Tomatoes originated in the West of South America and were imported to Europe in the early 1500’s after the discovery of the Americas. In the past they were considered a poisonous plant and were used as ornamentals. It was only after several varietal selections that the tomatoes became edible and started to appear on some of the tables of the aristocracy of those times.
It took another couple of centuries before the tomato became very popular in the centre and south of Italy and it is now one of the main foods associated with Italian cuisine. Because it is a summer fruit it was important to find ways to preserve it so that it could be available all year round and various ways of preserving tomatoes were developed: passata, peeled tomatoes, tomato paste.
Originally they were gold in colour, hence their name in Italian ‘Pomo D’oro’, and typically a summer fruit.
Making Passata is an Italian family tradition that started in the early 1800’s as a way to preserve the tomatoes so that they could be used all year round.
Every family has their own recipe variation but they all have in common that they get together with family and friends to make it a celebration. Everybody has a specific role, usually the children put basil in the bottles, women wash and chop the tomatoes and fill the bottles and the men operate the machinery and prepare the fire.
In our family we used to get together once a year, usually in August, which is Summer in Italy, when the tomatoes are at their fullest flavor. We used to go to our countryside residence and set up for the day, we started in the cool hours of the early morning so that we would be finished by lunchtime.
Lunch always included a pasta dish with the sauce from the tomatoes used for the passata, capsicums and tomatoes that had been roasted on the open fire, roasted corn cobs and other summer vegetables, fresh homemade bread and a good glass of red wine.
The Italian migrants have taken this family tradition around the world and in Australia, every year, in January or February, they repeat the same ritual to fill out the pantry with delicious tomato passata.
Making passata takes them back to their childhood and the memories of happy times spent with family and friends, proud to be passing the skills down to the next generation.
Interview and Video production done by Richard Robot.
View the recipe here: