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Conserve excess tomatoes with an easy, homemade tomato paste that can be made on the stove top, in your oven, or in a slow cooker.
Well, I'm posting this a lot later than I would have liked. You see, this year I was able to get up a new fence around the area where I usually plant things, and once again planted a lovely organic vegetable garden. I wanted to write a couple of posts about different ways to conserve and use excess vegetables from your garden at a time when everyone would be looking for ways to use theirs, but life got in the way. I figured now is as good a time as any. Better late than never, right?
Why make your own Tomato Paste?
Making tomato paste is one of my favorite ways to use and conserve excess tomatoes. Tomato paste is very concentrated, so you can easily reduce a lot of tomatoes into a small space. You can then freeze it, can it, or make it into fermented ketchup. I'll be sharing how to do that next time!
Making the process quick and easy!
I used to peel all of the tomatoes before making tomato sauce and tomato paste, but I found it took a lot longer than the way I do it now. Now, I blend the tomatoes in the blender and later strain out the seeds and skin. You can save some time cooking down the sauce by removing the seed sections before blending the tomato pieces.
Should you leave the skin and peels while cooking?
Some people begin cooking the sauce with the peels and seeds still in the sauce and then later strain them out. The idea is that the pectin in the tomato skins will be released into the sauce to help thicken it. I find that it can make the sauce bitter if you don't remove them before cooking. This, of course, may depend on your particular tomato variety. I prefer flavor to thickness, but you can experiment with your tomatoes to decide which method is best for you!
Making a thick tomato paste
Making tomato paste is simple. All we're doing is making a basic tomato sauce by cooking a tomato purée and slowly reducing it further to make it more concentrated. We do that by evaporating out even more of the water.
There are several ways to efficiently reduce the water content of your tomato paste. I normally slowly cook the tomato sauce in a pan on the stove over low heat, but you can also do so in a slow cooker with the top off, or even by spreading out the tomato sauce onto baking pans or dehydrating trays (in which case you'd thicken the sauce in either the oven or a food dehydrator). The idea is to heat the sauce over low heat, evaporating away the water, until you reach the consistency that you like.
While I normally prefer making the tomato paste in a pan on the stovetop, keep in mind that as the sauce thickens, it's also more likely to burn. That's why cooking at low temperatures, stirring, and keeping a constant eye on things, especially towards the end of the process, are key! If you won't be able to watch it as closely, using a slow cooker (lowering it to low heat or “keep warm” setting when it's getting thicker) or an oven on its lowest temperature and convection setting (fan) may be better options. The process of making tomato paste may be slower using those methods, but your paste won't need as much attention throughout. Using those options isn't foolproof, though. You'll still want to be careful when it gets thick, to avoid burning!
The Roma tomatoes (right) are longer and taller than many other varieties.
Which tomatoes make the best tomato paste?
While you can use any of the tomatoes in your garden for making tomato sauce or tomato paste, certain tomato types are better than others. Tomatoes like Roma tomatoes, and other so-called paste tomatoes, have more flesh and fewer seeds, so they take less time to cook down to a thick sauce and make a nice, hearty, thick sauce. Most of the best varieties for sauces and pastes are tall and elongated, rather than short and wide.
How to store homemade tomato paste
Most of the time I freeze my homemade tomato paste in perfectly cube-shaped ice cube trays like the ones I used for freezing my homemade baby food and smoothie cubes, homemade pumpkin puree, or homemade pesto (my son's favorite!). The advantage to using perfectly cube-shaped ice cube trays is that the frozen tomato paste cubes fit together perfectly in ziplock bags without wasting any space. You can then label your bags and sort through them easily to find what you need from the freezer.
I don't have a lot of experience with canning, but I've read that it is possible to can homemade tomato sauce and tomato paste. You may need to add some citric acid (which can be in the form of lemon juice) to your paste if it isn't concentrated enough. (This is to prevent the growth of the bacteria that cause botulism.)
Watch how I make Tomato Paste
Easy homemade tomato paste recipe
Easy Homemade Tomato Paste Recipe
Makes around 18 ounces
Instructions
- Rinse the tomatoes well, remove the stems, and cut into chunks.
- Fill a blender jar with the tomato chunks and blend until the tomatoes have all reduced into a sauce.
- Place a stainless steel strainer over a large pot on the stove (or over your slow cooker pot), and pour the tomato sauce into the strainer. Use a stainless steel spoon or a spatula to press the tomato sauce through the strainer into the pot below. In this step, we are straining out the skin and seeds of the tomatoes.The best way to get all of the tomato goodness out is to scrape the seeds and skins against the strainer. You can watch how I do that in the video above.
- Repeat with the remaining tomatoes. Some people like to add in red peppers and other vegetables to their tomato paste. If you want to add in other vegetables, now is the time to do it. I, personally, prefer to keep things simple and just use tomatoes. I add in other vegetables, spices, and seasonings, as needed, depending on the recipe that I'm using the tomato paste in. That said, I do like to add a dash of olive oil to the tomato paste as it reduces on the stove.
- Heat the sauce over low heat until simmering, stirring every once in a while and checking on the consistency. As the water evaporates away, the sauce will continue to thicken. As is starts to get thicker, you will want to turn the heat down lower and check on the tomato paste more often because it gets more likely to burn as it gets thicker and has less water. When using a slow cooker on low, you can leave the tomato paste unattended for longer periods of time, but as it starts to thicken, you will also need to check on it more often to prevent it from burning. (Make sure to leave the lid off the slow cooker or the water won't evaporate away.)
- To give the tomato paste a more caramelized flavor, and reduce it even further, you can bake it on clean baking pans on low heat in the oven. Scrape the tomato paste from the bottom of the tray with a spatula, stirring it into the rest as you frequently check on the consistency. Some people do the entire process of making the tomato paste in the oven, but I prefer to reduce it to a sauce on the stove first.
- Once you've achieved the desired consistency, the tomato paste is ready to be used in recipes, or ready to be stored. I usually freeze excess tomato paste, but it is possible to can it instead. If you do decide to can it, from what I understand, you should add some citric acid (which can be in the form of a bit of lemon juice) to the paste before canning. If it's concentrated enough, though, it may not need it.
This worked super well for me! I was so afraid of burning the sauce on the stove I had it on super low in the beginning so it took a really long time, but in the end the final product was fantastic. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Lizzy,
You’re very welcome! I’m glad it worked out!
As you make it more often, you can better judge when to turn the temperature down so that it goes faster. 😉
Hi there! I was wondering about how long it takes for the tomatoes to thicken into tomato paste on the stove top? And if I can use medium heat to speed up the evaporation? Just wondering what the quickest way to make this is. Thanks so much!
Hi Brooke,
It really depends a lot on the tomatoes used, the temperature setting, etc.
Yes, you can definitely begin on medium heat to get most of the evaporation done. Just make sure to turn the heat down as it gets thicker so that you don’t burn the sauce after all the work! 😉
Great idea but there are a few things that might make it easier. In some hardware stores or maybe Amazon there is a tool called a Foley Food Mill. Once your tomatoes are crushed, putting them through the food mill makes taking out seeds and skin a much easier process.
Also, instead of cooking the tomatoes for such a long time, if you let them sit they tend to separate and the thicker pulp settles to the bottom of the container. Simply skim off the watery liquid on top and the process is much shorter and easier.
Good luck
Hi Margaret,
Those are great ideas! Thank you!
Yes, here in Spain many people have something similar to the food mill you are describing. Many people make a lot of sauces at home, so they are very common. (Here they call them pasapures.)
I tried to make the recipe with common things everybody would have, but it’s not a bad idea to give extra ideas for those who don’t mind investing in something like that.
I do really like your tip for skimming off the liquid. 🙂
Hi Tracy
Love your recipe can’t wait to try it.
My question is can I use a brownie pan to freeze the tomato paste
Hi Miriam,
Thank you so much!
I would think that would be fine.
If I were to do it that way, I’d probably do it in a very thin layer so that you can break it up in more manageable pieces for storage.
I am kind of new to the world of canning. Growing up, we had a family friend that canned every year, but, my exposure was mostly in the prepping. Snapping beans, husking corn and such. I was looking for how to can tomatoes and tomato sauce. Tomatoes is the only canned goods we buy at the grocery store. We are trying to return to clean eating, no chemicals, no preservatives and no prepared foods. I am excited to try this, it seems quite simple.
Hi Barbara,
It takes a little patience, but, yes, it’s a very simple process. I actually just made a (smaller) batch today. I had bought too many tomatoes for a few other recipes I was working on and decided to buy a few more to make a small batch. I recorded the process, so I’ll hopefully add a video to the post soon. 😉
Great Recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️???
This was my first attempt at making tomato paste, it turned out great????
Thankfully I love reading the comments section and did so this time before starting your recipe
I used my VitaMix & followed the advice from another comment blending my seven pounds of Roma Tomatoes ? ? until completely smooth saving the straining step
I added the olive oil, pink sea salt, garlic powder & some unflavored Great Lakes Beef Gelatin, (the latter just to give my tomato paste a healthy boost of collagen, protein, and amino acids) in the VitaMix and hit blend
Lucky me I had plenty of time to SLOWLY simmer my tomato purée until it turned into a thick tasty paste, I cooked mine for two days turning it off over night and avoided using the oven.
Boy did it turn out good! I turned seven pounds of tomatoes into about 20 ounces of paste lol
I read several recipes before choosing yours, really glad I did. Hopefully you have additional recipes to share, this ones a keeper
Thank you again for sharing it
Aww, Thanks so much, Bunnie!
I’m not sure why I didn’t get the notice for this comment when you first wrote it, but I’m so happy I saw it while updating the post today. It made my day! 🙂
I like the idea of adding in the gelatin, too! I’m so happy it worked well for you.
I’m going to try this with the (millions) of yellow cherry tomatoes I have. I think I’ll try cooking it down in the microwave.
Good luck with it! I’ve never tried with cherry tomatoes so I’m not sure how much sauce they give, but I’d love to hear how it turns out.
I am trying this tomato paste and have had it on the stove for awhile! Would like to put it in oven but I don’t see a temp to set oven to. Could I put it in baking dish instead of a baking sheet?
Hi Julie,
I’m sorry I took so long to get back to you. We celebrated my son’s birthday this weekend with a big party, and I came back to a lot of comments! I’m today fully recovered, I think. 😉
When baking in the oven, I usually use the lowest temperature setting to use it as a dehydrator. I didn’t post a specific temperature because all ovens are different and some have a much higher temperature as their lowest temperature.
You can use whatever you have available. I like to use a sheet because it speeds up the process by increasing the surface area of the tomato paste. It will take a bit longer if you use a dish, but, of course, the length of time will depend on how much you’re making, the type of tomatoes used, etc.
Just be careful to check on it and stir it relatively often to prevent burning!
Hi.sounds easy and semple receipi?i want to know how many hours to cook it?
Hi Analisa,
It really will depend on the tomatoes you use, the temperature you are using, and the method.
What you want to do is carefully cook it down until enough water has evaporated away to give it the consistency that you want.
As it gets thicker, you’ll have to keep a closer eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn!
Important to note – don’t cover the slow cooker. Do’h. It turned into tomato water. Ugh. Totally messed it up. I’ll try again next time. Im very excited for the next attempt.
Good point!
Thank you for pointing that out.
Yes, you are trying to get the water to evaporate away, so if you cover it, it will keep condensing on the lid and falling back in. I’ll have to cover than on my next update. 😉
Great writing style, witty to read finally without too much personal rambling and clear easy to visualize instruction. Thanks!
Thank you, Frances!
That’s exactly what I’m aiming for! I really appreciate your comment. 🙂
I saw how to make tomatoe paste. Can’t wait
Hi Karen,
I hope it goes well for you! 🙂
Is this Karen George from Arizona?
can you just dehydrate the tomatoes then add water when you want paste
Hi Deana,
If you want to dehydrate the tomatoes for making a paste, I’d actually recommend making your own tomato powder!
It’s a great way to have tomatoes preserved without taking up a lot of space, and by using a powder, it’s quite easy to mix up a tomato paste whenever you need one. 🙂
I’m looking to make tomato paste from scratch, but I have a question regarding using citric acid. Is it really necessary to use as an ingredient at all for making the paste?
Hi Nyla,
If you re-check my recipe, you’ll see that I don’t use citric acid when making it.
I think some recipes add citric acid for safely canning the tomato paste later on. I don’t normally preserve in that way, so I’m not really sure the full reasoning behind it.
I usually store mine in cube trays. You can read, exactly, how I freeze my tomato paste to maximize space here.
Hello Tracy – So glad i found your recipe. Always wonder if i could make my own tomato paste @ home. Love tomato paste in my stews but tired of using can tomato paste with preservatives. Will let you know how it turns out, thanks. Ade in Nassau, Bahamas.
Hi Ade,
So jealous of the Bahamas as I’m quite cold right now! 🙂
Yes, it’s actually quite easy, and I love always having a supply in my freezer. May it go well for you!
Thank you for a simple recipe on making tomato paste! My only deviation is once the tomatos were soft enough I used my Vitamix to blend everything; no need to strain. 😉
Hi Mo,
Great! I’m so glad it worked out for you.
I’m jealous of your Vitamix. I need to look into buying myself a more powerful blender myself. My suspicion is the power of your blender also helped keep things smooth- which is great because you saved yourself my least favorite step. 😉
i have another question, if we want to add other veggies, do we add them in the blender?
Yes! I think that’s probably the best place to add in any extra veggies. That way you can strain out any seeds or skins that the other veggies may also have. 🙂
you say that we can pop it in low heat in the oven to thicken it more, could you please explain this step more? what degrees and how do we know when the recipe is ready to be moved into the oven? also, when do we add the olive oil? thanks!
Hi Erica,
The reason I suggest moving it to the oven is because you are a lot less likely to burn it there after it starts to get really thick. I’m very good at leaving things unattended and burning them, so I like to prevent that by removing the last bit of moisture in the oven. You’re really using it as you would a dehydrator.
I say “low heat” because different ovens have different low heat settings. Mine’s lowest setting is around 50ºC. By spreading it out on a tray, you’re giving it more surface area and allowing the moisture to escape more quickly. I normally place it in the oven when it’s thick, but I want to thicken it slightly more. You don’t need to switch the oven, though, and can continue to thicken it on the stove. Just make sure to continue to stir and monitor it carefully as it thickens to prevent burning.
I would spread it out on a tray and pop it in the oven, on a convection/fan setting to help remove moisture more quickly, at the lower temperatures for your oven. (I’d try to keep it below 150ºF to prevent burning.) You’ll still need to keep a watch, and stir occasionally, but you’re a lot less likely to burn the tomato paste, wasting all of your tomatoes and effort!
You can add in the oil either before or after you thicken it (or leave it out completely, and just add the olive oil to whatever recipe you’re making with the tomato paste.)
Thank you very much Tracy! I’ll try this soon for pizza sauce.
You’re welcome!
I’m sure you’ll be making the best pizza in town! 🙂
Hi Tracy,
I was wondering… I already have tomatoes fro my garden that have been canned, which are already peeled and seeded. Can those be used to make tomato paste? Also, can yellow tomatoes be used?
Best regards,
Nesmari
Hi Nesmari,
I don’t see why you couldn’t use your canned tomatoes. You just need to reduce the liquid amount to make the paste.
As for using yellow tomatoes, I’d also say yes. I haven’t personally tried it, but the process would be the same. Some tomatoes will have more or less seeds, etc., so with some tomatoes you may need more tomatoes to get the same amount of paste. Other than that, I don’t see a problem with using any type of tomato. 🙂
I just received about 8 lbs of small to medium sized round tomatoes from my CSA. I was hoping to make paste, and came across your recipe. I’m so excited to make it! I don’t have silicone cube trays. Do you think I can just use my basic plastic ice cube trays?
Hi Lucy,
Most definitely! Any ice cube tray will work.
I just like those particular ice cube trays because the shape of the ice cubes fits so well into bags and wastes zero space in the freezer. I think having the cubes stacked so closely together also helps prevent so much surface area from being exposed to air, which keeps the cubes fresher.
When you stack the cubes in the bag, the bag stands up by itself, which makes storage easy. You can flip through all of your bags like you would with a filing cabinet!
All of that said, I used to use regular ice cube trays too, and it worked out just fine! 😉
If you’re going to be making a lot of things to freeze (I make pumpkin puree, pesto sauce, fruit cubes, etc. this way), I do think they’re a good investment.
If you’re just doing this as a one time thing, and wouldn’t otherwise use them, then it probably isn’t worth buying them! 🙂
I have some small Roma tomatoes from a friends garden and I’d like to make this pizza sauce, but want to know how many tomatoes by weight. Would you know the weight I would need for this recipe?
Well I am making pizza sauce that needs tomatoe paste.
Ok wow… I just read over your recipe again and realized your recipe is the one I was looking for. I have been looking at so many recipes on what to do with tomatoes. Sorry please disregard my previous comments. I’m excited to try this recipe to add fresh tomatoe paste to my pizza sauces and other recipes.
No Problem, Lauren. 🙂
How did it go for you?
i am so thankful for all this ideas I thought that I could do it this way but wasn’t sure but now I am and I didn’t know about the slow cooker this is so helpful to me I will make this and than make my spaghetti sauce thank you so much I am getting excited but I made tomato juice by putting it in blender but my husband drinks it with the seeds and skin so easy
Hi Rita,
I’m happy to have helped. I hope your tomato paste turns out beautifully! 🙂