Fair warning, this takes a bit of time. You can tell in my video-I did a stage each evening after work and dinner. Little by little, throughout the week, I ended up with a nice batch of tomato paste for the winter. You will also notice that you start out with a lot of tomatoes-and you get back 1 1/4 full of an ice cube tray full (not a ton). The good news is, you usually don’t need much to accent a dish. These tablespoons of tomato paste pack a punch! Simply transfer frozen cubes from the trays into a freezer-safe plastic bag and label! You will be all set for 6 months to 1 year!
Make your Own Tomato Paste
Ingredients:
1 carrot, chopped
16 cups ripe tomatoes, quartered
1 large celery stalk, chopped
1 medium chopped onion
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1/2 Tbsp. dried basil
1/2 Tbsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. black peppercorns
12 whole cloves
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 2″ stick cinnamon
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
Directions:
Simmer tomatoes in a large stock pot on a medium simmer with all the ingredients until soft and married about 2 hours.
Process through a food mill. Return milled tomatoes to the pot and simmer on medium low heat for another 2 hours, stirring often to prevent burning. You want it reduced by half.
Preheat oven to 200˚. Line an old baking sheet with tin foil.
Spread paste on the prepared baking sheet to the depth of 1/2″. Make short cuts or “slits” with a dull knife into the paste to let the air penetrate. Place the sheet in the 200˚ oven to dry out for bout 2 hours.
Spoon paste in ice cube trays and freeze overnight. Transfer cubes into freezer-safe plastic bags, label and date, and store in the freezer for 6-12 months.
Below is a step by step how-to. I look pretty tired in this video because I made time for this project after long work days and dinner dishes throughout the week! #dedication! If you have a lazy, open Sunday, you can do this in one day. I just haven’t had that luxury this fall! It’s been a bit busy at our house lately.
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