How to Make Tomato Sauce with a Food Mill
Cook tomatoes until soft, then pass them through a food mill: the smooth pulp comes out while skins and seeds stay behind. Reduce the pulp to your desired thickness. No peeling or seeding needed.
A food mill turns a pile of tomatoes into smooth sauce in one pass, no blanching, peeling or seeding. It separates the flesh from the skins and seeds mechanically, which is exactly what you want for passata-style sauce.
The method
- Wash and core the tomatoes; quarter large ones.
- Cook them in a pot until soft and broken down, no oil needed.
- Mill the soft tomatoes through a food mill; smooth pulp passes through, skins and seeds stay behind.
- Reduce the pulp by simmering uncovered until it reaches the thickness you want.
- Season and use, or cool for storage.
Storing your sauce
Cool and refrigerate for a few days, or freeze in portions. To can it shelf-stable, follow tested guidance, tomatoes need added acid and correct processing, see how to can tomatoes safely. Compare mills in best food mills & ricers.
Frequently asked questions
Do I peel tomatoes before using a food mill?
No. Cook them soft and run them through the mill, the skins and seeds are left behind automatically. That is the whole advantage of a mill.
Raw or cooked tomatoes for the mill?
Cook them first until soft. A mill purees soft, cooked tomatoes cleanly; raw ones are harder to process and give a thinner, rawer result.
How do I thicken the sauce?
Simmer the milled pulp uncovered to reduce it. The longer you reduce, the thicker and more concentrated the sauce becomes.