Tomato Paste – With just a few basic ingredients, you can make homemade tomato paste that will blow the store-bought kind right out of the water. Instead of a tinny, acidic ingredient that doesn’t boast much flavor, get ready for a mellow paste with a deep, almost caramelized tomato flavor that can’t be beaten.
It’s that time of year when we have tomatoes coming out of our ears! Even if they aren’t overflowing in your garden, they are still bright, red, juicy, plentiful, and cheap in the supermarkets. So, what’s a gal to do with all those tomatoes? Why make homemade tomato paste, of course! 😉
Did I mention this is surprisingly easy to make? My recipe will take you just a little over an hour and only requires four basic ingredients and no specialized cooking tools or techniques.
What Exactly is Tomato Paste?
Tomato paste, in contrast with sauce, is much thicker and has a more concentrated flavor. The paste doesn’t replace tomatoes in a recipe. Instead, it is usually used to thicken, color, and provide a richer flavor base to dishes. There are a lot of substitutes out there to use in a pinch, like cooking down a can of diced tomatoes, but nothing beats the real deal!
Recipe Ingredients
- Tomatoes – Because you can’t make tomato paste without tomatoes! 😜 You can use any tomato variety, but the meatier the tomato, the bigger your yield of tomato paste will be.
- Lime Juice – To add a delicious tang and help preserve your paste. It’s also the perfect flavor balancer.
How to Make Tomato Paste
Prepare and Cook the Tomatoes
- Cut the tomatoes in halves or quarters and remove the stems.
- Heat the Oil – Place olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Cook the Tomatoes – Add the tomatoes and cook until soft and the peels begin to detach from the tomato flesh.
- Puree – Take the pot off the stove and immediately pour the tomatoes into a blender. Puree until smooth.
- Strain – Pour it through a sieve and use a spatula to push the tomato sauce through, leaving the skin and seeds behind.
- Simmer – Pour it back into the pot. Add salt and lime juice and cook over low heat for 1 hour or until it thickens.
- Done – Take it off the stove and allow it to cool. You can use it immediately or store it in airtight containers in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
Tips and Tricks
- To get the most flavorful tomato paste, hand-select beautiful and ripe tomatoes. They should be firm but soft enough to give in to a little squeeze, aromatic where the stem was attached, and feel a little heavy. Avoid tomatoes with dark or soft spots or other blemishes.
- If you freeze your tomato paste, you can freeze it in ice cube trays and then transfer the little blocks, which will be perfectly portioned for cooking, into a Ziplock bag for storage.
- Always wash your tomatoes before cooking to remove any dirt or unwanted chemicals from getting into your tomato paste.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Now you’re probably wondering how to preserve your well-earned sauce ingredient. Simply put it in a jar or another airtight container in the refrigerator. Use a clean spoon to take out what you need for cooking to help it last longer. 👌 You can also freeze tomato paste in an airtight container for 2-3 months.
FAQs
Simply mix one part water with one part tomato paste and season to taste. You can adjust the amount of water to get the sauce consistency you prefer.
To make tomato puree, you lightly cook the tomatoes and then puree them into a liquid without removing the seeds and skins. Tomato puree is thinner and usually used as the base of tomato sauces and condiments, like salsas. Tomato paste is richer in flavor and much thicker.
You can honestly use any kind of tomato, so if there is a variety you love best, go ahead and get that flavor into your paste! Traditionally, Roma tomatoes or San Marzanos make tomato paste because they are meatiest and give the greatest yield. You can use juicier varieties, though; they’ll just give you a smaller yield of paste. 🍅
Things You Can Make with Tomato Paste
Homemade pasta and pizza sauce are amazing when you add in this paste. I love making pizza rolls or just topping regular homemade pizza dough with this tomato paste.
Many pasta dishes benefit from the deep flavor of this homemade sauce. Try sausage and pasta or your favorite pasta with a delicious Bolognese sauce. 🤤
More Amazing Tomatoey Recipes to Try
Conclusion
This homemade tomato paste takes a little time to make, but it is so worth it. When you make a batch, let me know how much you love it and what recipes you use in the comment section below! 🙌
Watch How to Make It
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How to Make Tomato Paste
Ingredients
- 10 pounds tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
Instructions
- Cut the tomatoes into halves or quarters, removing the stems.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high until shimmering. Add the tomatoes and cook until soft and the peels begin to detach from the flesh.
- Take the pot off the stove and immediately pour the tomatoes into a blender.
- Puree until smooth.
- Pour it through a sieve and use a spatula to push the tomato sauce through, leaving behind the skin and seeds.
- Pour it back into the pot. Add salt and lime juice and cook over low heat for an hour or until it thickens.
- Take it off the stove. You can use immediately or store in air tight containers in the refrigerator for
Tips & Notes:
- To get the most flavorful tomato paste, hand-select beautiful and ripe tomatoes. They should be firm but soft enough to give in to a little squeeze, aromatic where the stem was attached, and feel a little heavy. Avoid tomatoes with dark or soft spots or other blemishes.
- If you freeze your tomato paste, you can freeze it in ice cube trays and then transfer the little blocks, which will be perfectly portioned for cooking, into a Ziplock bag for storage.
- Always wash your tomatoes before cooking to remove any dirt or unwanted residues from getting into your tomato paste.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Crystal says
Oh wow! I never thought of making homemade tomato paste. Thanks for the recipe. I will have to try this.
Imma says
Good to know that, once you try to share your experience with me. Thank you:)