When your garden is overflowing with ripe tomatoes, it is the perfect time to make your own homemade tomato paste.

Homemade Tomato Paste Recipe 🍅 How To Make Tomato Paste

This tomato paste recipe has only three ingredients and there are two options for storing. Once you know how to make it, store-bought will no longer be an option for you.

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🍅 Easy Homemade Tomato Paste Recipe

If you are at the end of your fresh tomato supply and you have canned, juiced, dried and enjoyed tomatoes until you can't look at another tomato...WAIT! I have one more. You can make your own tomato paste! Just like anything that is quality, it takes time and love.

🍅 Tomato Paste Ingredients:

• Tomatoes: any variety but tomatoes like Roma tomatoes, plum tomatoes or heirloom tomatoes are preferred because they have a lower moisture content. Less water = less cooking time until you get to tomato paste!
• Olive oil: just a drizzle
• Bay leaves: 1 per two pounds of tomatoes

🥣 Helpful Kitchen Tools

• Food Mill - makes easy work of removing skins and seeds from cooked tomatoes

🔪 How To Make Homemade Tomato Paste From Scratch:

1. Wash and chop the tomatoes.
2. In a large pot, drizzle a little bit of olive oil. I did about a tablespoon.
3. Add your tomatoes and allow the tomatoes to soften.
4. Pass the soft tomatoes through a food mill to remove the skins and seeds.
5. Discard the seeds and skins as well as any excess juice.
6. Once you have a tomato purée or tomato pulp, pour the tomato puree in your large pot return it to the stove and add 1 bay leaf per 2 pounds of tomatoes.
7. The water evaporates when you cook on high heat, reducing the tomatoes down to a paste consistency. Be sure to stir using a rubber spatula and scrape down the edges and the bottom of the pot.
8. The longer the tomatoes simmer into a paste, the lower you should turn down the temperature.
9. Transfer the paste into 4 ounce canning jar and water bath can them or freeze in ice cube trays.

Why is a food mill used to make tomato paste?

The food mill makes easy work of removing the seeds and the skins of the tomatoes.  It is so much easier than blanching the skins off of the tomatoes and removing the seeds by hand. I never get all the seeds out when I try and remove them by hand. The food mill is well worth the investment.

What is the difference between tomato purée and tomato paste?

The difference is consistency and moisture content. Tomato puree has a thicker consistency than tomato juice and a more concentrated tomato flavor whereas tomato paste has almost all of the moisture evaporated by cooking it out. 

What is the purpose of tomato paste?

Tomato paste is used to thicken, color, and enhance the flavor of tomato sauces and other liquids such as soups and stews without adding extra volume to the dish. Tomato paste is usually found added to Italian dishes but many other recipes benefit from the addition of tomato paste including bolognese, pizza casserole, and even sous vide beef burgundy. If you have an overabundance of tomatoes you will want to learn to can diced tomatoes as well. 

❄️ Storage tips

How to freeze tomato paste in portions

1. Using my silicone brownie squares baking mold I pipped the tomato paste into each square.
2. If you don't have a pastry bag you can always snip the corner off of a resealable plastic bag. I think a gallon bag would work well in this example.
3. If you need ANOTHER option, you can always just spoon the thick tomato paste into each cavity. I was going for 'neat' so I used the pastry bag.
4. Once done, pop them in the freezer until frozen through.
5. Flip them over and they easily pop right out. I love silicone bakeware for applications like this one.
6. Store in an airtight container in the freezer and you have proportioned tomato paste. I am calling each square a tablespoon.

How to portion out tomato paste without a mold.

1. If you don't have the silicone brownie squares baking mold there is still YET ANOTHER method of storing.
2. Pipe or dab out little 1 tablespoon blobs on a silicone baking sheet or parchment paper.
3. Freeze till solid and then store in an airtight container in the freezer.

📝 Frequently asked questions, answers and tips:

Ways to use tomato paste:

Tomato paste is a versatile ingredient that can add depth and richness to a variety of dishes. Remember, when using tomato paste, a little goes a long way due to its concentrated flavor. These methods should help you make the most of this ingredient and create delicious, novice-friendly dishes.

• Sauces and Gravies: Tomato paste is a great base for making rich and flavorful sauces and gravies. To use it, heat a small amount of oil in a pan, add minced garlic and onion, then stir in a tablespoon or two of tomato paste. Cook for a couple of minutes to develop the flavors, and then add crushed tomatoes, broth, and seasonings. Simmer until the sauce thickens and reaches your desired consistency.
• Soup Enhancer: Tomato paste can add depth to soups. While sautéing the vegetables for your soup, add a spoonful of tomato paste and let it cook for a minute or two to caramelize slightly. This will intensify the tomato flavor in your soup.
• Marinades and Rubs: For a burst of umami in your marinades or rubs, mix tomato paste with herbs, spices, and a touch of acid (like vinegar or lemon juice). Coat your protein and let it marinate for a few hours before cooking. The tomato paste will enhance the overall flavor profile.
• Pizza and Pasta Dishes: Tomato paste is a key ingredient for creating pizza and pasta sauces. In a saucepan, combine tomato paste with crushed tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, herbs, and a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity. Simmer the mixture until it thickens into a luscious sauce.
• Stews and Braises: Enhance the depth of flavor in stews and braises by incorporating tomato paste. After searing your meat, stir in a spoonful of tomato paste to the pan, allowing it to cook and develop its flavors. Then, add liquid (such as broth, wine, or water), vegetables, and herbs. Let everything simmer until the meat is tender.
• Enhanced Stock: Adding tomato paste to the beef bones before roasting enhances the overall umami and richness of your stock. The natural sugars in the tomato paste caramelize during roasting, contributing a complex depth of flavor that traditional roasting alone might not achieve. I learned this trick in my stocks and sauces class at Johnson & Wales. This added step elevates your stock, making it a perfect base for a variety of dishes, from soups to sauces.

Recipes that use tomato paste:

• Beef Burgundy
• Bolognese
• Pizza Casserole 

Homemade Tomato Paste Recipe

Sarah Mock

When your garden is overflowing with ripe tomatoes, it is the perfect time to make homemade tomato paste. This tomato paste recipe has only three ingredients and there are two options for storing the tomato paste. Once you know how to make homemade tomato paste, store bought will no longer be an option for you.

4.66 from 101 votes

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Note From Sarah

There is more to a recipe than just the recipe card. Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!

Prep time for the recipePrep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook time for the recipeCook Time 3 hours hrs

total time to prep and cook the recipe.Total Time 3 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark, toggle to button to the right to turn GREEN

Course Canning Recipes

Cuisine Italian

Makes 4

Per Serving 223 kcal

HELPFUL KITCHEN TOOLS

Food Mill 

Canning Funnel

Canning Popper

Canning Jar Lifter

4 ounce ball jars

Granite Ware Stock Pot

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 8 pounds roma tomatoes
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• ▢ 1 each Bay leaf

Instructions

 

How To Make Tomato Paste:

• Wash and chop your tomatoes.
• In a hot pan drizzle a little bit of olive oil. I did about an tablespoon
• Add your tomatoes and cook until soft.
• Pass the soft tomatoes through a food mill.
• Once you have a tomato pulp and puree, return it to the stove and add 1 bay leaf per 2 pounds of tomatoes.
• Cook on medium high to big heat to reduce the tomatoes down to the above consistency. Be sure to stir and scrape down the edges and the bottom of the pot. The longer the tomatoes reduce into paste, the lower you should turn down the temperature.
• Portion into 4 ounce canning jars and water bath can or freeze in ice cube trays.

Canning Tomato Paste Instructions

• Portioned out the tomato paste into 4 ounce canning jars.
• Leave ¼ inch head space on the top.
• Process in a hot water bath for 40 minutes. That is right. 40 minutes. These guys may be small but the contents in them are dense.

How to freeze home made tomato paste in portions

• Using my piping bag I pipped the tomato paste into each square. If you don't have a pastry bag you can always snip the corner off of a resealable plastic bag. I think a gallon bag would work well in this example.
• If you need ANOTHER option, you can alway just spoon the tomato paste into each cavity. I was going for 'neat' so I used the pastry bag.
• Once done, pop them in the freezer until frozen through.
• Flip them over and they easily pop right out. I love silicone bake ware for applications like this one.
• Store in an air tight container in the freezer and you have proportioned tomato paste. I am calling each square a tablespoon of tomato paste.

Video

Notes

The approximate eight pounds of tomatoes I started with took just over 3 hours to reduce to the above consistency.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 223kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 8gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 46mgFiber: 11gSugar: 24g

Nutrition Disclosure

Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.

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*This recipe was originally posted on Sept. 23, 2103

👩🏻‍🍳 Sarah Mock

CEO/Owner/Founder/Culinary Blogger

Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 14 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.