Turning Tomatoes into Tomato Paste: A Step-by-Step Guide

Let me tell you, making tomato paste from scratch is one of those kitchen projects that just makes you feel accomplished! You start with a mountain of fresh tomatoes and end up with a rich, flavorful paste that’s way better than anything you’d find at the store. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to use up all those extra tomatoes from your garden.

From a Tomato Disaster to 44 Jars of Tomato Paste

This year, my tomato plants made a total comeback! At first, I was dealing with the usual garden woes—blossom end rot, yellowing leaves, and a whole lot of nothing happening. I thought I’d be lucky to get a handful of tomatoes. Fast forward to harvest time, and guess what? I found myself with 60 pounds of tomatoes! Yup, my plants made me a liar, but I wasn’t mad about it. I rolled up my sleeves and turned those sneaky tomatoes into 44 jars of homemade tomato paste.

Why Make Your Own Tomato Paste?

If you’ve ever wondered why you’d bother making tomato paste from scratch, let me break it down. First, homemade tomato paste is way fresher, richer, and tastier than store-bought. You get to control everything that goes into it—no weird preservatives or additives. Plus, you can tweak the flavors to suit your taste. And let’s not forget the satisfaction of using up your homegrown tomatoes for something that’ll last all year long. Making tomato paste does take time, but the payoff is worth every minute.

Ingredients For Making Tomato Paste

Tomatoes: You can use any variety of tomatoes, but plum or Roma tomatoes are ideal because they have less water and more flesh. I went with a mix of San Marzano and Roma for a deeper flavor. (And if I’m being totally honest, it’s because I had so many tomatoes to pick and not enough buckets to keep them separate!) Aim for about 10 pounds of tomatoes to make roughly 2-3 cups of paste.
Salt: A small amount to enhance flavor and act as a preservative.
Olive Oil: For roasting (optional).
Lemon Juice, Vinegar or Citric Acid: For acidity and preservation (optional).

Equipment Required

Large Pot: For boiling the tomato puree.
Strainer or Food Mill: To remove skins and seeds.
Baking Sheet: For roasting the tomatoes (optional).
Large Wooden Spoon: For stirring.
Ice Cube Trays: If you plan on freezing the paste.
Water Bath Canner: For making shelf-stable paste.
Jars, Lids and Rings: For canning.

Preparing and Roasting Tomatoes

First up, we need to roast the tomatoes—this step is key when making homemade tomato paste from scratch. Roasting helps soften the tomato skin and flesh, making it so much easier to extract all that rich, flavorful pulp when you run them through your food mill. Plus, it intensifies that sweet, tangy tomato flavor we all love.

Start by prepping those juicy, ripe tomatoes! Give them a good rinse under cool running water to wash off any dirt or garden debris. If you’re worried about pesticides, add a tiny bit of dish soap like Dawn to your rinse—just make sure you rinse thoroughly afterward. Once they’re clean, remove the green stems and cut the tomatoes into quarters. This makes it easier to roast them evenly. Spread your tomato quarters out on a baking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil (this helps enhance their flavor), and pop them into a preheated oven at 350°F.

Roast the tomatoes for about 15 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when the skins are loose, and the tomatoes start releasing their juices. Roasting tomatoes is such a great way to concentrate their flavors before turning them into that rich, thick tomato paste we all want.

Time To Squeeze Them

Now that the tomatoes are perfectly roasted, it’s time to separate the pulp from the seeds and skins. If you’re serious about making tomato paste, a good stainless steel food mill is your best friend here. It makes the process run so much smoother! The food mill pushes the pulp through, while keeping out the seeds and skins.

Here are a few tips I picked up from my own tomato paste-making adventures:

Fill the food mill about 2/3 full with roasted tomatoes before you start turning the handle. The weight of the tomatoes helps push everything through faster, saving you some elbow grease.
After you’ve processed a batch, you’ll have a bunch of seeds and skins left in the food mill. Don’t toss those scraps! I’ve got an awesome tip for turning them into a tomato powder seasoning later. For now, turn the handle counterclockwise over a scrap bowl to release all those leftovers.
I like using the medium-hole plate for the food mill. It lets through enough pulp without too many seeds. But you can experiment to see what works best for you—some seeds might slip through, but honestly, it just adds to that homemade charm!

Reduce, Reduce, Reduce

With your fresh tomato pulp ready, the next step is reducing it into a thick, concentrated paste. Here’s the lowdown:

Grab a Big Pot: You’ll need a large, heavy-bottomed pot that distributes heat evenly. This is key for cooking down the tomato pulp without burning it.
Pour in the Pulp: Dump all that tomato goodness into the pot. If you have leftover juice from the roasting process, pour that in too—it’ll help things cook down more evenly.
Season It: Now’s the time to add a pinch of salt, or any other seasonings you love. This is optional, but it really enhances the flavor of the paste.
Citric Acid: If you’re canning the paste, add 3/4 of a teaspoon of citric acid for every 10 pounds of tomatoes to keep everything preserved properly.
Simmer and Stir: Bring the tomato pulp to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Stir it occasionally to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. As the water cooks off, the pulp will start to thicken, giving you that lovely, concentrated tomato paste texture.
Cook Down: You’ll need to simmer the tomatoes for about 2-3 hours, stirring regularly. The goal here is to cook off as much water as possible, leaving behind a thick, velvety tomato paste. The exact time can vary based on how much pulp you’re working with and how thick you want your paste to be.
Cool and Store: Once the paste has reached your desired thickness, let it cool slightly. Then, transfer it into clean jars or containers for storage. If you’re freezing the paste, try using ice cube trays for easy portioning. Once frozen, pop the cubes into a freezer-safe container for long-term storage, or use it fresh in your favorite recipes!

And that’s it! You’ve made your very own homemade tomato paste. Perfect for soups, sauces, stews, and so much more. Enjoy!

How much did it make?

I ended up with 44 jars of tomato paste from 60 pounds of tomatoes—each jar is 4 oz. I cooked mine for 5 hours, and it still wasn’t super thick, but I decided to go ahead and can it anyway. It had reduced by more than half, so I figured it was concentrated enough.