This will make about 9 x 250ml jars of tomato paste.
50 large tomatoes
3 chopped red capsicums (sweet peppers)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1 whole garlic, crushed
Combine the tomatoes, capsicums, bay leaves and salt in a large pot, bring to the boil and simmer for an hour. Remove the bay leaves and press the mixture through a fine sieve. Return the mix to the pot, add the bay leaves again and the whole garlic. Cook this slowly for about 2½ hours, stirring frequently. When it's ready, it's a sticky paste that won't drip from the spoon. Remove bay leaves and pour the hot paste into hot clean jars, leaving 7mm head space. Check for air bubbles and remove them with a spatula. Wipe the jar rims, secure lids and process in a water bath (fowlers vacola or large stockpot) for 45 minutes.
graphic from: http://www.picturestore.com.au/
graphic from: http://www.picturestore.com.au/
