Mmmmm, my house smells good!

[Mike Cruz]

Think I made enough pasta sauce?

I'm not one to cook each night, but I will make up a bunch of something once, can or freeze it, and then just pull it out when I need it. It was about time to make up some pasta sauce again, so I had at it. I do cheat a little by starting with 3 jars of different flavored store bought sauces. Then I add 4 lbs of ground beef (local beef cattle) (browned and drained of fat before adding it to the pot), 2 lbs of regular sausage, 2 lbs of spicy Italian sausage (sausages browned and drained of fat with ground beef), a boat load of tomatoes (about 1/2 were from our plants), two large zucchini, two large squash, 2 packages of sliced mushrooms, one yellow bell pepper, one green bell pepper, and for my secret ingredients (oh, well, I'm telling you, so they aren't a secret anymore) a jar of honey and 2 cans of crushed pineapple! What? Yup, crushed pineapple.

I started at 7 this morning, and just took it off the stove at 8:30 this evening. That way, a LOT of the moisture evaporates. I like my pasta sauce thick, not all watery.

The sauce is definitely spicy but also, of course, sweet.

This batch was right on par with 19 jars. Each jar is, to me, two servings. Canning while still hot pulls the tops down when they cool and I've had them stay perfect in the fridge for 6 months, though they rarely EVER last that long around here.

So, even though I cheat a little by starting with store bought sauce, that only accounts for 3 of the 19 jars.

[Steve Griffin]

Ok, if my keyboard is ruined because of me drooling on it, I'm sending you a bill.

I'm inspired to make up a batch of sauce for the fall now.

One question--it sounds like you have sealed these up for fridge storage. But you also mentioned freezing the sauce too--what's the best way to do that, and does it effect the quality much?

Thanks, Steve

[Mike Cruz]

Sorry, that was vague, wasn't it? I don't freeze the sauce. I mentioned freezing because when I get steaks, I buy 8 to 12 at a time, marinade them, put them in zip lock freezer bags and pop them in the freezer. That way, when I want a steak, I defrost and cook. I don't have to think about marinading in the morning or night before.

I don't mind do all the work, I just hate doing it every time I want a steak. Creating 8 to 12 marinade bowls while I have the ingredients out already is almost as easy as doing 1 or 2. Okay, it is more work, but at least I don't have to drag the ingredients out every time. Nor do I have to think about it in advance.

Just picked up some steaks from a local beef rancher Saturday. Got 'em soaking up the mix right now...

[Steve Griffin]

Thanks Mike,
Thats a great idea.

I also really enjoy local beef. I like the grass fed hamburger so much, I find I don't need to spend the extra money for steaks, though I do get a few. -Steve

[Phil Thien]

Pineapple?

[Mike Cruz]

Yeah, pineapple!

[Mike Cruz]

Oh, and Phil, the reason I tried pineapple to begin with is because I got the idea from my favortite pizza...a twist on Hawaiian pizza...instead of ham and pineapple, I always (and I mean always) get sausage and pineapple. It makes for a great sweet and spicy combo.

So, yeah, pineapple. Adds a tangy sweet to the mix. The honey also adds sweet in a flavorful way.

Some of the best pizza I've ever had was one that used honey in the crust as a sweetener instead of sugar.

Wow, talk about digression by association...

[Phil Thien]

I always (and I mean always) get sausage and pineapple.

Pineapple?

[Mike Cruz]

yes, pineapple

[Phyllis Meyer]

Yum! This Italian girl loves home cooked sauce! Pinneaple? That's a new one! I like salsa with pinneaple so I bet it's good.

My husband and I do that also every now and then, there is nothing like your own cooked sauce, I have it running through my veins...!

"Mangi-Mangi" as my Mama used to say!

Phyllis

[Mike Cruz]

Funny, Phyllis, my buddy (Italian through and through) calls it gravy, not sauce. I've come so used to calling it gravy, I really had to think to make sure I wrote sauce in this thread, not gravy. I have the feeling that most people wounldn't have "got" that at all...

Of course, no one really "gets" the pineapple thing either...right Phil?

[ray hampton]

You mention a quart jar of honey, do you think that a quart of honey are enough ?

[Mike Cruz]

Um, actually, I just a jar of honey. Probably a 6 or 8 oz jar. Standard size...

[Phil Thien]

Of course, no one really "gets" the pineapple thing either...right Phil?

I'd like to try some, without the pineapple.

I feel like the little kid that won't eat anything but PB&J.

[Neal Clayton]

my house smells like waterlox (finishing floors)

can i come to your place?