• Inspect all tomatoes carefully, discard any damaged ones, wash them thoroughly, remove the stems, cut them lengthwise, and press out the seeded core.
• Collect the cleaned tomato pulp in one bowl and the extracted juice in another, then transfer the pulp to a large pot.
• Cook the tomatoes over low heat for about 30 minutes, stir occasionally, and salt them once fully softened.
• Pass the cooked tomatoes through a food mill in small batches, using a medium-fine disc, and gather the tomato passata in a clean container.

Canning the Tomato Passata (Hot-Fill Method)

• Prepare sterilized jars—either pre-sterilized or boiled following standard health guidelines—and fill them with the hot tomato passata, leaving 2–3 cm of headspace; add washed basil leaves only if desired.
• Seal the jars firmly, submerge them in hot water, bring to a boil, and process them according to size (30 minutes for 250 g jars, 35 minutes for 500 g, 40 minutes for 1 kg).
• Remove the jars with care, allow them to cool completely, and verify vacuum sealing before storing.

Canning the Tomato Passata (Cold-Fill Method)

• Fill sterilized jars with cold tomato passata, place them in a pot of water, bring to a boil, and apply the same processing times used for the hot-fill method.