The term "sofrito" was brought to the island by Spanish colonizers, who prepared it based on tomatoes with paprika. Sofrito is an Italian term and means the same thing, except that the Italian version of sofrito has a few different ingredients compared to the Puerto Rican version.
In the New World, traditional sofrito evolved under the influence of new ingredients. The biggest change was the color, from reddish to an intense yellow, thanks to annatto seeds, which were commonly used by the native Taínos. Annatto gives the margarine its distinctive golden tone and is a common commercial coloring.
Most homemade sofritos today are prepared in a food processor or blender. In the old days, grandmothers chopped the ingredients by hand, so you could see, identify, and taste each one. Of course, it was a much better sofrito back then.
When preparing sofrito, make a large batch and freeze it in ice cube trays. Once frozen, transfer the cubes into a large freezer bag and store it. This way, you have a stash in the freezer and can use only what you need without it going bad.
Sofrito can be refrigerated for up to a week, but then it should be frozen. Even store-bought sofrito, if the jar won’t be used up quickly, should be frozen after opening.
