Homemade Tomato Paste
Create Rich and Concentrated Tomato Paste from Fresh Tomatoes
Hello everyone! Today, I’ll guide you through making your own rich and flavorful tomato paste using fresh tomatoes. Honestly, I wasn’t a huge fan of tomatoes before. So, when my nieces and nephews would visit and ask for pasta, I’d usually just buy store-bought tomato sauce. But after trying to make tomato paste at home, I’ve completely fallen in love with it! Once you make it yourself, you’ll never want to go back to the jarred kind! Enjoy the deep flavor and health benefits of homemade tomato paste!
Ingredients- 500g fresh tomatoes
- 1g salt (approx. 1/4 tsp)
- 2 bay leaves (optional, for added flavor)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, wash 500g of fresh tomatoes thoroughly under running water. Using fresh, quality tomatoes is the first step to making delicious paste.
Step 2
Trim the stems from the clean tomatoes. Then, make a shallow cross-shaped incision on the skin of each tomato. This small step will make peeling much easier later on.
Step 3
Peeling tomatoes is incredibly simple! Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, carefully add the tomatoes with the cross-shaped cuts.
Step 4
Let the tomatoes simmer in the boiling water for about 10-15 seconds. You’ll notice the skin starting to split along the cuts. While some recipes suggest an ice bath, it’s usually not necessary; the skins peel off very easily with this method.
Step 5
After blanching, remove the tomatoes from the water and let them cool slightly. You’ll find that the skins slip off effortlessly with your fingers. It’s quite satisfying to peel them!
Step 6
Once peeled, cut the tomatoes into roughly equal, manageable pieces, like quarters. Since we’ll be blending them, you don’t need to chop them too finely.
Step 7
Now, transfer the cut tomatoes into a pot. Use an immersion blender (hand blender) to purée them until smooth. If you prefer an extremely smooth texture, you can pass the puréed tomatoes through a fine-mesh sieve. However, my immersion blender achieved a fine enough consistency, so I skipped this step.
Step 8
Place the puréed tomatoes back into the pot and cook over medium heat, allowing them to simmer and reduce. Initially, there will be a lot of liquid, so you won’t need to stir constantly to prevent burning. I let it simmer for about 30 minutes, checking periodically.
Step 9
As the tomato mixture starts to thicken, it’s time to add the salt for seasoning. However, since tomato paste is often an ingredient in other dishes like sauces rather than eaten on its own, it’s best not to over-salt initially. I added just 1g of salt (about 1/4 tsp), considering it will be used in other recipes.
Step 10
When the paste begins to noticeably thicken, you must stir frequently and thoroughly to prevent it from sticking to the bottom or burning. Use a spatula to scrape the bottom of the pot as you stir.
Step 11
Once it reaches a thick, spreadable consistency like this, it’s ready! The perfect consistency for tomato paste can vary based on personal preference and how you plan to use it. If you prefer it even thicker, continue simmering. If it’s for a sauce base, this consistency is excellent. Adjust the final thickness to suit your needs. This homemade tomato paste is wonderfully versatile for pasta sauces, soups, stews, and more!
