Have you ever been in a situation where you are just about to blend some tomatoes and NEPA (abi na PHCN) strikes?
Or you’ve driven that blender so hard it just decides to pack up on you?
OK, you are still planning to buy a blender?
Here’s how to get smooth tomato puree without a blender.
Directions
- Wash and remove the seeds from the tomatoes. The best tomatoes for Nigerian recipes are plum tomatoes known as Tomato Jos in Nigeria.
- Cut them into small pieces.
- Boil on medium heat till soft. The water should not dry completely.
- While still hot, pass the boiled tomato pieces through a sieve with a wire mesh. The sieve should be placed on a pot such that the smooth puree falls into that pot. Use a spoon or wooden spatula to stir the boiled tomatoes and watch them slowly pass through the mesh. This mesh serves as a grinder for the puree. Perforated sieves do not do a good job of this and it takes longer.
- When done, you’ll have very smooth tomato puree in the pot and tomato skin in the sieve.
- Set the pot on your cooker/stove and boil on medium heat till all the water dries up.
- The tomato puree is ready to be fried for Nigerian Beef/Chicken Stew or for Tomato Stew.
What do you think about this method? Will you use it? Have you used it? Let me know in the comments!
If my blender wasn't working, I would probably just buy canned puree. Is that bad?
Not at all Becky. 🙂 In Nigeria, we do not have the canned puree that has a similar texture as the blended tomato puree. We only have the concentrated tomato puree and they are not great for all recipes.
I think I have received this question mostly from people who live in Nigeria and those outside Nigeria who do not eat canned food. 🙂
This is very creative Flo, never thot it could be done this way. So even without NEPA LIGHT, we can still enjoy our stew. Thanks a lot
Maryam dear, a good question gets us racking our brains. I have been receiving lots of questions about how to do this without a blender or mortar and pestle. I thought: if we can smoothen the beans for gbegiri soup this way, it should work with boiled tomatoes too. :)) Thank you!
Woah. Dats nice. Never tot of it. Thanks
You are welcome Monica. 🙂 We learn something new everyday. We normally use mortar but most people that asked me the question do not have mortar and pestle so I had to think outside the box. 🙂
This is very good. The extracted skin can also be used to make yam sauce.
Now that’s a great idea Comfort! Add eggs while frying and we have a great yam sauce! I didn’t know what to do with the skin. lol I thought about adding it back into the puree but changed my mind and threw it away. Thank you!
Have use it before is a very easy and quick method. I like it
Well done Marian! It is indeed easy and fast compared to using mortar and pestle to do the job. 😀
nice and easy
O yes Marian!
Very perfect idea,kudos 2u gals
Thank you Omo T!
Tanx dearie,wll try this next tym I want to prepare stew.
Tina pls do and let me know how easy you found it! :))
Aunty Flo who never fail. You too much o nwannem o
Awww … are you my Debbie?? Waffi Debbie? You too gbaski nwanne m. :))
will try it that's great
Grace pls do and let me know how it goes.
Wow…..I just did, my tomato soup looks lovely
Yay! Well done! I’m glad it worked for you. 🙂
Flo. I love ur website. Have learned so much from it.
Añuli I’m glad you find the website helpful. Thank you! 🙂
awesome now i don,t need to use a blender all d time 😉
That’s simple smart method I discovered and have used oftentimes. But I pass it all up through the sieve seed, skin and all. May I also add this method of pureed tomatoes style of cooking.
2 large onions thinly grated
1 small can tomato puree
1 tablespoon dry pepper
If you’re using a blender add everything together and blend till smooth, then us as desired
this is gud amaa try it asap. tanks flo
You’re welcome Beauty!
That is a great one. Thanks for this idea I will try it out.
hi! Can the method above be also used for peper?
good
Thx….i will try it..am happy I come across ds site….pls can I use d same method for gbegiri….nd bean cake( akara)
Yes Bukola, you can use this method for Gbegiri. But it will not work for Akara because for Akara you need to blend the raw beans not the cooked one.
Nyc job,kip it up.wil surely use ur easy tips.tnx
I read and watch your videos everyday till I get tired I’m a lover of good food and you’re a big blessing.. Keep it up ma’am
You are just an angel. My parents divorced when i was very little & we stayed with our dad so i learnt nothing from my mum. I am married now and you are the reason i have never been put to shame. Thanks to your site, i cook meals that leave my family & guests stunned. Godbless you
Dear Loveliest, well done for using the information available to you to do great stuff in the kitchen. You will continue to shine in all you do. God bless you too. <3
Whenever I can’t use my blender, I usually grate the tomatoes. I just grate till its just the skin left, then I squeeze and discard. Works fine too.
I do it with grater.
Happy new year to you, and to all your friend and family.
Thank you so much for this. My blender stopped working and I google how to get a tomato puree without using a blender. Your blog link came up.
Wow!!! Dis is really nice, never new I can blend my tomato without blender. Good experience…….
waoooo
Aunty Flo, you are a wonderful.
I love visiting this site when thinking of what to cook and i always get what i want. pls keep it up
Chi-chi
Tanx so much…… I ve learnt a lot on dis page, I wil try dis when I get home. Actually cooking is my hobby
Original tomato puree, no chemicals no preservatives, no colors added so nice ?? Sis Flo u too much
That’s nice, but isn’t the Toma seeds not useful to the body?
It’s useful but it ruins the meal. The sight of tomato seeds in a stew will make some people lose appetite.
Which one do you prefer? A stew that gives you all the nutrients but few people enjoy versus the one you lose a tiny amount of nutrients but everyone enjoys?
It’s great to know new things
Ehm miss Flo, se I can make it with mortar and pestle ni?
I seem to be so bad I have neither blender nor mesh?
Sure Fauziyyah. Mortar and pestle were used to blend tomatoes before blenders came to town. If you do not care about the smoothness, they will do the job well. But if you want it as smooth as the one in the video, you will need that wire mesh sieve. 🙂
Oh. Thanks. You know, i was considering the smoothness thing
it’s a wonderful and very helpful site you have here. thumbs up to you for a great job.
Thanks Fola. 🙂
My blender broke down and I have been having it all strenous using mortar.Thank u for this,will try it out.
I’ve never thought of doing this! 😃 Just one question, how long does it take to do the whole process? 🤔
👍👍👍
Depends on the quantity of tomatoes.