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Tomato and garlic sauce for winter
Instructions
I get the ingredients ready.
Pass the tomatoes through a chopper or food processor. In those machines the skin is ground into very fine crumbs, so you can leave it on. If you use a meat grinder, it is better to remove the skin first by pouring boiling water over the tomatoes.
If you make the gorloder straight from the resulting tomato, it comes out a little too liquid. The better trick is to tip the tomato mass into a sieve and let the liquid fraction drain into a container below under its own weight. This takes about 20 minutes.
Put what is left in the sieve into a pot and weigh it so you can work out the rest of the ingredients accurately. The thick tomato weighs 650 g.
The juice without the pulp comes to 500 ml. You can boil it with a little salt added and seal it in sterile jars. Or you can simply drink it.
Set the pulp over low heat and, once it comes to the boil, time it for exactly 2 minutes so the tomato cooks through.
Then take the pot off the stove and leave it to cool. To speed this up, you can stand it in a basin of cold water.
I crush the garlic with a garlic press.
Add the salt and sugar to the cooled tomato.
Then the garlic.
Fill a clean, dry jar with the sauce and screw on the lid.
Tomato and garlic sauce for winter made this way can be kept in a dark spot in an ordinary flat. The lightly boiled tomatoes have a natural acidity of their own that acts as a kind of preservative, so the preserve will keep until next year's harvest.
Tips
- 1
Draining through a sieve is the "secret" to thickness. About 20 minutes of draining under its own weight lets the liquid fraction run off and leaves you with thick tomato. Without this step the gorloder will turn out runny.
- 2
The 2-minute boil is the "secret" of the mixed method. That is enough to preserve the tomato but not enough to break down the properties of the garlic.
- 3
Adding garlic to the cooled tomato is the "secret" to its healthiness. Hot tomato would "kill" the bactericidal properties of the garlic. The tomato must be cooled first!
- 4
The juice without the pulp means nothing goes to waste. The 500 ml of juice can be boiled and sealed separately, or simply drunk straight away. The same principle works with other kinds of spicy tomato condiments.
FAQ
Which tomatoes should I choose? +
Ideal are meaty, sweet varieties (Bull's Heart, Pink Giant, San Marzano) – they give more of the "thick" fraction. Alternatives include "Slivka" (elongated and meaty) and "Mikado" (a premium choice). Fresh tomatoes should be firm with no green patches; ripe ones should be as soft and fragrant as possible. Not suitable: cherry tomatoes (little flesh), green ones (sour) and overripe, spoiled fruit. Seed brands such as Gavrish, Poisk and Aelita are reliable. For a premium result, use field-grown farm tomatoes; greenhouse ones yield less flesh. Any shape will do. You don't have to remove the skin when grinding the tomatoes in a chopper.
What can I use instead of garlic? +
Alternatives include black fermented garlic (65 g – a premium, milder option), dried garlic powder (15 g – a budget option), young garlic in spring (90 g – milder, but use more), and a mix of garlic with parsley (for a "herbal" note). Fresh autumn-harvest garlic is the premium choice, as it keeps through the winter. Don't use garlic that has sprouted (it turns bitter), old garlic with spots, or sweet garlic (it spoils the flavour). For a spicier gorloder, increase the garlic to 80 g; for a milder one, reduce it to 50 g. The brands "Lerko Kala" and "Garlic King" are reliable.
How long does gorloder keep? +
In a dry, sterile jar at room temperature in a dark place, it keeps for up to 1 year. In the fridge, up to 18 months. Once opened and refrigerated, 2–3 weeks. Beyond that the flavour fades and the garlic weakens. Label the jars with the date they were made. If any mould or fermentation appears, do not use it – throw it away. Don't store it in the sun, or the colour will fade. It is best used within the first 6–8 months, when the flavour is at its brightest. Seal it in small 0.5 l jars, as they are easier to open. Take it out 10–15 minutes before serving.
What do you serve gorloder with? +
A classic with meat: with pork, beef or lamb shashlik; with beef steak; with boiled chicken or turkey. With pelmeni and meat-filled vareniki – the Russian way. With boiled potatoes. With fried potatoes. With sausages or small bangers – a budget option. On sandwiches with salo (cured pork fat) and bread – a rustic version. With rice sides served with meat. With a shot of cold vodka – the Russian way. With light beer – a bar-style option. With borscht or shchi – a spicy addition. With fried eggs or an omelette – a fiery breakfast. A truly all-purpose spicy Soviet condiment.
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