Discovery Express
  • Welcome!
  • Blog
  • Check out our store!
  • 9 Apples Math Game
  • Your questions answered!
  • About/Contact

Chemistry of Cooking Part Two: Sauce and Vegetables

3/6/2017

0 Comments

 
Last week we learned all about pizza dough and how it rises. This week, we’ll take a look at another important part of pizza: the tomato sauce! Or more specifically, the tomato fruit. A lot of people may not know that tomatoes are actually fruits. Between science and cooking, the line between fruit and vegetable is often blurred.
Picture
Scientifically speaking, tomatoes are fruits because they develop in the ovary in the base of the flower and contain the plant’s seeds within it. But when using tomatoes to cook, they’re often referred to as vegetables. In fact, many fruits are used as “vegetables” because the food produced is savory instead of sweet. After all, tomato sauce isn’t sweet like applesauce! And while we’re on the subject of fruits and vegetables, it might be nice to know that some other pizza toppings aren’t what they appear to be either. Peppers and olives are fruits too, and mushrooms are neither fruit nor vegetable; they’re actually a fungus!
Picture
However, we typically don’t use chunks or slices of tomato as toppings on pizza; we make sauce with them instead! The sauce is like a smoother version of a paste, with added spices and/or herbs. Because of their rich flavor, juiciness, and soft flesh, tomatoes are easy to break down into a sauce that thickens while cooking. Pizza sauce is made with tomatoes, as well as tomato paste. In the activity that follows, we’ll go over how to make pizza sauce with fresh tomatoes, but we’ll just use store-bought paste.


Let’s Make Pizza Sauce!
Picture
What you need:
  • 5 pounds of fresh cored whole tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¾ teaspoon dried basil
  • ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1¾ teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste


Step One - Prepare the Tomatoes:
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
  • Using a knife, make a small X at the very bottom of each tomato. Plunge the tomatoes into the boiling water and hold there until the skins are loosened (use tongs to protect your own skin!).
  • Transfer the boiled tomatoes to a bowl of ice water for one minute.
  • With a paring knife, peel the the tomato’s skin, starting with the X at the bottom.
  • Chop each tomato, keeping all the juice.

Step Two - Simmer:
  • Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium heat.
  • Add the chopped onions and stir while cooking to a golden brown (about 4-6 minutes). Then add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
  • Add the tomatoes (and any juice), basil, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens into the desired consistency (about two hours).
  • Taste your sauce and season it with more salt and pepper to your liking.

Step Three - Blend:
  • After simmering, transfer the sauce into a blender. Add the tomato paste and blend until smooth. Be careful when you blend this hot liquid!

Your pizza sauce is now ready! You can cover its container and put it in the refrigerator for up to three days, or freeze the sauce for later use for up to six months!


References:
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/explore/is-a-tomato-a-fruit-or-a-vegetable
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11192026
http://www.compoundchem.com/2014/10/02/tomatoes/
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/250096/homemade-pizza-sauce/

Image Credits:

Buissinne, Steve. “Bush Tomatoes”. Released into the public domain. Uploaded on 3/3/2017 from publicdomainpictures.net
Chaffin, Holly. “Pizza Slice”. Released into the public domain. Uploaded on 3/3/2017 from publicdomainpictures.net
Denyer, Circe. “Pizza Sauce”. Released into the public domain. Uploaded on 3/4/2017 from publicdomainpictures.net

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Follow us on Pinterest!
    Picture
    Check out our new game for math education, grades 1-7!

    Archives

    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

    Categories

    All
    Age 10 12
    Age 12 14
    Age 14 16
    Age 16+
    Age 8 10
    Anatomy/Physiology
    Biology
    Chemistry
    Engineering
    Food Science
    Geology/Earth Science
    Health Science
    Math
    Microbiology
    Physics
    Plant Science
    Psychology
    Weather Science

Proudly powered by Weebly