Homemade Tomato Paste – tomatoes, garlic and salt

How to make homemade tomato paste with fresh tomatoes, garlic, and salt. Simply pulse the tomatoes and then simmer on the stovetop until paste forms.

Homemade tomato paste recipe

If you have a garden, then I’m sure you’re more than familiar with a common problem: ending up with SO MANY tomatoes in your garden! 

Whether you choose to make spaghetti sauce, tomato soup, diced tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, the best salsa, tomato powder, the options are truly endless. One of my favorite ways to preserve our tomatoes is to make homemade tomato paste to freeze to use later in the year!

This recipe will make about 1 1/2 cup tomato paste or fill up 1-2 full ice cube trays if you are preserving them to freezer for later on. You can easily double or triple this recipe if you want to make more!

This recipe is super simple because you simply pulse the tomatoes up in a food processor and then simmer on the stovetop for a few hours until the tomatoes turn into a paste.

What is the difference between tomato sauce and tomato paste?

Tomato sauce is a thinner, more liquid product used as a base or sauce in various recipes, while tomato paste is a concentrated, thicker product used to intensify the tomato flavor in dishes.

Both have a strong tomato taste, but tomato paste is more thicker in texture and heavier, more concentrated in flavor.

The best tomatoes for tomato paste

The best type of tomatoes for paste is Roma or plum tomatoes (think elongated in shape) because they have the least amount of seeds. In this recipe, we don’t take the skin off or deseed the tomatoes. They’re just cut in half and boiled right away.

You want to make sure the tomatoes are fresh when making homemade tomato paste. I don’t recommend using canned tomatoes because they’re usually cooked right inside the can. This means your tomato paste will have a more processed, not-so-fresh flavor. 

How to make tomato paste on the stovetop with fresh tomatoes

Prepare your tomatoes by washing them thoroughly. Cut each tomato in half lengthwise. 

Break down the tomatoes and garlic using a food processor.

Once the mixture is nice and smooth, add it to a saucepot along with the salt.

Bring it up to a boil before lowering the heat to a simmer.

The tomatoes will simmer out their liquid for about 3-4 hours. Stir it occasionally to mix up the flavors. You’ll know it’s ready when there’s no visible liquid and a dark red paste has formed. 

Let the finished paste cool completely before using it in your dishes or freezing to preserve (directions below on freezing).

Storing and freezing

To store: Homemade tomato paste must be stored in the fridge and has a shelf life of 5 to 7 days. Store the tomato paste in a sealed container or plastic bag with as much air removed as possible.

To freeze: Tomato paste can be frozen for up to 6 months and thawed for later use. The easiest way to freeze tomato paste is by adding it to ice cube trays and then transferring the frozen cubes to sealed ziploc bags (I use the same method when storing my homemade pesto).

Don’t have ice cube trays? Place a layer of parchment paper on a baking sheet and add spoonfuls of tomato paste in a single layer. Place the baking sheet in the freezer until the tomato paste is completely frozen. Pop the frozen tomato paste off of the parchment and place them in a freezer-safe bag to freeze for up to 6 months. 

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