Step 1

Plop the tomatoes into a large pot or Dutch oven and add the water. Dampen a large piece of crumpled parchment paper with cold water, open it, and place it directly on the tomatoes. Cover the pot and cook over very low heat for 30 minutes, shaking the pot occasionally to keep the tomatoes from sticking to the bottom.

Step 2

Transfer the softened tomatoes to a food mill or food processor, working in 2 or 3 batches if necessary, and process until smooth. If using a food processor, strain the purée, discarding the skins and seeds.

Step 3

Place the strained tomatoes, oil, shallots, garlic, and herbs in a pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 40 to 50 minutes, until reduced to about 12 cups.

Step 4

Taste and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste and, if desired, the sugar. Use immediately or freeze for later.

Step 5

To freeze: Let the tomato sauce cool completely to room temperature. Divvy it among six 1-quart plastic freezer bags—each bag will contain about 2 cups sauce, making each bag only half full. Place the bag on its side on a flat surface in the freezer until solid, at least 1 hour. Then stand the flat bags of frozen sauce on end, as you would books on a shelf, to minimize the amount of space they take in your deep freeze. To thaw: Thaw the frozen bags of sauce by completely immersing them in a bowl of cold water, about 1 1/2 hours to partially thaw. Or place the bags of tomato sauce on a plate and thaw in the refrigerator for about 4 hours. You don’t have to completely thaw the sauce before you rewarm it.To serve: Transfer the thawed sauce to a pot, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and gently simmer until warmed through, 5 to 10 minutes. If a thicker sauce is desired, continue to simmer until reduced. Originally published August 20, 2016.