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    You are Here: Masala Herb » Recipes » Sauces

    French Tomato Coulis + How to can it

    Published: Jul 5, 2021 · Modified: Sep 3, 2022 by Helene Dsouza

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    Helene Dsouza
    A french tomato coulis recipe infused with culinary herbs. With canning instructions and ideas to use it to the max!
    Total Time: 2 hours
    Prep Time: 40 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    water bath canning: 1 hour
    17 jars
    5 from 3 votes
    Jump to Recipe
    coulis sauce with tomato
    close up of French tomato sauce in jar

    Homemade tomato coulis seasoned with fresh herbs. This is a French recipe for a thin tomato sauce.

    The recipe comes with canning instructions.

    French Tomato Coulis picture
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    Jump to:
    • 📕 What's a Tomato Coulis?
    • 🍅 Ingredients
    • 🔪 How to make the Coulis?
    • 🏺 Canning Instructions
    • 🧰 Equipment to Can
    • 🍴 Uses
    • 🍱 Storing
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    📕 What's a Tomato Coulis?

    A tomato coulis is a thin tomato sauce used in French cooking as a sauce base for other dishes.

    It's basically a tomato sauce but it's super runny and it's almost always seasoned with herbs fresh or dried.

    Tomato coulises are mainly prepared in the summer after the first big tomato harvest.

    Then the sauce is home-canned in small vacuum-sealed jars. The best way to do this is by water bath canning the coulis.

    The sauce is used in the coming months over the winter in various French meals.

    This is still commonplace in the French countryside today.

    homemade tomato coulis in a jar with gasket

    🍅 Ingredients

    • tomatoes - fresh and flavoreful. They should smell like tomatoes, if you know what I mean! It doesn't matter which variety, pick your favorite. Even yellow, orange or black tomatoes can be used
    • mixed fresh culinary herbs - fresh ones are always better but you may use dried herbs if need be. Use herbs like basil, thyme, oregano, marjoram, savory, parsley, chives, lovage, chervil.
    • onion - white, yellow, purple, whichever you prefer.
    • garlic - fresh always
    • olive oil
    • sugar - plain or brown
    • salt and black pepper
    • bay leaf

    🔪 How to make the Coulis?

    To make the coulis is simple. Here is how in a nutshell (full recipe with measurements in the recipe card below).

    Step 1

    Blanch tomatoes (quick cook) to peel them. Cut tomatoes into smaller pieces.

    Keep fresh herbs and spices ready. Slice onion and chop garlic.

    cut tomato and add herbs

    Step 2

    Place the onion, tomato, and garlic into a large cooking pot. Cover with olive oil and cook.

    Season with herbs and spices, salt and sugar.

    season tomatoes and add herbs

    Step 3

    Bring to a rolling boil.

    Cook for about 20-30 minutes or until tomatoes are fully cooked through.

    cook tomato coulis

    Step 4

    Take out and discard herb sprigs and bay leaf.

    Blend coulis smooth.

    take out whole herb pieces and blend

    🏺 Canning Instructions

    So once you made the coulis you can either use it as is or you do what every other french person does, you can the tomato sauce.

    Home canning is not rocket science. Here is how it's done in a summary, the details are in the recipe card below.

    1. Cleaning + Sterilizing

    Wash your jars well and the rubber gaskets.

    Boil rubber gaskets in water to sterilize. The jars can be sterilized in boiling water too.

    wash jars and boil rubber gasket

    2. Fill Jars

    Place and fix the rubber gasket around the jar lid.

    Pour coulis up to the rim into the jars and close tight.

    pour coulis in jars and close with lid

    3. Water bath canner

    Place jars into a water bath canner next to each other and over each other.

    Cover jars with water, close with a lid, set up the thermometer, and bring to a boil.

    place jars in water bath canner and cover with water

    4. Canning

    Can your jars until you reach 210 Fahrenheit/ 100 Celsius on the thermometer.

    cook to 210 fahrenheit or 100 celsius

    5. Take out

    Take out your jars with the help of a canning jar lifter and place them on a clean cloth to cool and dry.

    take out jars and place on cloth

    🧰 Equipment to Can

    To can and preserve your homemade tomato coulis you will need the following equipment:

    • 4 ounce (125 ml) glass canning jars with rubber gasket
    • canning pot with thermometer
    • canning jar lifter
    tomatoes with water droplet close up

    🍴 Uses

    The coulis can be used as a base to make a quick tomato soup.

    My mother uses it mainly as a sauce base for meats as in her stuffed tomatoes (tomate farcie) recipe.

    Serve it as a sauce with meat patties or grilled or baked fish.

    I love my herb-infused coulis over polenta with a fried egg.

    You can also use it in non-french recipes as a base as for example in a shakshuka or a moussaka.

    The coulis can be cooked further down to make a pasta sauce or use it with your stuffed zucchini.

    🍱 Storing

    Store your unopened and canned jars on a shelf, away from direct sunlight, humidity and heat.

    Keep in a cool and dry environment. Most cellars might be too humid so a dry pantry will do better.

    Use up directly once opened. You can keep an opened jar for up to 3 days in your fridge.

    French Tomato Coulis pin image
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    📖 Recipe

    French Tomato Coulis + How to can it

    A french tomato coulis recipe infused with culinary herbs. With canning instructions and ideas to use it to the max!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Condiment
    Cuisine: French
    Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Hindu, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian
    how to make a tomato coulis, tomato coulis
    Prep Time: 40 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    water bath canning: 1 hour
    Total Time: 2 hours
    Servings: 17 jars
    Calories: 79kcal
    Recipe by: Helene Dsouza

    Ingredients

    • 8.8 pounds Tomatoes *see Notes
    • 3 bundles Mixed Fresh Herbs *see Notes
    • 2 Onions medium
    • 4 pieces Garlic Cloves
    • 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
    • 1 Teaspoon Sugar
    • 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper Ground
    • 2 Tablespoon Salt
    • 2 large Bay Leaf
    US - Metric

    Instructions

    To cook coulis

    • Blanch your tomatoes briefly (quick cooking) in hot water for about 30-60 seconds.
    • Peel tomatoes, quarter them and cut them into smaller chunks.
    • Slice your onion, chop your garlic or take it through the garlic press.
    • Place onion, garlic, and tomatoes into a large cooking pot and pour olive oil over that. Heat up and keep over a medium heat setting at all times.
    • Season with black pepper, salt, sugar, and bay leaf. Also, add your fresh herbs.
    • Stir and bring to a boil.
    • Cook over medium heat until tomatoes are soft.
    • Take out and discard all hard herb pieces and the bay leaves.
    • Blend smooth with a hand blender.

    To can the coulis

    • Wash your jars well. You can boil them in water too for an extra layer of protection (optional) to sterilize your jars further.
    • Boil rubber gaskets in water to kill all germs. (this is a must!)
    • Place rubber gaskets over jar lids. Work with clean hands. Pour tomato coulis into each jar up to the top.
    • Keep water bath canner on the stove and place jars next to each other and over each other into the canner. They should all fit in.
    • Cover all jars well with water and close the canner with the lids. Fix the thermometer too.
    • Heat up water bath canner to 210 Fahrenheit or 100 Celsius. This takes about 1 hour over a high heat setting.
    • When done, open lid. Keep a kitchen cloth spread out ready on a nearby kitchen surface.
    • Take out each jar with a jar lifter and place on the cloth to cool and drain.
    • When cooled, place and store your jars in a cool and dry place away from sunlight.

    Notes

    1. Use your favorite tomatoes. Can be classic red varieties or yellow, orange or even black. I like to use beefsteak tomatoes (it's a variety of large tomatoes) if I can get them.
    2. Pick some fresh mixed herbs. Combine as you like. You can use basil, marjoram, oregano, chervil, parsley, thyme, savory, and lovage. A bundle of fresh herbs is about 1.5 ounces or 45 grams heavy.

    Equipment

    • 4 ounce (125 ml) jars with rubber gasket
    • water bath canner with thermometer
    • canning jar lifter

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    French Tomato Coulis + How to can it
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 79 Calories from Fat 36
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 4g6%
    Saturated Fat 1g5%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 2g
    Sodium 833mg35%
    Potassium 581mg17%
    Carbohydrates 11g4%
    Fiber 3g12%
    Sugar 7g8%
    Protein 2g4%
    Vitamin A 1972IU39%
    Vitamin C 34mg41%
    Calcium 29mg3%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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