Tomato Paste/Sauce

My cousin, Clareesa, taught me this delicious recipe! She makes this unbelievable tomato paste from ingredients in her garden. It's perfect for any Italian or Mexican meal. Clareesa pours the cooled mixture into these freezer pouches, but I decided to bottle mine.
I picked all this out of her garden. Tomatoes, zucchini, onions, garlic and bell peppers. I then cut them up in large chunks and tossed them into a large pot. I stewed it all together for about 30 minutes. I drained about a cup of excess water out of the pot. I then poured it into my blender (my cousin has one of those handy hand blenders and so she didn't have to pour the mixture into the blender and then back into the pot!)

Next, I added salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin...really whatever you can find in your pantry. Even taco seasoning would be great! I made most of the bottles of sauce the same. Then I made a batch that had a bit more Mexican flare on it. I added more chili powder, and a  jalapeno pepper. It came out so good! Then, I made a batch a little bit more with an Italian style. I added more herbs. It too turned out great! I continued to cook the paste/sauce for another 30-60 minutes. ( you can take off more water off the top if want.) I poured the mixture into warmed bottles and placed them in a water bath for 30 minutes. Easy, and so worth it! One of my jars didn't seal properly and so we had spaghetti the next night. It was the best sauce ever. It tasted great. It was all fresh from the garden and I made it!

Overall, I bottled a dozen jars of this delicious sauce/paste. I left some in Santa Barbara with my mom and the rest I brought home for my family. I can't wait my garden is ready to harvest. I plan on making a few more batches soon!