In 4 simple steps, you can make tomato paste at home! The taste is far superior to anything you can get in a can. Add to stews, sauces, soups, and more meals for a rich tomato-ey flavor!
Cut Tomatoes. Rinse tomatoes thoroughly then cut them into quarters.
Blend Tomatoes. Place the tomatoes in a blender and blend then into a puree. You'll have to do this in several batches.
Sieve. Pass the blended tomatoes through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds and some of the skin.
Cook Down To a Paste. Place the sieved tomato puree into a large pot and let it cook down until it reduces and looks like tomato paste. When it reduces significantly, turn the heat down to medium to prevent it from burning. Do not stir as it cooks. This whole process takes about 2-3 hours depending on the intensity of the heat and how watery the tomatoes are.
Store. Store tomato paste by freezing in ice cubes, refrigerating in mason jars or canning. See Note 2
Notes
1. Any tomatoes you have on hand would work but if you are to choose, pick tomatoes with more pulp like Roma or San Marzano tomatoes.2. Follow one of the following methods for storing homemade tomato paste: Ice Cube Method: Put homemade tomato paste into an ice cube tray and freeze overnight. Once it freezes, remove the tomato paste cubes and put into freezer safe bags and store in the freezer for 2-3 months. Add frozen portions to recipes as called for.Olive Oil Method: Put homemade tomato paste in mason jars up to three quarters full. Then pour olive oil to completely cover the tomato paste. Screw on the lid and store in the fridge for up to a week.Canning Method: You could also can homemade tomato paste to make it last longer. To learn how to can tomato paste at home follow this guide.3. The 10 pounds of tomatoes used in this recipe cook down to about 2 pounds of tomato paste.