Homemade Tomato Paste

tomato_paste7

Did you know you can make your own tomato paste? I had no idea!

I mean, I guess I should have known since  I can go buy tomato paste at the store. I know it’s possible to make it…but I didn’t think I would ever actually do it.

tomato_paste1

When we were drowning in tomatoes a few weeks ago, I finally buckled down one weekend afternoon and just went for it.

3 pounds of tomatoes, blended up, and then cooked down and down and down until there’s basically no liquid left (this takes hours), and you’re left with incredibly thick and rich concentrated tomato gold.

tomato_paste3

It starts as liquid and 3 or so hours later…you’ve got tomato paste! Thick, rich, tangy – and your house smells amazing while this is cooking, too. Make sure you have a good snack handy so you don’t keep dipping a spoon into this pot of tomato candy.

tomato_paste4

If you can still get vine ripe tomatoes, please make this? I can’t even tell how insanely good homemade tomato paste is. It doesn’t compare to anything you get in the store.

Grab a few pounds of tomatoes and just let ’em cook. You don’t have to do much but stir it every once in a while – easy, right? Put on some good music, dance around the kitchen, clean the house (yeah right) or do whatever else you need to do.

tomato_paste5

And then you can spoon it right into an ice cube tray, freeze them, and toss the frozen cubes into a ziploc bag to use all fall and winter.

Now I’m just sad that our tomatoes are done this year. There’s never, ever enough.

tomato_paste6

Homemade Tomato Paste

Makes: about 1 cup tomato paste

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds roma or paste tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

  1. Remove the stems from the tomatoes, slice them in half, and drop the tomatoes into the bowl of a food processor. If they won’t all fit, do this in two batches.
  2. Pulse the tomatoes until they’re broken down and the mixture is smooth.
  3. Pour the tomatoes into a large pot, stir in the salt, and turn the heat to medium-low.
  4. Let the tomatoes come up to a simmer, then lower the heat, cover the pot, and let it cook on low for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until almost all the liquid is gone and the tomato mixture is reduced to about 1/3 and thick.
  5. Spoon the tomato paste into small containers to freeze or into an ice cube tray. Freeze solid, then move to a ziploc bag and store in the freezer until ready to use.

21 comments

  1. This is genius! I would never thought of making tomato paste myself although it’s obviously a brilliant idea. I use tomato paste in everything so it would be perfect to have have a stock of the homemade stuff on hand.

  2. Too good. Love these kinds of posts!

  3. Hey cool you tried this! Looks great!

  4. How has this never crossed my mind?! Genius idea…thanks for posting it!

  5. I also never thought about making this before, but that’s so cool!

  6. YUMMM!!! I’ve seen a few different “ice cube” recipes on Pinterest and have been meaning to try one- yogurt and coffee were gonna be my firsts but tomato paste would be great before all of the tomatoes are gone :)

  7. What a great idea to freeze the tomato paste instead of canning it– it will give you a lot more flexibility when you only need a little at a time!

  8. I so appreciate your effort with this! I almost made some this summer but started too late in the day and would’ve been up until the wee hours if I’d hung in there. Paste takes FOREVER to make. I’ll definitely try it next year.

  9. Very cool! I had no idea you could make you own tomato paste.

  10. I become impatient, very impatient when making tomato paste. It seems to take forever. And it can not be rushed; scorching will ensue. Each batch has its own life, there is no set time or simmering temperature. But the rewards are huge when you become part of the process, a Zen approach is best. There is nothing finer than homemade tomato paste! Your post captured the wonder and magic of the late summer tomato mania!

  11. Do I leave the skins on or should they be taken off?

    • I left them on! I just threw the tomatoes in batches in a food processor, blended them up (skins and all – I used roma tomatoes) and then cooked it down.

  12. Wonderful idea! Thank you!
    I was wondering if you can do this in a slow cooker?
    Thanks!

    • I would think so? I would definitely put it on a very low setting and use it when you were in the house so you can stir it every now and then so it doesn’t burn on the bottom.

  13. Try roasting in the oven in a big roasting pan. Low temp. No stirring, No burning. I make my sauce that way….

  14. Pingback: Bean Bytes #8

  15. Pingback: Ultimate Guide to Using Excess Tomatoes - sweet tea and cotton

  16. Great article! I featured your link in a roundup post about using excess tomatoes! Great idea! 

  17. I grew a ton of Romas this summer and I’m using your recipe right now! Thank you!

  18. That’s good! We have tomato paste factory from China.
    Welcome to visit us.

Comments are closed.