 - 12 people we all took a turn here and there:

a)  Tomato sorting

This is an essential part of the tomato sauce making process to ensure that the sauce is as good as it can possibly be.  All squashed, rotting and partially rotting tomatoes are set aside to be fed to various flocks of chickens.  The best and ripe ones make their way to the next process.  The less than ripe ones are set aside to be processed the following day.

b)  Tomato washing

Every tomato is carefully rubbed and washed and checked again for ripeness and freshness.  There are then placed into containers and taken to the slicing table

c)  Tomato slicing

Each tomato goes through a further check for goodness-ness and sliced into at least 4 pieces ready for crushing.

d)  Tomato crushing

Using a meat mincer that Vincenzo has modified over the years, each slice is passed through and juiced, removing the skin and pips.  The skin and pips are passed through the mincer once more to ensure all the juice possible is extracted.  Nothing is wasted, the skin and pips go to feed the various flocks of chickens (lucky ladies!).

e)  Tomato bottling

All the juice that is captured goes on to the next process.  Vincenzo has modified a large bowl by making a plug and tap through which the sauce passes.  The juice is poured into the bowl and someone carefully hold each bottle under the tap until it is full.  It is then passed to the 'capper'.

f)   Bottle capping

There seems to be two vital pieces of kitchen equipment in the Italian home: a meat slicer and a bottle capper (if that's what you call it).  Each of the bottles has a top fixed to it, it is then ready for boiling.

g)  Bottle boiling

Vincenzo and his family bottle sauces for many members of the family who bring their tomatoes for processing.  Because there are so many bottles, Vincenzo has two large tanks into which the bottles are placed for boiling.  The combination of tanks is enough to boil 250 bottles.  Each tank is filled with water and a fire is made beneath them to ensure a that the bottles boil for at least 2 hours.  They will then be allowed to cool overnight and are removed the following day to make way for the next 250 bottles.

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Lucky for you that we had our trusty Flip Cam with us and managed to record the process - please enjoy watching real Italian tomato sauce being made by real Italian people thanks to Vincenzo, Carla and everyone else who helped out .

And after an early start and a hard days work there's nothing better to do but to enjoy a fabulous meal of spaghetti with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, followed by mozzarella wrapped in proscuitto - fabuloso ... "Enzo, is that an Italian word in real life?"