Tomato Paste

Tomato paste is made by cooking down fresh tomatoes into a thickened paste. Tomato paste has an intense tomato flavoring and can be used in small amounts to flavor, sauces, soups, and other dishes. Tomato paste can be purchased in small cans, jars, and even tubes.

Substitute For Tomato Paste

If you don't have tomato paste you can make a simple substitute:

• For 1 tablespoon tomato paste, you can cook 2-3 tablespoons of tomato puree or tomato sauce and reduce it until it is thick. We feel this is the best substitute because if you cook very often, you probably keep tomato sauce in your pantry, and once cooked down, the flavor is almost identical to paste.
• If you have double concentrated tomato paste in a tube, use an equal amount as called for in the recipe if it is just for a tablespoon or two. You may need to adjust the liquid by a small amount.
• If your recipe calls for a full 6 ounce can of standard tomato paste, you can use 3 ounces double concentrated tomato paste instead.
• In most cases, we don't recommend using ketchup instead of tomato paste because of the sugar and other ingredients used in the product. Usually, tomato paste is used to provide a rich tomato flavor, and ketchup tends to be more about sweetness than it is about tomato flavor.

Double Concentrated Tomato Paste

This tomato paste is sold in large tubes and typically comes from Italy. This form of tomato paste has a richer flavor than standard paste. To make the paste, tomatoes and washed, sorted, then crushed. The mash is then put through a centrifuge that removes the seeds, skins, and cellulose. The remaining plant is placed in evaporation tanks until it condenses down to the proper thickness.

Mutti brand was the first company to package tomato paste in a resealable tube back in 1951. Today there are many brands available.

This paste is convenient because many recipes call for a tablespoon or two of paste, and frequently the rest gets thrown away. The tube allows you to measure out the amount you need, then you can reseal it using the screw-cap. Once a tube is opened, it needs to be refrigerated. The paste will store up to a month after that.