Bity
This rustic homemade tomato paste is what I make every late summer when the roma tomatoes pile up faster than we can eat them. One ingredient, a blender, a sieve and a slow simmer turn 4 pounds of ripe tomatoes into a small jar of deep red, sweet and tangy paste that makes the tinned kind taste flat.
In short, homemade tomato paste is ripe roma tomatoes blended briefly, strained to remove the watery juice and simmered on low until thick. It takes about 2 hours 10 minutes, mostly hands off, and 4 pounds (1.8 kg) of tomatoes make about 8.8 ounces (250 g), roughly 16 tablespoons, at about 20 calories per tablespoon.
The first time I made it, I was trying to rescue a bowl of slightly wrinkly tomatoes from my neighbour’s allotment. However, it was so good stirred into a Sunday ragu that I now buy extra romas on purpose. The secret is draining off the watery juice before you cook, which cuts the simmering time right down.
Quick Breakdown
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Tomato Paste
- Just one ingredient. Ripe roma tomatoes, with a splash of olive oil only if you want it for storing.
- No peeling, no seeding. The blender does the chopping, and the skins and seeds give it that rustic texture.
- Faster than most methods. Straining the juice first means about 1 hour 50 minutes on the hob instead of half a day.
- Fresh, sweet flavour. It tastes like summer tomatoes, not like a tin.
- Nothing wasted. Even the strained juice has a use, which I explain below.
Ingredient Notes
- Roma tomatoes. 4 pounds (about 1.8 kg). Romas, also called plum tomatoes, are meaty with less juice and fewer seeds, so they reduce quickly. Choose the ripest, reddest ones you can find; soft ones are perfect as long as you cut away bad spots.
- Olive oil (optional). 1 to 2 tablespoons. It is not cooked into the paste. Instead, a thin layer poured over the top of the jar helps it keep longer in the fridge.
You will also need a fine mesh sieve, a large bowl, a large saucepan and a blender. I use an 8 cup blender, which takes the tomatoes in two batches.
Cooking tomatoes down concentrates their lycopene, the red pigment linked to heart health. Harvard Health explains that lycopene is fat soluble, so oil in tomato sauce helps your body absorb it, which is one more reason to fry your paste in a little olive oil when you use it.
Is It Worth Making Your Own Tomato Paste?
Yes, homemade tomato paste is worth it if you grow tomatoes, find a cheap box at the market or simply love cooking from scratch, because it tastes sweeter and fresher than the tinned kind. Honestly, if you only need a spoonful once a month, a tube from the shop is fine. Here is how the two compare.
| Homemade | Shop bought tin or tube | |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredients | Roma tomatoes only | Tomatoes, sometimes salt or citric acid |
| Flavour | Sweet, fresh and fruity | Darker, more cooked, sometimes metallic |
| Texture | Rustic, with flecks of skin and seed | Very smooth |
| Time | About 2 hours 10 minutes, mostly hands off | None |
| Yield | About 8.8 ounces (250 g) from 4 pounds | Whatever size you buy |
As you can see, it takes a lot of tomatoes to make a little paste. That is the whole point: you are boiling away the water and keeping all the flavour.
How To Make Homemade Tomato Paste
1. Prep the tomatoes. First, wash the tomatoes, then pull off the stems and cut away any bruised or bad spots.
2. Quarter and load the blender. Next, cut each tomato into quarters and add them to the blender. With an 8 cup blender you will need to do this in two batches.
3. Blend briefly. Then blend for 12 to 15 seconds, just until no large chunks remain. There is no need to purée it completely smooth.
4. Strain out the water. After that, set a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl. Pour the blended mixture into the sieve a little at a time and move it around with a spoon or spatula so the thin, watery juice drips through. This takes about 10 minutes, and it is the step that saves you hours of simmering.
5. Simmer low and slow. Now tip the thick pulp left in the sieve into a large saucepan. Simmer on low for about 1 hour 50 minutes, stirring now and then and more often near the end, until it is thick, glossy and holds its shape on a spoon.
6. Use or store. Finally, use it straight away or spoon it into a clean jar for later.
Why Is My Paste Not Thickening?
Tomato paste that will not thicken still has too much water in the pan, usually from too little straining, very juicy tomatoes or a narrow pan. Keep it at a gentle bubble in a wide saucepan and keep simmering; it will get there.
- Not enough straining. If lots of juice went into the pan, it will simply take longer. Keep simmering; it will get there.
- Very juicy tomatoes. Salad or beefsteak tomatoes hold more water than romas, so add 30 to 60 minutes.
- Heat too low or a narrow pan. A wide saucepan gives more surface for steam to escape. A gentle bubble is what you want.
- It is catching on the bottom. Turn the heat down and stir more often, scraping the base of the pan. A burnt layer will taste bitter, so don’t scrape that part in.
Tips for the Best Homemade Tomato Paste
- If you don’t like seeds, scrape them out when you quarter the tomatoes, before blending.
- Use the ripest tomatoes you can get. Pale, hard ones make a sharp, thin paste.
- Stir more often in the last half hour, when the paste thickens and starts to spit.
- It is ready when a spoon drawn through the pan leaves a clear trail that does not flood back.
- Save the strained juice. Diluted with water, it makes a calcium and potassium rich drink for your garden plants.
Storage, Freezing and Canning
- Fridge. Keep homemade tomato paste in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Olive oil seal. Pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top to help it keep even longer, then stir the oil in before using.
- Freezer. Spoon tablespoon portions into an ice cube tray, freeze, then pop them into a bag. I find that the easiest way to have it ready for weeknight cooking.
- Canning. This paste is great for canning, but tomatoes need added acid and a tested process to be safe on the shelf. Follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation’s tested method for canning tomato paste, which adds citric acid before cooking and processes half pint jars in a water bath.
Variations and Substitutions
- Smooth paste. Press the cooked paste through a food mill or a sieve to remove the skins and seeds.
- Extra deep flavour. Once it is thick on the hob, you can spread it on a lined tray and finish it in a low oven, stirring every 15 minutes, until it darkens.
- Other tomatoes. San Marzano tomatoes are wonderful; cherry tomatoes work but take longer to strain.
- Herby version. Simmer a sprig of basil or oregano in the pan and pull it out before jarring.
- No time? Swap 1 tablespoon of paste with about 3 tablespoons of passata in a sauce, and simmer it down a little longer.
How To Use Homemade Tomato Paste
Fry a spoonful in olive oil with onions for a minute before adding liquid; it darkens and sweetens and gives sauces real depth. I stir it into my creamy tomato soup for an extra rich colour, and it makes the glaze on my meatloaf taste far fresher.
It is also brilliant in chilli: a couple of tablespoons in my Instant Pot chili thickens the sauce beautifully. For pizza night, loosen it with a little water, garlic and oregano and spread it over bread machine pizza dough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Making It
How do you make tomato paste from fresh tomatoes?
Blend quartered romas briefly, strain out the watery juice through a fine sieve, then simmer the thick pulp on low until it is dense enough to hold its shape. That is all there is to it.
Do you need to peel tomatoes for tomato paste?
No. This is a rustic paste, so the skins and seeds stay in. If you want it silky, push the finished paste through a food mill.
How much tomato paste do 4 pounds of tomatoes make?
About 8.8 ounces (250 g), roughly a cup. It shrinks a lot because most of a tomato is water.
What is the difference between tomato paste and tomato puree?
Puree is simply blended, lightly cooked tomatoes and is still pourable. Paste is cooked much longer until it is thick enough to spoon and hold its shape.
Storing and Using It
How long does homemade tomato paste last?
Up to 1 week in the fridge in an airtight container, a little longer under a layer of olive oil, or several months frozen in portions.
Can I freeze homemade tomato paste?
Yes, for several months. Freeze tablespoon portions in an ice cube tray, then store them in a freezer bag and drop them straight into sauces.
What can you do with the juice strained from tomatoes?
Simmer it into soups or stock, or dilute it with water and use it to water your garden, as it is rich in calcium and potassium.
Can you can tomato paste at home?
Yes, but only with a tested method, because tomatoes need added acid. The National Center for Home Food Preservation’s method adds citric acid and processes half pint jars in a water bath.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds Roma tomatoes (about 1.8 kg)
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil optional, for storing
Instructions
- Wash the tomatoes. Remove the stems and any bad spots.
- Quarter the tomatoes and add them to a blender (you will need to do this in two batches for an 8 cup blender).
- Blend for 12 to 15 seconds or until no large chunks remain.
- Place a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl. Pour the tomato mixture a bit at a time through the sieve, using a utensil to move it around. You want to get out as much water as possible, as this cuts way down on how long you have to cook it. This can take around 10 minutes.
- Pour the tomato mixture from the sieve into a large saucepan and simmer on low for 1 hour 50 minutes or until it reaches the proper texture.
- Use immediately or store for later use. Enjoy!
