There is a quick recipe for those that want to make their freeze tomato paste or sauce as fast as impossible in oven. It’s the perfect way to preserve leftover tomatoes, and this simple tomato puree can be made on the stove, in the oven, or in the slow cooker.
Whenever I plant my vegetable garden, there is a point where there is so much of a particular vegetable (or fruit if you prefer) that I don’t know what to do with it. When it comes to tomatoes, there are several great ways to preserve them and have them on hand when you need them.
Tomato paste is one of the best ways to do it. (Home-dried tomatoes and other tomato powders.) Tomato paste is a thick, thick tomato sauce. Depending on how long you boil or dry it, it will be thicker and more concentrated.
In some parts of the world it is dried in the sun until there is not much water left in the mixture. As you can probably guess, the main ingredient of tomato puree is tomatoes.
Whether you add other ingredients is up to you. Some people add olive oil, others add peppers (such as bell peppers or Italian peppers). Whether you add salt or not is also up to you.
I personally prefer to keep the tomato puree on the simple side and add other ingredients as needed when making my recipes using the pasta. Although you can use any tomatoes you have in your garden (or find at the market) to make tomato sauce or tomato paste, some types of tomatoes work better than others.
Tomatoes such as roma tomatoes and other so-called paste tomatoes have more flesh and fewer seeds. This means they also have less water. Therefore, they take less time to cook down to a thick, rich sauce and generally make more tomato sauce (of the same size). Most of the best varieties for sauces and dough are tall and elongated, not short and wide.
There are many ways to make tomato puree. Some people prefer to peel and clean the tomatoes before starting. Others prefer to leave the skin and seeds on and cook everything together. I found my way to make the process quick and easy!
Although I used to peel all the tomatoes before making tomato sauce or tomato paste, I found that it took a lot longer than it does now. Now I washed the tomatoes and cut them into cubes. Then I blend them in the blender and later squeeze out the seeds and skin. You can use a mesh strainer or a food mill to remove them easily and get a smooth sauce or paste.
Some people start cooking the sauce with the shells and seeds and then strain them later. The idea is that the pectin in the tomato skins will release into the sauce to thicken it. On the other hand, making the sauce with the seeds and skin can make it bitter. This, of course, may depend on your particular tomato variety.
I prefer the flavor over the thickness (which is what you’ll get anyway if you reduce it enough), but you can experiment with your tomatoes to decide which method works best for you! Making thick tomato paste is easy. All we do is make a basic tomato sauce by cooking tomato puree and slowly reducing it to make it more concentrated.
We do this by evaporating more of the water. The more water you evaporate, the thicker your paste will be. There are several ways to effectively reduce the water content of tomato puree. I usually make my tomato puree on the stove.
To do this, slowly cook the tomato sauce in a pan on the stove over low heat. The idea is to evaporate the water until you reach the desired consistency. Although I prefer this method, be aware that as the sauce thickens, it is more likely to burn.
It’s important to cook at a low temperature, stir often and keep an eye on things, especially towards the end of the process! If you won’t be able to monitor it very closely, you may prefer one of the other methods. (Or you can start on the stove and finish in a slow cooker or oven. You can also use a slow cooker to make or finish your tomato puree.
It is important to cook with the lid off so that the water can evaporate. As the pasta thickens, you may want to turn it to a low heat or “keep warm” setting to prevent the sauce from burning. It’s not a bad idea to use a rubber or silicon spatula to stir from time to time. (Use the spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan so the dough doesn’t stick to it.)
Tomato Paste Quick Recipe
Some people choose to cook their tomato paste in the oven with a quick recipe, but I use it to finish the thickening process. You can also dry the sauce in the sun or use a food dehydrator. To do this, spread the tomato sauce on a clean baking sheet (or on dehydrator trays if using a food dehydrator).
In the oven, select one of the lowest temperature settings and turn on the convection (fan) setting if you have that option. Some people like to leave the oven slightly ajar to let the steam escape, but I didn’t feel it was necessary. From time to time, use a spatula to break down the pan and mix the pasta. Continue until desired consistency is reached.
The thickness of the tomato paste may be slower in the oven or slow cooker, but it is easier to keep your pasta from burning using these methods. (Your pasta won’t need as much attention during the process.) It won’t be foolhardy to use these options, though. You’ll want to be careful when it gets thick just to avoid burning! Tomato paste keeps longer than tomato sauce because of its low water content.
How long it can be kept will depend on how much water is left in your pasta. Pastes with more liquid will probably only last about 7-10 days. However, if you make the paste very concentrated, it should easily keep for several weeks in a refrigerator.
You can also extend the shelf life by removing the air around it using a vacuum sealer. Since it’s hard to know how well a particular batch will keep, I prefer to freeze tomato paste that I won’t be using within a week.
When I freeze my homemade tomato paste, I prefer to use perfectly shaped ice cube trays like the ones I used for homemade baby food cubes and smoothies, homemade pumpkin puree, or homemade pesto (my son’s favorite !) to freeze.
The advantage of using ice cube molds with a perfect cube shape is that the frozen tomato paste cubes fit perfectly in ziplock bags without wasting space. You can then label your bags and easily sort them to find what you need in your freezer drawers.
I don’t have much experience with canning, but I have read that it is possible to make 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 is not concentrated enough.
(This is to prevent the growth of the bacteria that causes botulism.) Tomato Paste – With just a few basic ingredients, you can make homemade tomato paste that will blow the store-bought variety right out of the water.
Instead of a tinny, sour ingredient with a weak flavor, get ready for a soft dough with a deep, almost caramelized tomato flavor that can’t be beat. It’s that time of year when tomatoes come out of our ears! Even if they are not overflowing in your garden, they are still bright, red, juicy, plentiful and cheap in the supermarkets.
So what’s steaming with all those tomatoes? Why make homemade tomato puree, of course! Did I mention this is super easy to make?
My recipe will take you just over an hour and requires only four basic ingredients and no tools or specialized cooking techniques. Tomato paste, unlike sauce, is much thicker and has a more concentrated flavor.
Pasta does not replace tomatoes in a recipe. Instead, it is usually used to thicken, color, and provide a richer flavor base to dishes. There are plenty of substitutes you can use as a last resort, like cooking cans of diced tomatoes, but nothing beats the real deal!
Freeze Tomato Paste Quick Recipe
The freeze tomato paste also has its own unique quick recipe. Have you noticed that most recipes that use tomato puree only call for a tablespoon or two? A 6-ounce can of tomato paste contains about 12 tablespoons. What do you do with the tomato paste left after you open the can?
You freeze it. It’s so convenient to open the freezer and grab as many tablespoons as needed for a recipe. Easy job. There is no container of tomato paste left in the fridge. Earned. Frozen tomato puree makes it convenient for future use.
You can get as many tablespoons as needed for a specific recipe. Plus I feel it saves me money in the long run. Don’t lose. I do not want. Use a small cookie scoop or measuring spoon and measure the tomato puree in 1-tablespoon portions.
Place the portions on a baking sheet and freeze until firm. Transfer the frozen portions to a freezer bag and return to the freezer until ready to use. Spray a cookie scoop or measuring spoon with a little nonstick cooking spray for easy release.
Place a piece of plastic wrap on a baking sheet before freezing. This helps keep the portions from sticking to the baking pan as they freeze.
If stored properly, tomato paste will last in the freezer for about 2-3 months. I only add frozen portions directly to recipes as requested. Isn’t it annoying when this recipe calls for less than an entire can of tomato paste? (and sorry for my recipes that do).
Most of the time we don’t know what to do with it and leave it partially covered in plastic wrap in the back of the fridge only to find it weeks and weeks later with a light layer of mold on top and throw it away feeling lost and annoyed .
But the reason I don’t feel bad about asking for a few tablespoons of tomato paste here and there is because I know how easy it is to store leftovers.
Here’s what you do: Scrape the rest of the tomato paste into a small, freezer-safe, zip-top bag of “Tomato Paste” and write the date on it with a sharpie (which you should always have in your kitchen junk drawer). If you are not using the whole can of tomatoes or bottle of passata, put in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week.
Avoid keeping leftovers in the metal cage, as pickled tomatoes can react with the metal. To freeze leftover canned tomatoes, place in labeled ziplock bags or containers and freeze for up to 6 months. Use frozen or thaw in the microwave for a minute or two before adding to your cooking. Today we’re going to tackle tomato puree, an ingredient that adds a ton of flavor to any dish you use it in, but one that often goes wrong because a little goes a long way.
Canned tomato paste will keep in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days in an airtight container such as a jar or pyrex storage container. You’ll know it’s gone bad if it starts to smell “off” or starts to mold. Tomato paste that comes in a tube will keep much longer in the fridge, about 45 days. Tomato paste will keep in the freezer for 2 to 3 months in an airtight container or freezer bag.
The best way to freeze tomato puree is in 1- or 2-tablespoon portions, as most recipes call for it. I like to put spoonfuls of it on squares of parchment paper and measure by weight (1 tablespoon of tomato paste weighs 16 grams) because it’s faster and less messy than using measuring spoons.
