# Homemade tomato paste?



## Habitant (Jul 21, 2010)

Ive canned tomatoes and tomato sauce many times but I always buy tomato paste. Has anyone made and canned tomato paste? Is there anything special you need to do or do you just keep evaporating the water out of tomato sauce? Run it through cheesecloth maybe?



I planted over 30 roma plants this year and hope to have lots and lots of tomatoes to put away

Many thanks

Habitant.


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## Lucy (May 15, 2006)

You keep cooking it down. Usually 2 1/2 hours or so. Some people put in a shallow roaster and cook in the oven.


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

I normally cook my tomatoes like I'm preparing sauce, then let it settle overnight and carefully pour off the "broth" (save for canning liquid or cooking). The resulting solids are pretty thick, but to really thicken it up for paste I hang it in a jelly bag to get even more of the liquid out. Of course, cooking it down works, too... it's just harder for me to watch the pot that long and takes a lot more wood in my stove


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## donnam (Sep 27, 2005)

The jelly bag method works really well for us and uses alot of tomatoes. I freeze the finished product in ice cube trays and keep them in gallon bags in the freezer. They are very handy.


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## Judi Reilly (Mar 27, 2008)

Some good ideas here..have been wondering about doing t. paste also..but since we lose electricity at times...for a long time maybe..I will can everything..putting the paste in odd shaped jelly jars..the ones I don't put jelly in for sale...will try the cook down and then into jelly bag for the final drain...Judi


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Run the raw tomatoes through a blender. Bring to boil for about half hour. Strain and press through chinois sieve. Return to pot and simmer for as long as you care to keep an eye on it. Then transfer to crockpot to slowly cook down to whatever consistency you desire.

Hint: Some of the best paste is not made from "paste" tomatoes but beefsteak or oxheart types. Unlike sauces, where the end result is contingent upon the spices used, paste relies only on the tomatoes used to produce it. 

Martin


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## Louisiana Mom (Oct 15, 2004)

Homemade tomato paste:
I wash & core my tomatoes. Then put them into the blender. Pour the liquid into a crockpot. Cook on low overnight. When it's thick enough I pour it into ice cube trays. When frozen put them in freezer bags or storage containers. (I've tried to can it but no success so I just freeze it.)


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## partndn (Jun 18, 2009)

Louisiana Mom said:


> Homemade tomato paste:
> I wash & core my tomatoes. Then put them into the blender. Pour the liquid into a crockpot. Cook on low overnight. When it's thick enough I pour it into ice cube trays. When frozen put them in freezer bags or storage containers. (I've tried to can it but no success so I just freeze it.)


I was reading this thread thinkin I should try paste too, so I gotta ask what was your problem with canning? 
Might help some others here too. :grin:


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## oldasrocks (Oct 27, 2006)

We can our paste. It needs to be really HOT when you put it in the jars, top it with a bit of canning salt and seal. Make sure the edge of the jar is clean. We don't water bath. Put up 85 pints last yr and every one is OK.


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## Becka03 (Mar 29, 2009)

if you use the crockpot- do you leave the lid off? so it cooks down?


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## NicoleandBrian (Feb 1, 2006)

My Great Grandma told me she used to cook the tomatoes down, then spread them outside on a table, turning them every once in a while, until they got to a paste. Then she'd store it in crocks with some olive oil on top, scooping out a bit when needed. Of course this was in the 1920's....


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## Mountain Mick (Sep 10, 2005)

Hi,Habitant

Homemade tomato paste
By Mick Blake 
I to use a crock-pot, I leave lid off, I also add 2cups of ground up dehydrated tomatoes these are toms I have lightly salt and dried out until rock hard (I use this to make Tomato dust great on any thing), I also make a tom paste that I add roasted garlic to I add two whole slow roasted bulbs of garlic, this works great as a pizza sauce. MM


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## oldasrocks (Oct 27, 2006)

Becka03 said:


> if you use the crockpot- do you leave the lid off? so it cooks down?


Yes you have to leave the lid off for the water to evaporate.


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## momofseven (Oct 10, 2008)

This is how I make mine. Liquefy the tomatoes however you want. Last year I just threw them all in the vitamix. Then cook it down until the consistency of thick spaghetti sauce. I then spread it out onto the trays of my dehydrator and dried it until rubbery. Rolled it into balls and then packed them in a jar and poured OO over top. They have lasted all winter long in the fridge. I like the idea from mt. mick with the dehydrated tomatoes.


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

I totally forgot about dehydrating and grinding into powder  I did that a couple years ago and _still_ have tomato powder left! It's awesome for adding tomato taste to dishes without a lot of additional liquid, or for whipping up a quick batch of cocktail sauce, etc. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure I still have some of the sun-dried tomatoes packed in OO from that harvest as well. Oh so many ways to preserve tomatoes


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