Green Tomato Sauce
Green Tomato Sauce
Viv’s and Sam’s Green Tomato Enchilada Sauce
A recipe shared by Viv and Sam — master gardeners and champions of growing and eating delicious food.
This recipe was passed along to me a couple of years ago, and just as they recommended, I’ve come to love using it as a base for Chile Verde or Green Tomato Enchilada Sauce. It’s bright, savory, and the perfect way to make the most of those end-of-season tomatoes.
A note from Viv:
“You’ll notice I don’t include specific quantities — I apologize for that! It’s really up to personal taste. If you want it hotter, add more chile peppers. Onions always add flavor and a bit of thickness. I don’t add chicken stock until (and unless) I need to thin it for enchiladas. I use the sauce as-is (no stock) when I’m making Chile Verde.”
Ingredients
Very green tomatoes | cut in half (or quarters if large)
Chile peppers | stems removed
1 onion | quartered
Water | enough to cover about ¼ of the vegetables
Salt | to taste
Cumin | to taste
Sugar | to taste
Instructions
Step One
In a large stock pot, combine the green tomatoes, chile peppers, and onion. Add a small amount of water — just enough to cover about one-quarter of the height of the vegetables.
Step Two
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the tomatoes have softened.
Step Three
Transfer the mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth.
Step Four
Add salt, cumin, and sugar to taste, blending again if needed. Enjoy.
Preserving
Freezing
Let the sauce cool completely, then portion into freezer-safe containers, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
Pressure Canning
Fill clean jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
Process quarts for 25 minutes at 13 lbs. pressure in the Owens Valley.
For elevations over 6,000 feet, process 25 minutes at 15 lbs. pressure.