How to Make Tomato Paste at Home

Tomato paste is a thick tomato concentrate made by cooking the moisture out of fresh tomatoes. Used in a wide variety of recipes, tomato paste thickens sauces, adds inviting color and provides a rich burst of tomato flavor anywhere it is needed. It takes a lot of tomatoes to make just a little paste, but a little goes a long way. Wrangling a bountiful tomato harvest this summer? Follow these simple steps to make this kitchen staple using fresh tomatoes straight from the garden.

Ingredients: 5 pounds ripe plum tomatoes / 1/4 cup olive oil / 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Five pounds of tomatoes will yield about ½ pint of paste, but this easy recipe can be scaled to accommodate any harvest. Equipment: Large, heavy pot and lipped baking half-sheet.

Remove stem and core of tomatoes and quarter or roughly chop. Five pounds of tomatoes will provide approximately 4 quarts of chopped tomato.

Pour ¼ cup of olive oil into a heavy pot and add chopped tomatoes and kosher salt. Other ingredients like pepper or garlic may be added, but sticking to the basic ingredients makes paste more versatile when used in recipes.

Bring tomatoes to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes to soften tomatoes and release juices. Stir frequently to prevent burning.

Pour tomatoes into a food mill and crank to remove skins and seeds.

Once milled, tomato juice yield will be approximately two quarts.

Return to pot and simmer uncovered over medium heat for about an hour until volume is reduced by half.

Lightly grease a lipped baking half sheet and pour tomato sauce into tray in an even coat. Place in a 300 degree oven and cook for 2 hours.

Stir thickened paste and spread evenly to finish cooking. Return to oven for 30-45 minutes until desired consistency is reached. Paste should be thick, smooth and drawing a spatula though the paste on the baking sheet should leave a clean trail.