Homemade tomato sauce must be made with the perfect batch of tomatoes. Homegrown, organic or market-bought are best.

Spread the tomatoes out on a large surface and leave to further ripen for a few days. This will make them the perfect texture for your sauce and once ready, wash them well.

Slice the top of the tomato then make 4 slits in the tomato cutting them into quarters.

Cut the green part out from inside the tomato to remove the bitter part along with any bruised or black part of each tomato.

Put the quarters into large buckets and leave to the side.

Once all the tomatoes have been cut, pour up to 1L water in an XL pot and add them to it, filling it to the top.

Leave to boil on a medium heat and a few minutes after it has started bubbling, remove it from the stove.

While you are waiting, prepare 1-2 large containers with slits in them (or large strainers) by placing a sheet of voile fabric over the top of them, letting it hang out of the sides.

When the tomatoes for the homemade tomato sauce have boiled, pour this into the container and let all the water pour out.

Using a ladle, pour the tomatoes into the tomato miller machine/hand mill and mince! This process separates the skin and the flesh.

Be sure to put the tomato skin that comes out through the miller up to two times more as it is likely still full of juices!

Put all of the homemade tomato sauce in a large tub and mix it together gently, this will ensure all of it is the same consistency.

Add a handful of salt if desired and mix through.

Once your glass bottles have been sterilised, drop a few fresh basil leaves into each one before pouring the tomato sauce in each one, filling it only ¾ of the way, then pour a layer of extra virgin olive oil on top to seal each one.

Seal each bottle with your chosen bottle tops and make sure they are closed nice and tight!

For this, you need a large drum – place a big sheet/blanket or layers of newspaper at the bottom then place each bottle inside, standing up.

If tall enough to create an extra layer, fill any gaps with more cloth or newspaper before adding another large one in between the two and then fill it again with bottles of the homemade tomato sauce standing up.

Close the drum with a large lid and light a fire at the bottom of it, leaving it to boil for up to 3 hours.

Leave the bottles in the drum once they are cooling being sure not to remove them until the next day.

Use the passata right away for your favourite meal - The bottles will stay fresh for more than a year!

E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate….Enjoy!